A Commentary on Procopius' Secret History

查士丁尼时代再次成为古典学者的热门话题，但这位六世纪最杰出的历史学家并没有从这种重新燃起的兴趣中受益。特别是，关于他的作品的广泛的历史和语言学评论仍然缺失。普罗科匹厄斯缺乏一个基本的工具来进一步学术分析个别段落以及他的文学成就。对著名的《秘史》的评注将弥补这一严重缺陷。评注将成为相关文献的仓库，并对183页的文本进行广泛的解释。它将提供事实信息，讨论文本的意思是说，嵌入文本在其历史和文学背景，并检查其历史准确性。与评论一起，该卷将包括一个德语翻译，让学生容易获得很少或没有希腊知识。评论涵盖了历史和语言学问题（包括与解释相关的语言学问题）。因此，一位对希腊文和希腊文学，特别是古典时代（普罗科匹厄斯的主要参考陪衬）具有杰出知识的古典学家的参与是必不可少的。鉴于这一资格要求和撰写评论的耗时任务，只有全职的博士后研究员才能使项目实现其目标。《秘史》的各章节将依次进行评论。申请人将与博士后研究员在同一篇文章上密切合作。他们会分别写草稿，互相修改，并在必要时讨论结果，直到双方都认可的最终版本完成。这种激烈而关键的交流作为一种内部交叉检查，提高了结果的质量。知名学者将在整个项目期间以他们的专业知识协助该项目。除了博士后研究员之外，提案还建议为学生助理和出版提供资金。这篇评论也将以电子书的形式出版。稍后将推出电子版，作为在线数据库。这将在普罗科匹厄斯的其他作品，《建筑物》和大量的《战争》在后续项目中得到评论后发生。这个建议将是对普罗科匹厄斯的完整评论的第一个组成部分，这是非常需要的。这个为期三年的项目将为《秘史》的读者提供一个必不可少的工作工具。后面的评论将增强其可用性，并促进对中心作者的进一步讨论。

The age of Justinian has again become a hot topic for classicists but the most eminent historian of the sixth century has not benefited from the renewed interest. In particular, an extensive historical and philological commentary on his works is still missing. Procopius lacks a basic tool for further scholarly analysis of individual passages as well as of his literary accomplishments. The proposed commentary on the famous Secret History will remedy this serious deficit. The commentary will be a storehouse for the relevant literature and give an extensive explanation of the 183 pages of text. It will provide factual information, discuss what the text means to say, embed the text in its historical and literary context, and check its historical accuracy. Together with the commentary the volume will include a German translation that allows easy access for students with little or no knowledge of Greek. The commentary covers historical as well as philological matters (including linguistic issues when relevant for the interpretation). Therefore the participation of a classicist with an eminent knowledge of Greek and of the Greek literature especially of the Classical era (a main reference foil for Procopius) is indispensable. In light of this qualification requirement and the time-consuming task of writing a commentary, only a postdoctoral researcher in full-time employment can enable the project to meet its objectives. The sections of the Secret History will be commented upon successively. The applicant will work in close collaboration with the postdoctoral researcher on the same passages. They will write drafts separately, revise them for each other, and discuss the results as long as necessary until a final version that is approved by both can be completed. This intense and critical exchange serves as a kind of internal cross-checking which enhances the quality of the result. Renowned scholars will assist the project with their expertise for its entire duration. In addition to the postdoctoral researcher the proposal suggests funding for student assistants as well as for publishing. The commentary will also come out as an e-book. Later a digital version will be implemented as an online database. This will occur once Procopius' other works, the Buildings and the voluminous Wars, have been given commentaries in a follow-up project. This proposal will be the first component of a complete commentary on Procopius, which is sorely needed. The three-year project will result in an essential working tool for any reader of the Secret History. The later commentaries will enhance its usability and facilitate further debate on a central author.