[13] And the soldiers who kept guard in the Palace would come before the public arbitrators as they sat in the Royal Stoa and force them to admit their cases.
[14] πάντες τε ὡς εἰπεῖν τὴν αὑτῶν ἐκλιπόντες τάξιν ὁδοὺς τότε κατ̓ ἐξουσίαν ἐβάδιζον ἀπόρους τε καὶ ἀστιβήτους σφίσι τὰ πρότερα οὔσας, καὶ τὰ πράγματα πλημμελῶς πάντα ἐφέρετο, οὐδὲ ὀνόματός τινος ἰδίου μεταλαχόντα, ἐῴκει τε ἡ πολιτεία βασιλίδι παιζόντων παιδίων.
[14] And practically all the soldiers at that time were abandoning their proper posts and, according to their own sweet will, walking in ways that were forbidden and had hitherto never been open to them to tread, and everything was being swept along pell-mell, not even retaining any proper designation of its own, and the commonwealth resembled a kingdom of children at play.
[15] ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν ἄλλα μοι παριτέον, ὥσπερ τοῦδε ἀρχόμενος τοῦ λόγου ὑπεῖπον. λελέξεται δὲ ὅστις ἀνὴρ πρῶτος δικάζοντα δωροδοκεῖν τὸν βασιλέα τοῦτον ἀνέπεισε.
[15] But while the rest must be passed over by me, as I intimated when I began this account, yet it shall be told who the first man was to persuade this Emperor to accept a bribe while presiding at a trial.
[16] Λέων ἦν τις, Κίλιξ μὲν γένος, ἐς δὲ φιλοχρηματίαν δαιμονίως ἐσπουδακώς. οὗτος ὁ Λέων κράτιστος ἐγένετο κολάκων ἁπάντων, καὶ οἷος ταῖς τῶν ἀμαθῶν διανοίαις τὸ δόξαν ὑποβαλέσθαι.
[16] There was a certain Leon, a Cilician by birth, a man extraordinarily devoted to the love of money. This Leon came to be the mightiest of all flatterers and shewed a capacity for suggesting to the minds of stupid persons that which already had been determined upon.
[17] πειθὼ γάρ οἵ τινα ξυναιρομένην ἐς τοῦ τυράννου τὴν ἀβελτερίαν ἐπὶ φθόρῳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων εἶχεν. οὗτος ἀνὴρ πρῶτος Ἰουστινιανὸν ἀναπείθει ἀπεμπολεῖν χρημάτων τὰς δίκας.
[17] For he had a kind of persuasiveness which helped him, when dealing with the fatuity of the tyrant, to accomplish the destruction of his fellow-men. This man was the first to persuade Justinian to sell legal decisions for money.
[18] ἐπειδή τε κλέπτειν ὅδε ὁ ἀνὴρ τρόπῳ τῷ εἰρημένῳ ἔγνω, οὐκέτι ἀνίει, ἀλλ̓ ὁδῷ προϊὸν τὸ κακὸν τοῦτο ἐπὶ μέγα ἐχώρει, ὅστις τε δίκην λαχεῖν ἄδικον τῶν τινι ἐπιεικῶν ἐν σπουδῇ εἶχεν, εὐθὺς παρὰ τὸν Λέοντα ᾔει, καὶ μοῖραν τῶν ἀντιλεγομένων τινὰ ὁμολογήσας τῷ τε τυράννῳ καὶ αὐτῷ κείσεσθαι, αὐτίκα νενικηκὼς, οὐ δέον, ἀπηλλάσσετο ἐκ τοῦ Παλατίου.
[18] And when that sovereign had once decided to follow, in his stealing, the plan which has been described, he never stopped, but this evil kept advancing until it grew to a great size; and whoever was eager to lodge an unjust accusation against a citizen of the respectable sort proceeded straightway to Leon, and by promising that some portion of the disputed property should fall to both the tyrant and to him, he had forthwith won his case, however unjustly, before he left the Palace.
