Procopius of Caesarea was a historian of the 6th century CE. Born around 500 CE in Caesarea Maritima, he received a classical education in rhetoric and Attic Greek. He served as the legal advisor and secretary to the general Belisarius from 527 CE, accompanying him on campaigns against the Persians, Vandals, and Ostrogoths. This provided firsthand material for his writings. He later resided in Constantinople, where he observed the latter part of Justinian I's reign.

His three extant works are: the History of the Wars, an eight-book account of Justinian's military campaigns; The Buildings, a six-book panegyric on Justinian's construction projects; and The Secret History, a polemical critique of the emperor, empress, and his former patron. The Secret History was likely written around 550–552 CE but published posthumously.

Procopius is the principal narrative source for the reign of Justinian I. His classicizing History of the Wars, modeled on Thucydides, contrasts sharply with the sycophantic Buildings and the vitriolic Secret History. This makes him a uniquely complex figure who reflects the tensions within the contemporary elite.