[13] These the Emperor Justinian at first treated so casually and so meanly that their paymasters were four or five years behind in their payments to them, and whenever peace was made between the Romans and the Persians, these wretches were compelled, on the supposition that they too would profit by the blessings of peace, to make a present to the Treasury of the pay which was owing to them for a specified period. And later on, for no good reason, he took away from them the very name of regular troops.
[14] τὸ λοιπὸν τὰ μὲν ὅρια τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῆς φυλακτηρίων ἐκτὸς ἔμεινεν, οἱ δὲ στρατιῶται ἐξαπιναίως ἔβλεπον εἰς τῶν εὐσεβεῖν εἰωθότων τὰς χεῖρας.
[14] Thereafter the frontiers of the Roman Empire remained destitute of guards and the soldiers suddenly found themselves obliged to look to the hands of those accustomed to works of piety.
[15] Ἕτεροι στρατιῶται οὐχ ἥσσους ἢ πεντακόσιοι καὶ τρισχίλιοι τὰ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐπὶ φυλακῇ τοῦ Παλατίου κατέστησαν, οὕσπερ σχολαρίους καλοῦσι.
[15] Another group of soldiers, no fewer than three thousand five hundred in number, had been assigned originally to the guarding of the Palace; these are called Scholarii.
[16] καὶ αὐτοῖς συντάξεις ἀνέκαθεν πλείους ἢ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασι τὸ δημόσιον ἀεὶ χορηγεῖν εἴωθε. τούτους οἱ πρότεροι μὲν ἀριστίνδην ἀπολέξαντες ἐξ Ἀρμενίων ἐς ταύτην δὴ τὴν τιμὴν ἦγον.
[16] And the Treasury has been accustomed from earliest times always to pay these higher wages than all others. These men were picked for their excellence by earlier Emperors, being recruited for this honour from among the Armenians.
[17] ἐξ οὗ δὲ Ζήνων τὴν βασιλείαν παρέλαβε, πᾶσιν ἐξουσία ἐγένετο καὶ ἀνάνδροις καὶ ἀπολέμοις οὖσι παντάπασι τούτου δὴ τοῦ ὀνόματος ἐπιβατεύειν.
[17] But since the time when Zeno succeeded to the throne, the way has been open for all, both cowards and wholly unwarlike men, to achieve the honour of this title.
[18] προϊόντος δὲ τοῦ χρόνου καὶ ἀνδράποδα κατατιθέντες τίμημα τὴν στρατείαν ὠνοῦντο ταύτην. ἡνίκα τοίνυν Ἰουστῖνος τὴν βασιλείαν παρέλαβεν, οὗτος Ἰουστινιανὸς πολλοὺς ἐς τὴν τιμὴν κατεστήσατο ταύτην, χρήματα μεγάλα περιβαλόμενος.
[18] And as time went on, even slaves, by putting up a bribe, could purchase admission to this service. So when Justinus took over the Empire, this Justinian appointed many to this honourable service, thus securing for himself great amounts of money.
[19] ἐπεὶ δὲ τούτοις τοῖς καταλόγοις οὐδένα ἐνδεῖν τὸ λοιπὸν ᾔσθετο, ἑτέρους αὐτοῖς ἐς δισχιλίους ἐντέθεικεν, οὕσπερ ὑπεραρίθμους ἐκάλουν.
[19] But when at length he observed that there was no longer any vacancy in these ranks, he added to their number two thousand recruits, and these they used to call “supernumeraries.”
[20] ἐπειδὴ δὲ αὐτὸς τὴν βασιλείαν ἔσχε, τούτους δὴ τοὺς ὑπεραρίθμους ἀπεσείσατο αὐτίκα μάλα, τῶν χρημάτων οὐδ̓ ὁτιοῦν ἀποδοὺς σφίσιν.
[20] But when he himself took over the Empire, he shook off these supernumeraries with great speed, giving them no payment whatever.
[21] Ἐς μέντοι τοὺς ἐντὸς τοῦ τῶν σχολαρίων ἀριθμοῦ ὄντας ἐπενόει τάδε. ἡνίκα στράτευμα ἐπὶ Λιβύην ἢ Ἰταλίαν ἢ ἐπὶ Πέρσας ὡς σταλήσεται ἐπίδοξον εἴη, καὶ αὐτοῖς ὡς ξυστρατεύσουσιν ἐπήγγελλε συσκευάζεσθαι, καίπερ ἐξεπιστάμενος ἐπιτηδείως αὐτοὺς ἐς τὸ στρατεύεσθαι ὡς ἥκιστα ἔχειν, οἱ δὲ τοῦτο ἵνα μὴ γένηται δείσαντες χρόνου οἱ ῥητοῦ τὰς ξυντάξεις ἀφίεσαν. ταῦτα μὲν τοῖς σχολαρίοις πολλάκις ξυνηνέχθη παθεῖν.