[19] καὶ Λέων μὲν χρήματα ἐνθένδε περιβαλέσθαι μεγάλα κομιδῆ ἴσχυσε, χώρας τε πολλῆς κύριος γέγονε, Ῥωμαίοις δὲ τὴν πολιτείαν αἰτιώτατος γέγονεν ἐς γόνυ ἐλθεῖν.
[19] And Leon succeeded in acquiring from this source a truly huge amount of money, and he came into possession of much land, and in so doing became the chief agent in bringing the Roman State to its knees.
[20] ἦν τε οὐδὲν τοῖς ξυμβεβηκόσιν ὀχύρωμα, οὐ νόμος, οὐχ ὅρκος, οὐ γράμματα, οὐ ποινὴ ξυγκειμένη, οὐκ ἄλλο τῶν πάντων οὐδὲν, ὅτι μὴ Λέοντι καὶ βασιλεῖ χρήματα προέσθαι.
[20] Indeed there was no security for those who had entered into contracts, no law, no oath, no documents, no fixed penalty, no other resource at all except to fling out money to Leon and the Emperor.
[21] οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ τοῦτο ἐν τῷ βεβαίῳ τῆς γνώμης τῆς τοῦ Λέοντος ἔμενεν, ἀλλὰ μισθαρνεῖν καὶ πρὸς τῶν ἐναντίων ἠξίου.
[21] Yet not even this process enjoyed the fixed approval of Leon’s judgment, but he insisted upon getting money from the other side as well.
[22] κλέπτων γὰρ ἀεὶ ἐφ̓ ἑκάτερα τῶν ἐπ̓ αὐτῷ προστεθαρρηκότων ὀλιγωρεῖν τε καὶ ἀπ̓ ἐναντίας ἰέναι οὐδαμῆ αἰσχύνην ὑπώπτευεν εἶναι.
[22] For since he stole constantly in both directions, he never suspected that to neglect those who had put their confidence in him and to go against him involved any shame.
[23] οὐδὲν γὰρ αἰσχρὸν, εἰ μόνον τὸ κερδαίνειν προσῇ, ἐδόξαζέν οἱ αὐτῷ ἐπαμφοτερίζοντι ἔσεσθαι.
[23] For provided only that gain accrue, he believed that no disgrace would attach to him in playing off both sides.
XV
Ὁ μὲν οὖν Ἰουστινιανὸς τοιοῦτός τις ἦν. Θεοδώρα δὲ ἐν τῷ βεβαίῳ τῆς ἀπανθρωπίας ἐνδελεχέστατα ἐπεπήγει τὴν γνώμην.
Such, then, was Justinian. As for Theodora, she had a mind fixed firmly and persistently upon cruelty.
[2] ἄλλῳ μὲν γὰρ ἀναπεισθεῖσα ἢ ἀναγκασθεῖσα εἰργάζετο οὐδὲν πώποτε, αὐτὴ δὲ τὰ δόξαντα ἐπετέλει αὐθαδιαζομένη δυνάμει τῇ πάσῃ, οὐδενὸς ἐξαιτεῖσθαι τὸν παραπεπτωκότα τολμῶντος.
[2] For she never did anything at any time as the result of persuasion or compulsion by another person, but she herself, applying a stubborn will, carried out her decisions with all her might, no one daring to intercede for the victim who had given offence.
[3] οὐδὲ γὰρ χρόνου μῆκος, οὐ κολάσεως πλησμονὴ, οὐχ ἱκετείας τις μηχανὴ, οὐ θανάτου ἀπειλὴ, ὅτι δὴ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ πεσεῖται τῷ παντὶ γένει ἐπίδοξος οὖσα, καταθέσθαι αὐτήν τι τῆς ὀργῆς ἔπειθε.
[3] For neither length of time, nor surfeit of punishment, no trick of supplication, no threat of death — fully expected to fall from Heaven upon the whole race — could persuade her to abate one jot of her wrath.
