Delphi Complete Works of Procopius

by Procopius of Caesarea

  [18] Now Justinus did not succeed in doing his subjects any harm nor any good either. For he had a very easy-going disposition, being an altogether tongue-tied man and a very boorish fellow.

  [19] ἀδελφιδοῦς δὲ αὐτῷ Ἰουστινιανὸς νέος ὢν ἔτι διῳκεῖτο τὴν ἀρχὴν ξύμπασαν καὶ γέγονε Ῥωμαίοις ξυμφορῶν αἴτιος, οἵας τε καὶ ὅσας ἐς τὸν ἅπαντα αἰῶνα οὐδείς που πρότερον ἀκοῇ ἔλαβεν.

  [19] And his nephew Justinian, who was still young, used to administer the entire government and he proved the author of calamities for the Romans — calamities so serious and so manifold that in all the history of the world probably no one previously had ever heard their equal.

  [20] ἔς τε γὰρ ἀνθρώπων ἄδικον φόνον καὶ χρημάτων ἁρπαγὴν ἀλλοτρίων ῥᾷστα ἐχώρει, καὶ οὐδὲν ἦν αὐτῷ μυριάδας πολλὰς ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἀφανισθῆναι, καίπερ αὐτῷ αἰτίαν οὐδεμίαν παρασχομένων.

  [20] For he used to proceed with the lightest of hearts to the unjust murder of men and the seizure of other men’s money, and for him it was nothing that countless thousands of men should have been destroyed, though they had given him no grievance.

  [21] καὶ φυλάσσειν μὲν τῶν καθεσταμένων οὐδὲν ἠξίου, ἅπαντα δὲ νεοχμοῦν ἐς ἀεὶ ἤθελε, καὶ τὸ ξύμπαν εἰπεῖν, μέγιστος δὴ οὗτος ἦν

  [21] And he took no thought to preserve what was established, but he was always wishing to make innovations in everything, and, to put all in a word, this man was an arch-destroyer of well-established institutions.

  [22] διαφθορεὺς τῶν εὖ καθεστώτων. τὸν μὲν οὖν λοιμὸν, ὅσπερ μοι ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν λόγοις ἐρρήθη, καίπερ ἐπισκήψαντα εἰς τὴν γῆν ξύμπασαν, διέφυγον ἄνθρωποι οὐχ ἥσσους ἤ ὅσοις διαφθαρῆναι τετύχηκεν, ἢ οὐδαμῆ τῇ νόσῳ ἁλόντες ἢ περιγενόμενοι, ἐπειδὴ σφίσιν ἁλῶναι ξυνέβη.

  [22] Now the plague which was described by me in the previous narrative, though it fell upon the entire world, was escaped by no fewer persons than those who chanced to be carried away, either because they were not taken at all by the disease or because they recovered when they had the fortune to be caught.

  [23] ἄνδρα δὲ τοῦτον διαφυγεῖν ἀνθρώπῳ γε ὄντι Ῥωμαίῳ τῶν πάντων οὐδενὶ ξυνηνέχθη, ἀλλ̓ ὥσπερ τι ἄλλο ἐξ οὐρανοῦ πάθος ὅλῳ τῷ γένει ἐπεισπεσὸν ἀνέπαφον οὐδένα παντελῶς εἴασε.

  [23] This man, however, not one living person of the entire Roman world had the fortune to escape, but, like any other affliction from Heaven falling upon the whole race, he left not a single soul wholly untouched.

  [24] τοὺς μὲν γὰρ ἔκτεινεν οὐδενὶ λόγῳ, τοὺς δὲ πενίᾳ μαχομένους ἀφεὶς ἀθλιωτέρους τῶν τετελευτηκότων εἰργάζετο, εὐχομένους τὰ παρόντα σφίσι διαλῦσαι θανάτῳ οἰκτίστῳ. τινῶν μέντοι ξὺν τοῖς χρήμασι καὶ τὰς ψυχὰς εἷλεν.

  [24] For some he killed without any just cause, while others he left in the grip of poverty, making them more wretched than those who had died, so that they implored him to resolve the present misery by a most pitiable death. In some cases, however, he destroyed both property and life.

  [25] ἐπεὶ δὲ οὐδὲν ἦν αὐτῷ μόνην καταλῦσαι τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἀρχὴν, Λιβύης τε καὶ Ἰταλίας οὐκ ἄλλου του ἕνεκα πεποιῆσθαι τὴν ἐπικράτησιν ἴσχυσεν ἢ ὥστε ξὺν τοῖς πρότερον ὑφ̓ αὑτῷ οὖσι διολέσαι

  [25] But since it was nothing for him to ruin the Roman Empire alone, he succeeded in subjugating Libya and Italy for no other reason than to be able to destroy the inhabitants of these countries along with those previously under his sway.

  [26] τοὺς ταύτῃ ἀνθρώπους. οὔπω γοῦν δεκαταῖος εἰς τὴν δύναμιν γεγονὼς Ἀμάντιον τῶν ἐν Παλατίῳ εὐνούχων ἄρχοντα ξὺν ἑτέροις τισὶν ἐξ αἰτίας οὐδεμιᾶς ἔκτεινεν, ἄλλο οὐδὲν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐπενεγκὼν, πλήν γε δὴ ὅτι ἐς Ἰωάννην τὸν τῆς πόλεως ἀρχιερέα λόγον τινὰ προπετῆ εἴποι.

  [26] Indeed, when he had been not yet ten days in power, he slew Amantius, Director of the Palace eunuchs, together with certain others for no cause whatever, charging the man with nothing except that he had spoken some hasty word against John, the Chief Priest of the city.

  [27] καὶ ἀπ̓ αὐτοῦ φοβερώτατος γέγονεν ἀνθρώπων ἁπάντων. αὐτίκα δὲ καὶ Βιταλιανὸν τὸν τύραννον μετεπέμψατο, ᾧ δὴ τὰ πιστὰ πρότερον ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀσφαλείας παρέσχετο, διαλαχὼν αὐτῷ τῶν ἐν Χριστιανοῖς μυστηρίων.

  [27] And as a result of this conduct he became the most dreaded man in the world. And he immediately summoned also Vitalian, the usurper, having previously given him a pledge for his safety by sharing with him the Christian sacraments. But a little later,

  [28] ὀλίγῳ τε ὕστερον ἐξ ὑποψίας αὐτῷ προσκεκρουκότα ξὺν τοῖς ἐπιτηδείοις ἐν Παλατίῳ λόγῳ οὐδενὶ διεχρήσατο, πίστεις οὕτω δεινοτάτας ἐμπεδῶσαι οὐδαμῆ ἀξιώσας.

  [28] when he was suspected of having given him offence, he executed him in the Palace together with his followers for no just cause, by no means consenting to honour his pledges, terrible as they were.

  VII

  Τοῦ δὲ δήμου ἐκ παλαιοῦ ἐς μοίρας δύο διεστηκότος, ὥσπερ μοι ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν λόγοις ἐρρήθη, μίαν αὐτὸς τὴν Βενέτων ἑταιρισάμενος, ἥ οἱ καὶ τὸ πρότερον κατεσπουδασμένη ἐτύγχανε, ξυγχεῖν τε καὶ ξυνταράξαι ἅπαντα ἴσχυσε. καὶ ἀπ̓ αὐτοῦ ἐς γόνυ ἐλθεῖν Ῥωμαίοις τὴν πολιτείαν πεποίηκεν.

  Now the populace from of old has been divided into two Factions, as was stated by me in the preceding narrative, and he now adopted one of them, namely the Veneti or “Blues,” of whom, as it happened, he had previously been an enthusiastic supporter, and thus succeeded in throwing everything into confusion and disorder; and thereby he brought the Roman State to its knees.

  [2] οὐχ ἅπαντες δὲ οἱ Βένετοι ἐπισπέσθαι τῇ τοῦδε τοῦ ἀνδρὸς γνώμῃ ἔγνωσαν, ἀλλ̓ ὅσοι στασιῶται ὄντες ἐτύγχανον.

  [2] But not all the Blues saw fit to follow the will of this man, but only those who chanced to be militant.

  [3] καὶ αὐτοὶ μέντοι προϊόντος ἤδη τοῦ δεινοῦ σωφρονέστατοι ἔδοξαν εἶναι ἀνθρώπων ἁπάντων.

  [3] And yet even these, as the evil developed, seemed to be the most temperate men in the world; for their sins fell short of their licence to commit them.

  [4] ἐνδεεστέρως γὰρ ἢ κατὰ τὴν ἐξουσίαν ἡμάρτανον. οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ τῶν Πρασίνων οἱ στασιῶται ἡσυχῆ ἔμενον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔπρασσον ἀεὶ τὰ ἐγκλή�
�ατα ἐς ὅσον σφίσι δυνατὰ ἐγεγόνει, καίπερ κατὰ μόνας διηνεκὲς κολαζόμενοι.

  [4] And of course the militant group of the Greens did not on their part remain quiet, but they too were constantly busy with crimes, as far as came within their power, although they were being punished continually, one at a time.

  [5] ὅπερ αὐτοὺς ἐς τὸ θρασύνεσθαι πολλῷ ἔτι μᾶλλον ἐς ἀεὶ ἦγεν. ἀδικούμενοι γὰρ εἰώθασιν ἐς ἀπόνοιαν τρέπεσθαι ἄνθρωποι.

  [5] Yet this very fact always led them on to deeds of much greater daring; for men, when they unjustly treated, are wont to become desperate.

  [6] τότε οὖν τοὺς Βενέτους αὐτοῦ ῥιπίζοντός τε καὶ διαφανῶς ἐρεθίζοντος ἅπασα κατ̓ ἄκρας ἡ Ῥωμαίων ἀρχὴ ἐκινήθη ὥσπερ σεισμοῦ ἢ κατακλυσμοῦ ἐπιπεσόντος ἢ πόλεως ἑκάστης πρὸς τῶν πολεμίων ἁλούσης.

  [6] So at this time, while he kept fanning the flames and manifestly stirring up the Blues, the whole Roman Empire was agitated from top to bottom, as if an earthquake or a deluge had fallen upon it, or as if each and every city had been captured by the enemy.

  [7] πάντα γὰρ ἐν ἅπασι ξυνεταράχθη καὶ οὐδὲν ἐφ̓ ἑαυτοῦ τὸ λοιπὸν ἔμεινεν, ἀλλ̓ οἵ τε νόμοι καὶ ὁ τῆς πολιτείας κόσμος ξυγχύσεως ἐπιγενομένης ἐς πᾶν τοὐναντίον ἐχώρησαν.

  [7] For everything was thrown into confusion in every part and nothing thereafter remained fixed, but both the laws and the orderly form of the government were completely overturned by the confusion that ensued.

  [8] Καὶ πρῶτα μὲν τοῖς στασιώταις τὰ ἐς τὴν κόμην ἐς νεώτερόν τινα μετεβέβλητο τρόπον. ἀπεκείροντο γὰρ αὐτὴν οὐδὲν ὁμοίως τοῖς ἄλλοις Ῥωμαίοις.

  [8] In the first place, the mode of dressing the hair was changed to a rather novel style by the Factions;

  [9] τοῦ μὲν γὰρ μύστακος καὶ τοῦ γενείου οὐδαμῆ ἥπτοντο, ἀλλ̓ αὐτοῖς κατακομᾶν ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ὥσπερ οἱ Πέρσαι ἐς ἀεὶ ἤθελον.

  [9] for they did not cut it at all as the other Romans did. For they did not touch the moustache or the beard at all, but they wished always to have the hair of these grow out very long, as the Persians do.

  [10] τῶν δὲ ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ τριχῶν τὰ ἔμπροσθεν ἄχρι ἐς τοὺς κροτάφους ἀποτεμόμενοι τὰ ὄπισθεν ἀποκρέμασθαι σφίσιν ἐπὶ μακρότατον λόγῳ οὐδενὶ εἴων, ὥσπερ οἱ Μασσαγέται. διὸ δὴ καὶ Οὐννικὸν τὸ τοιοῦτον εἶδος ἐκάλουν.

