“Procopius of Caesarea's description of the church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople – between historiography and rhetoric”

Magdalena Garnczarska

doi:10.21697/sc.2016.23.04en

Published:

Vol. 23 (2016)

“Procopius of Caesarea's description of the church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople – between historiography and rhetoric”

Magdalena Garnczarska

Saeculum Christianum. Historical Writings

Section: Rozprawy i Artykuły

https://doi.org/10.21697/sc.2016.23.04en

Abstract

The sixth-century historian Procopius of Caesarea described the church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople in his treatise "Περὶ κτισμάτων" ("On Buildings"). The text about Hagia Sophia is the only surviving historical source for the original Justinianic edifice before the collapse of its first dome in 558. This detailed and elaborate description of the church is an example of ekphrasis. Ekphrasis is a rhetorical technique which makes the described object visible. In this paper I will attempt to analyse how far Procopius' description is a rhetorical exercise, and how far it is a trustworthy historical source.

Keywords:

Procopius of Caesarea, ekphrasis, Hagia Sophia, On Buildings

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Garnczarska, M. (2021). “Procopius of Caesarea’s description of the church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople – between historiography and rhetoric”. Saeculum Christianum. Historical Writings, 23(1), 35–46. https://doi.org/10.21697/sc.2016.23.04en

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Magdalena Garnczarska

Affiliation:

UJ Poland

Bio Statement (e.g., department and rank)

Magdalena Garnczarska is currently a doctoral student at the Faculty of History of the Jagiellonian University in Kraków and studies in classical philology. Her main research interests include Byzantine art, especially its iconography, as well as Byzantine texts on artistic issues.