[4] καὶ συλλήβδην Θεοδώραν τῷ προσκεκρουκότι καταλλαγεῖσαν οὐδείς ποτε εἶδεν οὐδὲ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἀφανισθέντι, ἀλλὰ τοῦ τετελευτηκότος ὁ παῖς διαδεξάμενος τὸ τῆς βασιλίδος ἔχθος ὥσπερ ἄλλο τι τοῦ πατρὸς ἐς τριγένειαν παρέπεμπεν.
[4] And to state the matter briefly, no one ever saw Theodora reconciled with the one who had given her offence, even after the person had died, but the son of the deceased received the Empress’ enmity as an inheritance from him, just as he received anything else that had been his father’s, and passed it on to the third generation.
[5] ὁ γὰρ θυμὸς αὐτῇ κινεῖσθαι μὲν εἰς ἀν�
�ρώπων φθορὰν ἑτοιμότατος ἦν, ἐς δὲ τὸ λωφῆσαι ἀμήχανος.
[5] For her passion, while more than ready to be stirred to the destruction of men, was beyond any power to assuage.
[6] Τὸ μέντοι σῶμα ἐθεράπευε μειζόνως μὲν ἢ κατὰ τὴν χρείαν, ἐλασσόνως δὲ ἢ κατὰ τὴν αὐτῆς ἐπιθυμίαν.
[6] Her body she treated with more care than was necessary, yet less than she herself could have wished.
[7] ταχύτατα μὲν γὰρ ἐς τὸ βαλανεῖον, ἐς τὸ ἀκρατίζεσθαι ἐνθένδε ἐχώρει.
[7] For instance, she used to enter the bath very early and quit it very late, and after finishing her bathing, she would go thence to her breakfast. After partaking of breakfast she would rest.
[8] ἀκρατισαμένη δὲ ἡσυχίαν ἦγεν. ἀριστῶσα μέντοι καὶ δεῖπνον αἱρουμένη ἐς πᾶσαν ἰδέαν ἐδωδίμων τε καὶ ποτῶν ἤρχετο, ὕπνοι τε αὐτῆς ἀεὶ μακρότατοι ἀντελαμβάνοντο, ἡμερινοὶ μὲν ἄχρι πρώτων νυκτῶν, νυκτερινοὶ δὲ ἄχρις ἡλίου ἀνίσχοντος.
[8] At luncheon, however, and dinner she partook of all manner of foods and drinks; and sleep for long stretches of time would constantly lay hold of her, both in the daytime up to nightfall and at night up to sunrise;
[9] εἰς πᾶσάν τε οὕτως ἀκρασίας ἐκπεπτωκυῖα τρίβον ἐς τόσον ἡμέρας καιρὸν ἅπασαν διοικεῖσθαι ἠξίου τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἀρχήν.
[9] and though she had to such an extent strayed into every path of incontinence for so long a portion of the day, she claimed the right to administer the whole Roman Empire.
[10] καὶ ἤν τῳ ἐπιστείλειε πρᾶξίν τινα ὁ βασιλεὺς οὐκ αὐτῆς γνώμῃ, ἐς τοῦτο τύχης περιειστήκει τούτῳ δὴ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τὰ πράγματα, ὥστε οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον τῆς τε τιμῆς παραλυθῆναι ξὺν ὕβρει μεγάλῃ καὶ ἀπολωλέναι θανάτῳ αἰσχίστῳ.
[10] And if the Emperor should impose any task upon a man without her consent, that man’s affairs would suffer such a turn of fortune that not long thereafter he would be dismissed from his office with the greatest indignities and would die a most shameful death.
[11] Τῷ μὲν οὖν Ἰουστινιανῷ ἅπαντα πράσσειν ῥᾴδιον ἦν, οὐχ ὅσον τῷ τῆς διανοίας εὐκόλῳ, ἀλλ̓ ὅτι καὶ ἄυπνος ἦν ἐπὶ πλεῖστον, ὥσπερ εἴρηται, καὶ εὐπρόσοδος πάντων μάλιστα.