  [10] But the hair of their heads they cut off in front back to the temples, leaving the part behind to hang down to a very great length in a senseless fashion, just as the Massagetae do. Indeed for this reason they used to call this the “Hunnic” fashion.

  [11] Ἔπειτα δὲ τὰ ἐς τὰ ἱμάτια εὐπάρυφοι ἠξίουν ἅπαντες εἶναι, κομπωδεστέραν ἢ κατὰ τὴν ἑκάστου ἀξίαν ἐνδιδυσκόμενοι τὴν ἐσθῆτα.

  [11] In the second place, as to fashions in dress, they all insisted on being well clad in fine garments, clothing themselves in raiment too pretentious for their individual rank.

  [12] κτᾶσθαι γὰρ αὐτοῖς τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐξ οὐ προσηκόντων παρῆν. τοῦ δὲ χιτῶνος τὸ ἀμφὶ τὼ χεῖρε μέρος αὐτοῖς τὰ μὲν ἐς τὸν καρπὸν ξυνῄει σφίσιν ἐν στενῷ μάλιστα, τὰ δὲ ἐνθένδε ἄχρι ἐς ὦμον ἑκάτερον ἐς ἄφατόν τι εὔρους διεκέχυτο χρῆμα.

  [12] For they were enabled to acquire such clothing from stolen funds. And the part of the tunic which covered the arms was gathered by them very closely about the wrist, while from there to each shoulder it billowed out to an incredible breadth.

  [13] ὁσάκις τε ἡ χεὶρ αὐτοῖς σείοιτο ἀναβοῶσιν ἐν τοῖς θεάτροις τε καὶ ἱπποδρομίοις, ἢ ἐγκελευομένοις, ᾗπερ εἰώθει, ἐς ὕψος αὐτοῖς τοῦτο τὸ μέρος ἀτεχνῶς ᾔρετο, αἴσθησιν παρεχόμενον τοῖς ἀνοήτοις, ὅτι δὴ αὐτοῖς οὕτω καλόν τε τὸ σῶμα καὶ ἁδρὸν εἴη ἂν, ὥστε δεῖν γε αὐτοῖς πρὸς τῶν τοιούτων ἱματίων καλύπτεσθαι, οὐκ ἐννοοῦσιν ὅτι δὴ αὐτοῖς τῷ τῆς ἐσθῆτος ἠραιωμένῳ τε καὶ κενῷ πολλῷ ἔτι μᾶλλον τὸ τοῦ σώματος ἐξίτηλον διελεγχθείη.

  [13] And as often as their arms were waved about, either as they shouted in the theatres and hippodromes, or urged men on to victory in the customary manner, this part of their garments would actually soar aloft, causing the foolish to suppose that their bodies must be so fine and sturdy that they must needs be covered by such garments, not taking into consideration the fact that by the loosely woven and empty garment the meagreness much rather than the sturdiness of their bodies was demonstrated.

  [14] αἱ ἐπωμίδες δὲ καὶ ἀναξυρίδες καὶ τῶν ὑποδημάτων τὰ πλεῖστα ἐς τῶν Οὔννων τό τε ὄνομα καὶ τὸν τρόπον ἀπεκέκριτο σφίσιν.

  [14] Also their cloaks and their drawers and especially their shoes, as regards both name and fashion, were classed as “Hunnic.”

  [15] Ἐσιδηροφόρουν δὲ νύκτωρ μὲν τὰ πρῶτα ἐκ τοῦ ἐμφανοῦς ἅπαντες σχεδὸν, ἐν δέ γε ἡμέρᾳ ξιφίδια παρὰ τὸν μηρὸν δίστομα ὑπὸ τῷ ἱματίῳ ἀποκρυψάμενοι, ξυνιστάμενοί τε κατὰ συμμορίας, ἐπειδὰν ξυσκοτάζοι, ἐλωποδύτουν τοὺς ἐπιεικεστέρους ἔν τε ὅλῃ ἀγορᾷ κἀν τοῖς στενωποῖς, ἀφαιρούμενοι τοὺς παραπεπτωκότας τά τε ἱμάτια καὶ ζώνας τε καὶ περόνας χρυσᾶς καὶ εἴ τι ἄλλο ἐν χερσὶν ἔχοιεν.

