Procopius’ Secret History

PROMPT: Why do you think that Procopius wrote this Secret History? What was he trying to accomplish? How does he describe the Byzantine Empire and its administration and its society? What were some of the reasons why Procopius thought that Justinian was such a bad ruler? What does this work reveal about his attitude towards women?

Check List for a Successful Paper:
• Your paper MUST present an ARGUMENT, clearly and concisely stated in your OPENING paragraph – the rest of your paper should present relevant evidence in support of that argument – an argument is more than a descriptive statement; it must offer an explanation about causation – an ARGUMENT ANSWERS A WHY QUESTION RATHER THAN A WHAT QUESTION
• Papers should be 2 pages in length (this means to receive full credit, it must be a FULL 2 pages – not 1¼ or 1 ½)
• Typed in 12 point font, one inch margins, and double spaced – any variation or “funny” margins are really obvious and will result in a lower grade
• Number your pages
• Make sure that it is stapled prior to coming to class
• Write in proper English and proofread carefully; neatness counts! Correct all spelling or grammatical errors – if your paper is sloppy, you will receive a very poor grade
• Each body paragraph should have a topic sentence and a concluding sentence that reviews what has been proven, and provides a smooth transition into the next paragraph
• You must include 3 quotes from the text, but do not pad your paper with long quotes (No block quotes) – especially don’t expect a quote to “speak for itself,” as it won’t, explain and discuss all of your quotes. Only use quotations to illustrate points that you have made in your own words
• Make sure that you give the page number for your specific quote – using parenthetical citation is fine. For example = “after your quote.” (23)
• Make sure that you introduce or set up each quote with a lead in phrase – do not just throw them into a paragraph – give your reader some indication of the quote’s context
• Simply enter the title of your paper and your name at the top of the first page. There is no need to take up a lot of space with student ID numbers, course information, ect. – unless the intention is to take up space.
• Be consistent in your tense – remember that if you are talking about events in the PAST, use the past tense
• Use the active voice in your sentences rather than the passive voice
• Avoid clichés in your text at all cost; especially avoid phrases such as, “Webster’s Dictionary defines honor as…”
• Avoid sweeping generalizations – such as, “throughout the history of time/mankind/humanity” – Remember that you are writing about one specific case/work and are not really able to talk about society at large