[11] Now for Justinian it was rather easy to manage everything, not only because of his easy-going disposition, but also because he rarely slept, as has been stated, and was the most accessible person in the world.
[12] πολλὴ γὰρ ἀνθρώποις ἐξουσία ἐγίνετο, καίτοι ἀδόξοις τε καὶ ἀφανέσι παντάπασιν οὖσιν, οὐχ ὅτι ἐντυχεῖν τῷ τυράννῳ τούτῳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ κοινολογεῖσθαι καὶ ἐξ ἀπορρήτων συγγίνεσθαι.
[12] For even men of low estate and altogether obscure had complete freedom, not merely to come before this tyrant, but also to converse with him and to enjoy confidential relations with him.
[13] παρὰ δὲ τὴν βασιλίδα οὐδὲ τῶν ἀρχόντων τινὶ ὅτι μὴ χρόνῳ τε καὶ πόνῳ πολλῷ εἰσιτητὰ ἦν, ἀλλὰ προσήδρευον μὲν ἐς ἀεὶ ἅπαντες ἀνδραποδώδη τινὰ προσεδρείαν ἐν δωματίῳ στενῷ τε καὶ πνιγηρῷ τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον. κίνδυνος γὰρ ἀπολελεῖφθαι τῶν ἀρχόντων τινὶ ἀνύποιστος ἦν.
[13] The Empress, on the other hand, could not be approached even by one of the magistrates, except at the expense of much time and labour, but, actually, they all had to wait constantly upon her convenience with a servile kind of assiduity, waiting in a small and stuffy anteroom for an endless time. For it was a risk beyond bearing for any one of the officials to be absent.
[14] ἵσταντο δὲ διηνεκὲς ἐπ̓ ἄκρων δακτύλων, αὐτὸς καθυπέρτερον ἕκαστος τῶν πέλας διατεινόμενος τὸ πρόσωπον ἔχειν, ὅπως αὐτὸν ἔνδοθεν ἐξιόντες εὐνοῦχοι ὁρῷεν.
[14] And they stood there constantly upon the tips of their toes, each one straining to hold his head higher than the persons next to him, in order that the eunuchs when they came out might see him.
[15] ἐκαλοῦντο δὲ αὐτῶν τινες μόλις τε καὶ ἡμέραις πολλαῖς ὕστερον, ἐσιόντες δὲ παῤ αὐτὴν ξὺν δέει πολλῷ ὅτι τάχιστα ἀπηλλάσσοντο, προσκυνήσαντες μόνον καὶ ταρσοῦ ἑκατέρου ποδὸς ἄκρῳ χείλει ἁψάμενοι.
[15] And some of them were summoned at last, after many days, and going in to her presence in great fear they very quickly departed, having simply done obeisance and having touched the instep of each of her feet with the tips of their lips.
[16] φθέγγεσθαι γὰρ ἢ αἰτεῖσθαί τι μὴ ἐκείνης ἐγκελευομένης οὐδεμία παρρησία ἐγίνετο. ἐς δουλοπρέπειαν γὰρ ἡ πολιτεία ἦλθε, δουλοδιδάσκαλον αὐτὴν ἔχουσα.
[16] For there was no opportunity to speak or to make any request unless she bade them to do so. For the Government had sunk into a servile condition, having her as slave-instructor.
[17] οὕτω τε Ῥωμαίοις τὰ πράγματα διεφθείρετο τοῦ μὲν τυράννου τῷ ἄγαν εὐήθει δοκοῦντι εἶναι,
[17] Thus the Roman State was being ruined partly by the tyrant, who seemed too good-natured, and partly by Theodora, who was harsh and exceedingly difficult.
[18] Θεοδώρας δὲ τῷ χαλεπῷ καὶ λίαν δυσκόλῳ. ἐν μὲν γὰρ τῷ εὐήθει τὸ ἀβέβαιον ἦν, ἐν δὲ τῷ δυσκόλῳ τὸ ἄπρακτον.
