Justinian’s Coinage and Easter Reforms and the date of the Secret History

Abstract

Procopius dates the composition of the Secret History precisely to the 32nd year of Justinian's reign, that is 1 April 558 – 31 March 559 if he meant the regnal year or 1 September 558 – 31 August 559 if he meant the indiction year. Unfortunately this is not as straightforward as might appear, as Procopius elsewhere appears to regard the period of Justin I (518 – 527) as being in effect part of Justinian's reign. This led Haury, who has been followed by several eminent scholars, to argue that by Justinian's 32nd year Procopius meant 549–550. Crossreference to the Wars 1-vn and indeed the very purpose of the Secret History (to correct his errors in Wars) ensure that it was no earlier than 550, while a promise in the Secret History to say more about the flooding of the river Skirtos at Edessa, which he fulfilled in the Buildings, suggests that the Secret History and the Buildings are close in date with the Secret History a little earlier. Again unfortunately there is no agreement on the date of the Buildings, Downey arguing for 558–560, Evans for 558 or shortly before, and Whitby for 560 or 561, while other scholars, notably SteinS and Averil Cameron claim that Procopius could not have referred to Hagia Sophia's dome as ‘hanging in the air’ in anything written after its collapse in May 558, and, with less strength, have argued that Procopius’ presentation of the Samaritans as contented Christians (Buildings V.7.16) must have been written before their revolt of July 555 and suggest 554 as the likely date. There remains no clear way of dating the Buildings.

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