  [15] Now at first practically all of them carried weapons openly at night, but in the day-time they concealed small two-edged swords along the thigh under their mantle, and they gathered in groups as soon as it became dark and would waylay men of the better classes both in the market-place at large and in the alleys, robbing their victims of their clothing and their girdles and gold brooches and whatever besides they might have in their hands.

  [16] τινὰς δὲ πρὸς τῇ ἁρπαγῇ καὶ κτείνειν ἠξίουν, ὅπως μηδενὶ τὰ ξυμπεσόντα σφίσιν ἀναγγείλωσιν.

  [16] And some they saw fit to kill as well as to rob, to keep them from carrying word to anyone of what had befallen them.

  [17] οἷς δὴ ἅπαντες καὶ τῶν Βενέτων οἱ μὴ στασιῶται μάλιστα ἤχθοντο, ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ αὐτοὶ ἀπαθεῖς ἔμενον.

  [17] Now these performances outraged everyone and particularly the partisans of the Blue Faction who were not militant, for not even they remained immune.

  [18] καὶ ἀπ̓ αὐτοῦ χαλκαῖς τὸ λοιπὸν ζώναις τε καὶ περόναις καὶ ἱματίοις πολλῷ ἐλασσόνως ἢ κατὰ τὴν ἀξίαν ὡς πλεῖστοι ἐχρῶντο, ὅπως δὴ μὴ τῷ φιλοκάλῳ ἀπόλωνται, καὶ οὔ
πω δεδυκότος ἡλίου ἐς τὰς οἰκίας ἀναχωροῦντες ἐκρύπτοντο.

  [18] The result of this was that thereafter most men used girdles and brooches of bronze and mantles much inferior to their station, in order that they might not destroyed by their love of beautiful things, and even before the sun had set they would withdraw into their houses and remain out of sight.

  [19] μηκυνομένου δὲ τοῦ κακοῦ καὶ οὐδεμιᾶς ἐπιστροφῆς ἐς τοὺς ἡμαρτηκότας πρὸς τῆς τῷ δήμῳ ἐφεστώσης ἀρχῆς γινομένης ἐπὶ μέγα τὸ τῶν ἀνδρῶν θράσος ἐς ἀεὶ ᾔρετο.

  [19] And as the evil continued and no attention was paid to the offenders by the city Government, the boldness of these men kept steadily rising to a great height.

  [20] ἁμαρτία γὰρ παρρησίας ἀξιωθεῖσα ἐπ̓ ἄπειρον φέρεσθαι πέφυκεν, ἐπεὶ καὶ κολαζόμενα τὰ ἐγκλήματα φιλεῖ οὐκ ἐς τὸ παντελὲς ἀποκόπτεσθαι.

  [20] For when wrongdoing is accorded full licence, it naturally goes beyond all bounds, since even such crimes as are punished are usually not completely eradicated;

  [21] φύσει γὰρ οἱ πλεῖστοι ἐς τὸ ἁμαρτάνειν εὐπετῶς τρέπονται.

  [21] for by nature most men turn readily to sin.

  [22] Τὰ μὲν οὖν τῶν Βενέτων ἐφέρετο τῇδε. τῶν δὲ ἀντιστασιωτῶν οἱ μὲν ἐς τὴν ἐκείνων ἀπέκλινον μοῖραν, ἐπιθυμίᾳ τοῦ ξυναμαρτάνειν τε καὶ μὴ δοῦναι τὴν δίκην, οἱ δὲ φυγῇ ἐχόμενοι ἐς ἑτέρας τινὰς ἐλάνθανον χώρας: πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ αὐτοῦ καταλαμβανόμενοι διεφθείροντο πρὸς τῶν ἐναντίων ἢ πρὸς τῆς ἀρχῆς κολαζόμενοι.