I Do Have An Explanation For This Actually!! I First Saw It Being Mentioned In One Review Of TSH I Saw

I do have an explanation for this actually!! I first saw it being mentioned in one review of TSH I saw on YT, which I will link as soon as I'm able to find it again.

The Secret History was written by Procopius of Cesarea, a Greek historian who lived from 500 AD to 565 AD, so at the time of Justinian's empire. He got to accompany Justinian's general during his war campaigns, and so he was commissioned most likely by Justinian himself to write about the wars (History of the Wars) and his deeds in favor of the Empire and its subjects (Buildings).

The thing, though, is that since Procopius had written his works on Justinian's behalf, it's believed that many of his accounts in regards to Justinian and his court were not exactly true. Especially since historians actually found some discrepancies between Procopius' words and those of other historians, as in him attributing Justinian merits for things he hadn't actually done and so on. He also presents the Emperor and the people surrounding him in a way that's very idealized to the point of sounding exaggerated.

But then Procopius wrote another work, The Secret History, which actually he had published after his death, in fear that he could have angered Justinian and possibly be sentenced to death had it come out during his life. In The Secret History, Procopius talks about Justinian in a totally opposite way of how he did in his previous works – as opposed to idolizing him, he paints him as cruel and even incompetent in ruling. He claims to expose all the secrets, personal lives, scandals, rumors, everything bad he knows about Justinian, his wife and even his general, to show how they actually were and his actual thoughts about them, which he was forced to hide in his other works.

(It's also debated if The Secret History itself has to be considered accurate, because it's believed that it could have been just a safety measure for Procopius to use to distance himself from the court had Justinian's government been overthrown, to show he wasn't actually loyal to him and not get in trouble with the new ruler, so we don't know for sure, but anyways.)

How all of this connects to TSH by Donna Tartt is that the way Richard talks about the Greek class is pretty much exactly the same as Procopius. For most of the book Richard treats them as superior, tries to hide their faults and justify their actions, and tries showing them as he saw them at first – good people he admired. Only for the illusion to slowly break during Book II, in which inevitably things start being shown as they actually were, and Richard becomes as disillusioned with them as Procopius did with Justinian.

Of course this is just what I found so if anyone knows better feel free to correct me or add things!!

Yesterday I found this book, its set in the late Roman Empire and there is no way it isn’t related to The Secret History.

“we live in a society” no YOU live in a society I live in the Macaulay apartment with halls that go nowhere, a door to the roof in the kitchen and a fucking bird skeleton just hanging around

obsessed with the idea that Richard Papen isn't from Plano, California but instead Plano, TEXAS because the only fictitious places in the book are Hampden College and the town Hampden (and maybe some of the stores but ignore that for now), so why does Donna Tartt choose to make it so Richard says he is from California?

Because it is more interesting for this new and mysterious person in a new town to lie and say they are from somewhere interesting, from the beginning of the story, it is one of the first indications to the reader that Richard himself is a liar and because he is the one narrating the story after all that has happened he can do whatever he wants and tell the story that he wants, (for example; Richard claims that Camilla kisses him multiple times throughout the book but every time this happens no one is around and after it happens it doesn't go anywhere, it doesn't further the plot, it is just there)

Despite the biblical allusions absolutely LITTERED throughout The Secret History, as far as I can tell, the actual devil is brought up only three times throughout the whole book.

Every time, it's in reference to Henry.

The first time is when Richard is talking to that girl at a party and brings up the greek class. She tells him she heard that they "worship the fucking devil." Who's in the greek class? Henry.

The second time is at the lake just before Camilla cuts open her foot. Henry is described as "Satan, listening to the wild ravings of a desert prophet."

The last time is when Mr. Corcoran (?) says "speak of the Devil" in reference to Henry entering a room. This phrase is used no where else in the entire book.

This is coupled with the fact that Donna Tartt went out of her way to have Richard state "the Greeks have no devil." They do. It's Henry.

Hot take.

In the Homeric world, as a hero (e.g. Achilles Odysseus), you gain HONOUR during life, and after you die, you gain the GLORY, which will offer you immortality through songs that start getting written in your name. Basically, you remain in the memory of everyone, and this is the way you become immortal!

Henry was so in love with Homer and the Homeric idea of GLORY, that he tried turning himself into a Homeric hero. He wanted to become immortal, and through his "action" from the end of the book (trying to not spoil it), he thought that he'd be a saviour, a hero, saving others by sacrificing himself. Therefore, becoming immortal according to the Homeric laws.

(left to right) Francis, Charles, Henry, Camilla and Richard meeting Bunny at the ravine: