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4 The Representation of Tyranny
- University of Pennsylvania Press
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Chapter 4 The Representation of Tyranny The first sentence of the Wars declares the work to be about the wars waged by Justinian against the barbarians. The narrative takes place mostly on the frontiers and in lands being conquered, paradoxically relegating the capital to the margins. Yet though he never left the capital, Justinian determined the course of those events more than any other person. The first sentence of the SecretHistory declares the work to be about what happened within the Roman empire, or about "the lives of Justinian and Theodora " (1.4). Justinian was at the heart of Procopius' concerns. The Secret History is the most virulent invective from antiquity, and nothing can explain it except sheer loathing for Justinian and his regime. It is impossible to believe that this hostility did not also shape the Wars,which was written at the same time. Naturally, criticism of the regime in a public work had to be veiled or indirect, and we have found many instances of this. In a separate reading of the Wars,I intend to demonstrate that Procopius opposed Justinian's wars-not just the means by which they were waged, but entirely. The focus of this chapter is not on the wars but on the way in which Procopius conceptualized and represented the tyranny of Justinian, first in the Wars, where it emerges indirectly, albeit with curious nuances that merit discussion, and second, in the SecretHistory, where its manifold elaboration calls for a comprehensive study. These are problems in literary representation , not historical analysis, though we are dealing here with the most important source on the most consequential reign of the later Roman period. In particular, I intend to discuss the parallels that Procopius establishes between Justinian and various Persian kings, especially Chosroes, and the way in which Roman and Persian rulers are made to converge. This will lead to a discussion of Justinian's demand for proskynesisand the title despotes . I will then examine Procopius' attempt in the SecretHistory to come to grips with the ideology of the regime and the possible limitations of his effort. The shrillness of the work reflects his frustration with the inadequacy The Representation of Tyranny 119 of classical paradigms to represent a regime that was in some ways closer to modern than to ancient forms of tyranny. The last section will discuss the alternatives Procopius upheld in attacking Justinian. These were entirely secular and uninfluenced by the notions of divine kingship that are now routinely ascribed to all Byzantines. The chapter will conclude with Procopius ' fascination with assassination, which he viewed as the only likely solution to the problem of tyranny. Chosroes and Justinian, "Emperors of East and West" Though the Roman emperors sometimes postured as the rulers of the entire world, especially when addressing their own subjects, their correspondence with their Persian counterparts reveals that the two monarchs had agreed to treat each other as equals, at least officially. As from Rome, a hierarchy radiated out from Persia to all peoples who acknowledged the Great King as their titular overlord. There was always tension between the two empires, especially concerning the fealty of those unfortunate enough to live between them, though nominally their equality was not in doubt, at least before the early seventh century. Ambassadors for both sides devised colorful metaphors to express this relationship. The kings were called the two eyes illuminating the world or the two shoulders or mountains of the world. 1 In the Persian Wars, Roman ambassadors address the Persian king as the emperor 's "brother," which seems to have been conventional practice.' We should not forget that when the Persian king Cavades asked the Roman emperor Justin to adopt his son Chosroes, Chosroes and Justinian came close to becoming brothers in more than just a diplomatic sense. Notably, it is precisely when he recounts this episode that Procopius formally introduces the two future despots to his readers (1.11.5-10). In other words, they are first mentioned just when their relationship was the closest it would ever be. Despite the many destructive wars the two autocrats would wage against each other in the decades to come, Procopius' hostile portrayal of Chosroes in the Persian Wars bears striking similarities to his invective against Justinian in the Secret History. The "eyes of the world" may have been bitter enemies, but they were still two of a kind. Common vices included a love for innovation, unsteady intentions, lies and dissimulation, broken oaths, feigned piety...