[18] For whereas in the good-nature of the one there was instability, in the difficult nature of the other there was a bar to action.
[19] Ἐν τοῖς μὲν οὖν τῆς τε γνώμης αὐτοῖς καὶ τῆς διαίτης τὸ διαλλάσσον ἐφαίνετο, κοινὰ δὲ ἦν αὐτοῖς ἥ τε φιλοχρηματία καὶ ἡ τῶν φόνων ἐπιθυμία καὶ τὸ μηδενὶ ἀληθίζεσθαι.
[19] So in their thinking and in their habits of life the contrast between them was clear, yet they had in common their avarice, their lust for murder and their untruthfulness to all.
[20] ἄμφω γὰρ ἐπιτηδείως ἐς τὰ μάλιστα ψεύδεσθαι εἶχον, καὶ ἢν μέν τις τῶν Θεοδώρᾳ προσκεκρουκότων ἁμαρτάνειν λέγοιτό τι βραχύ τε καὶ λόγου οὐδαμῆ ἄξιον, αἰτίας εὐθὺς ἀναπλάσσουσα τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ οὐδὲν προσηκούσας, ἐς μέγα τι κακοῦ τὸ πρᾶγμα ᾖρεν.
[20] For both of them were exceedingly gifted in lying, and if any of those who had offended Theodora was reported to be committing any wrong, even though it were trivial and utterly unworthy of notice, she straightway fabricated accusations which had no application to the man and thus she exaggerated the matter into a terrible crime.
[21] ἐγκλημάτων τε ἠκούετο πλῆθος καὶ καταλύσεως πέρι τῶν καθεστώτων ληΐ
ζεσθαι δικαστήριον ἦν, καὶ δικασταὶ ξυνελέγοντο πρὸς αὐτῆς ἀγειρόμενοι, οἳ δὴ ἔμελλον διαμαχέσασθαι πρὸς ἀλλήλους, ὅστις ἂν αὐτῶν μᾶλλον τῶν ἄλλων ἀρέσκειν τῇ ἐς τὴν γνῶσιν ἀπανθρωπίᾳ τῇ βασιλίδι τὸ βούλημα
[21] And she listened to a great mass of accusations, and there was a court which sat on questions of repealing the established laws, and judges assembled who were brought together by her, whose function it was to contend with each other as to which of them by the inhumanity shewn in the judgment should be able better than the others to satisfy the Empress’ purpose.
[22] ἱκανὸς γένοιτο. οὕτω τε τοῦ παραπεπτωκότος τὴν μὲν οὐσίαν αὐτίκα ἐς τὸ δημόσιον ἀνάγραπτον ἐποίει, πικρότατα δὲ αὐτὸν αἰκισαμένη, καίπερ ἴσως εὐπατρίδην τὸ ἀνέκαθεν ὄντα, ἢ φυγῇ ζημιοῦν ἢ θανάτῳ οὐδαμῆ ἀπηξίου.
[22] And thus she immediately caused the property of any man who had given offence to be confiscated to the public treasury, and after treating him with most bitter cruelty, though he might perhaps belong to an ancient line of patricians, she felt no hesitation whatever in penalizing him with either banishment or death.
[23] ἢν δέ γε τῶν αὐτῇ ἐσπουδασμένων τινὶ ἐπὶ φόνοις ἀδίκοις ἢ ἑτέρῳ τῳ τῶν μεγίστων ἀδικημάτων ἁλῶναι ξυμβαίνῃ, διασύρουσα καὶ χλευάζουσα τὴν τῶν κατηγόρων ὁρμὴν σιωπᾶν τὰ προσπεσόντα οὔτι ἐθελουσίους ἠνάγκαζεν.
[23] But if any of her favourites chanced to be found guilty of wrongful manslaughter or of any other of the major offences, she by ridicule and mockery of the zeal of the prosecutors compelled them, much against their will, to hush up what had happened.
Delphi Complete Works of Procopius Page 559