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Contents Acknowledgments IX Introduction 1 1 Classicism and Its Discontents 17 The Prefaceof the Wars 17 A Typologyof Classicism 24 A DistortingMirror? 38 Introducing the Secret History and the Buildings 45 2 Tales Not Unworthy of Trust: Anecdotes and the Persian War 62 Arcadius and Isdigerdes(1.2.1-10) 65 Anatolius and Vararanes(1.2.11-15) 67 Ephthalites,Persians,and Romans (1.3.1-1.4.13) 69 The Pearlof Perozes(1.4.14-31) 75 The Tyranny of Cavades(1.5-7) 80 The "History of theArmenians" (1.5.7-40) 88 3 The Secret History of Philosophy The Sequenceof RegimesEnds in Tyranny Tyranny and the Politicsof Philosophy Plato'sNightmare 106 Platonic Texts,PlatonicReaders 115 94 94 99 4 The Representation of Tyranny 118 Chosroesand Justinian, "Emperorsof East and West" 119 "Vanity of Vanities":Despotismand Imperial Ceremony 128 "The Rule of Women" and the Plan of Secret History 1-5 142 Laws,Demons,and theLimits of Classicismin the Secret History 150 Alternatives and Solutions 159 vui Contents 5 God and Tyche in the Wars 165 Christianity? 165 Copingwith Tyche 173 The SupremacyofTyche in the Vandal War 176 The StruggleBetween Virtue and Tyche in the Gothic War Catastrophein the Persian War 204 Tyche and God in Book 8 of the Wars 213 Precedentsand Conclusions 216 Appendix 1. Secret History 19-30 and the Edicts of Justinian 223 Appendix 2. The Plan of Secret History 6-18 229 List of Abbreviations 231 Notes 233 Bibliography 275 Index 299 ...

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