Overview

A generation of historians has been captivated by the notorious views on gender found in the mid-sixth century Secret History by the Byzantine historian Procopius of Caesarea. Yet the notable but subtler ways in which gender coloured Procopius' most significant work, the Wars, have received far less attention. This monograph examines how gender shaped the presentation of not only key personalities such as the seminal power-couples Theodora/ Justinian and Antonina/ Belisarius, but also the Persians, Vandals, Goths, Eastern Romans, and Italo-Romans, in both the Wars and the Secret History. By analysing the purpose and rationale behind Procopius' gendered depictions and ethnicizing worldview, this investigation unpicks his knotty agenda. Despite Procopius's reliance on classical antecedents, the gendered discourse that undergirds both texts under investigation must be understood within the broader context of contemporary political debates at a time when control of Italy and North Africa from Constantinople was contested.

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This volume by Michael Edward Stewart is not just another monograph on Procopius, the renowned Byzantine historian. [...] Stewart uses gendered and literary approaches to understanding Procopius' persona, his writings, and his world, in successful ways, and this monograph will open new and interesting avenues for the analysis of Byzantine historiography. - Ecaterina Lung, University of Bucharest, Bryn Mawr Classical Review, 02/49 (2021)

""Michael Stewart’s book is a meticulous study of the works of Prokopios of Caesarea (Wars, Buildings, Secret History) and their historical context: the Roman world of the sixth century. [...] Stewart’s book is a welcome addition to the existing literature. It will benefit those who study Prokopios and the sixth century, as well as being of particular interest to students of gender studies."" - Panagiotis Theodoropoulos, Speculum 97/1 (January 2022) “Stewart’s book offers a rich, learned, and remarkably accessible account of the role played by sixth-century gender norms in [Procopius’s] De bellis…[T]his book will undoubtedly be a must-read for students of one of Late Antiquity’s most closely scrutinized authors.” - Studies in Late Antiquity, Spring 2023 ""The book of M. E. Stewart is an essential contribution for the study of Procopius' work, as he gives a different perspective to the analysis of Byzantine historiography, and, by extension, for the research field of ""Gender Studies"""" - George Kadaras, Byzantina Symmeikta 31 (2021) [author's translation] ""This volume by Michael Edward Stewart is not just another monograph on Procopius, the renowned Byzantine historian. [...] Stewart uses gendered and literary approaches to understanding Procopius’ persona, his writings, and his world, in successful ways, and this monograph will open new and interesting avenues for the analysis of Byzantine historiography."" - Ecaterina Lung, University of Bucharest, Bryn Mawr Classical Review, 02/49 (2021)

Michael Stewart's book is a meticulous study of the works of Prokopios of Caesarea (Wars, Buildings, Secret History) and their historical context: the Roman world of the sixth century. [...] Stewart's book is a welcome addition to the existing literature. It will benefit those who study Prokopios and the sixth century, as well as being of particular interest to students of gender studies. - Panagiotis Theodoropoulos, Speculum 97/1 (January 2022) The book of M. E. Stewart is an essential contribution for the study of Procopius' work, as he gives a different perspective to the analysis of Byzantine historiography, and, by extension, for the research field of Gender Studies - George Kadaras, Byzantina Symmeikta 31 (2021) [author's translation] This volume by Michael Edward Stewart is not just another monograph on Procopius, the renowned Byzantine historian. [...] Stewart uses gendered and literary approaches to understanding Procopius' persona, his writings, and his world, in successful ways, and this monograph will open new and interesting avenues for the analysis of Byzantine historiography. - Ecaterina Lung, University of Bucharest, Bryn Mawr Classical Review, 02/49 (2021)

Author Information

Michael Edward Stewart (honorary Research Fellow, University of Queensland) researches issues of culture, gender, and identity in Late Antiquity. He is the author of Masculinity, Identity, and the Rhetoric of Power Politics in the Age of Justinian (Amsterdam University Press, 2020).

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