How much credence should we give to Procopius' portrayal of the empress Theodora?

How much credence should we give to Procopius' portrayal of the empress Theodora? If we omit the chroniclers, there are hardly any sources for Theodora that are written without parti pris. The most important, Procopius of Caesarea, who is our only source for the lurid details of Theodora's early life, presented a different Theodora in each of his three works, the History of the Wars of Justinian in seven books to which an eighth was added later, the Anekdota or Secret History, to give it its popular name, an essay purportedly written immediately after the first seven books of the Wars were published and containing data which were too defamatory to circulate openly1, and the De Aedificiis or Buildings which is a panegyric on Justinian's building program throughout the empire. All these works were written or at least completed after Theodora's death in 5482. In the Wars, Procopius credits the regime's success at suppressing the 'Nika' revolt of 532 to Theodora's courage and imagines a splendid scene which may have some basis in fact, where she declares that she, at least, will not flee the capital city3. The Anekdota is full of scurrilous details about Theodora's early life as an actress and courtesan, and her intrigues at court. In the De Aedificiis, however, the picture is uniformly flattering. The emperor and empress shared a common piety4, he claims, and her loveliness was

  • Ranking:
  • Word count: 2640
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
Access this essay

Did the Suez Crisis hasten the end of the British Empire?

Did the Suez Crisis hasten the end of the British Empire? The Suez crisis did not hasten the end of the British Empire; it was more of an effect rather than cause of decline. Carlton argues that since Britain only had an average sized population and the corresponding economic strength her overseas territories had caused her to overstretch and over-commit herself from the end of the First World War. Hence one can argue that retreat from empire and fall from her position as a global superpower to that of a medium global power by the 1980s was inevitable and unavoidable. 'Suez, on this view, was a rather dramatic hiccup in a generally well managed transition.'1 This is the point of view that I would agree with when considering the affect of the Suez crisis. However, one must also acknowledge that for some Suez did hasten the end of the British Empire and it was a watershed marking a significant change in direction in Britain's imperial foreign policy. This viewpoint must also be discussed and evaluated. Moving away from just focusing on the effects of Suez one must also discuss the other factors and causes of decolonisation, including the established nationalist, international and metropolitan explanations and how they were represented in the Suez crisis. Firstly I will look at the arguments supporting the opinion that Suez did hasten the end of the British Empire to which

  • Ranking:
  • Word count: 2710
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
Access this essay

The Italian policies of Frederick Barbarossa

The Italian policies of Frederick Barbarossa, German king and Holy Roman Emperor had a huge impact on medieval Germany during the 12th century. The question of ecclesiastical versus secular power broke out during the emperor's reign at a time when Germany was considered to be the strongest monarchy, having authority in Italy and the rest of the Roman Empire. The time was right at Frederick Barbarossa's accession in 1152 to restore imperial authority in Italy which had been in demise since the Investiture contest. However this goal threw the Holy Roman emperor into a conflict with the papacy, an obstacle that would prove too hard to overcome in order to achieve all that which the emperor thought was denied to him. However the Papacy also paid a price for holding Frederick in opposition. The Italian policies were far too extent and were finished incomplete. The emperor's Italian policies at which he aimed to retrieve from the papacy what he thought he was entitled to, were controversial but innovative. Frederick aimed, with the help of Chancellor Rainald of Dassel to reconstruct the Holy Roman Empire to return it to the glory days of Rome and exercise the authority that the Ottonian emperors had done.1This battle for land was in essence a way to increase his revenues so he could keep what power he had in Germany over his most influential vassals, something his imperial court

  • Ranking:
  • Word count: 1611
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
Access this essay

The development of scientific logic.

The Development of Scientific Logic The origins of science lie in the earliest civilizations, those of Egypt, Mesopotamia, China, India and Arabia. However, the school of thought which would undisputedly have the greatest influence on the development of modern science was that of Ancient Greece. The Greeks eventually broke with the mystical beliefs of their early development and came to focus on logic as the means of seeking truth. The theories of such great thinkers as Plato, Aristotle and Archimedes were to have enormous impact on the development of modern science. The earliest scientific theories were founded in philosophical and not empirical thought. In fact Plato, one of the most influential Greeks, asserted that the senses were deceitful and not to be trusted, and that only through pure reason could truths be uncovered. The modern scientific method was not to make its appearance for many centuries to come. The vast sources of Greek knowledge were preserved by the Romans when Greece fell to their rapidly expanding empire. Roman education was focused primarily on oratory, and politics, and less on the understanding of the natural world. Although the Romans made little contribution themselves, they produced Latin compilations of many Greek works, which the formed the sole source of knowledge for the scientists of the early Medieval Christian West. During the

  • Ranking:
  • Word count: 1951
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
Access this essay