[21] But for those included in the regular body of the Scholarii he devised the following. When it was to be expected that an army would be sent against Libya or Italy or Persia, he would issue orders to them to pack up as though to take part in the expedition, though he knew well that they were not at all fit for active service, and they, in terror, remitted their pay to him for a specified period in order that this might not be done. And it so happened that this befell the Scholarii many times.
[22] καὶ Πέτρος δὲ τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον ἡνίκα τὴν τοῦ μαγίστρου καλουμένου εἶχεν ἀρχὴν, ἀεὶ καθ̓ ἡμέραν αὐτοὺς κλοπαῖς ἀμυθήτοις ἀπέκναιε.
[22] And Peter also, during the whole time while he held the office of Magister, as it is called, was constantly harassing them every day with unheard-of thefts.
[23] πρᾷος μὲν γὰρ ἦν καὶ ὡς ἥκιστα ὑβρίζειν εἰδὼς, κλεπτίστατος δὲ ἀνθρώπων ἁπάντων καὶ ῥύπου αἰσχροῦ ἀτεχνῶς ἔμπλεως. τούτου τοῦ Πέτρου κἀν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν λόγοις ἐμνήσθην ἅτε τὸν Ἀμαλασούνθης φόνον τῆς Θευδερίχου παιδὸς εἰργασμένου.
[23] For while he was indeed a mild man and not at all versed in offering insult, at the same time he was the biggest thief in the world and absolutely filled with shameful avarice. This Peter has been mentioned also in the previous books as having carried out the murder of Amalasuntha, daughter of Theoderic.
[24] Εἰσὶ δὲ καὶ ἕτεροι τῶν ἐν Παλατίῳ πολὺ ἀξιώτεροι, ἐπεὶ καὶ πλείω τὸ δημόσιον αὐτοῖς χορηγεῖν εἴωθεν ἅτε καὶ μείζω κατατιθεῖσι τοῦ τῆς στρατείας ὀνόματος τὰ τιμήματα, οἳ δὴ δομέστικοί τε καὶ προτίκτωρες ἐπικαλοῦνται καὶ ἀνέκαθεν ἀμελέτητοί εἰσι πολεμίων ἔργων.
[24] And there are also others in the Palace held in much higher esteem, for the Treasury is accustomed to allow them a higher wage on the ground that they on their part have paid larger amounts for the name of belonging to the service; these are called Domestici and Protectores, and from ancient times they have been unpractised in deeds of war.
[25] τάξεως γὰρ καὶ προσώπου ἕνεκα μόνον ἐν Παλατίῳ εἰώθασι καταλέγεσθαι. καὶ αὐτῶν οἱ μὲν ἐν Βυζαντίῳ, οἱ δὲ ἐπί τε Γαλατίας ἐκ παλαιοῦ καὶ χωρίων ἑτέρων ἵδρυνται.
[25] For it is only for the sake of rank and for the appearance of the position that they are wont to have themselves enrolled among the Palace corps. And from ancient times some of these have had their residence in Byzantium, some in Galatia and some in other places.
[26] ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτους Ἰουστινιανὸς τρόπῳ ἀεὶ δεδισσόμενος τῷ εἰρημένῳ μεθίεσθαι ἠνάγκαζε τῶν προσηκουσῶν σφίσι συντάξεων.
[26] But these too Justinian was constantly intimidating in the manner described, thus compelling them to relinquish the pay which belonged to them. And this shall be explained in summary.
[27] ἐν κεφαλαίῳ δὲ τοῦτο εἰρήσεται. νόμος ἦν ἀνὰ π
ενταετηρίδα ἑκάστην τὸν βασιλέα τῶν στρατιωτῶν ἕκαστον δωρεῖσθαι χρυσίῳ τακτῷ.
[27] There was a law that every four years the Emperor should present to each one of the soldiers a specified sum of gold.
[28] πέμποντες δὲ ἀνὰ πεντάετες πανταχόσε τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῆς παρείχοντο στατῆρας χρυσοῦς στρατιώτῃ ἑκάστῳ πέντε.
[28] So every fourth year they used to send messengers throughout every part of the Roman Empire and present five gold staters to each soldier.
[29] καὶ τοῦτο οὐχ οἷόν τε ἦν μὴ πράσσεσθαι ἀεὶ μηχανῇ πάσῃ. ἐξ ὅτου δὲ ἀνὴρ ὅδε διῳκήσατο τὴν πολιτείαν, τοιοῦτο οὐδὲν οὔτε διεπράξατο οὔτε ἐμέλλησε, καίπερ χρόνου δύο καὶ τριάκοντα ἐνιαυτῶν τριβέντος ἤδη, ὥστε καὶ λήθην τοῦ ἔργου τούτου τοῖς ἀνθρώποις γενέσθαι τινά.
[29] And there could not be any failure in this matter at any time or by any means. But since the time when this man took over the administration of the State, he has neither done such a thing nor purposed to do it, though a period of thirty-two years has passed already, so that men have even come to forget this practice to some extent.
[30] Τρόπον δὲ καὶ ἄλλον τῆς ἐς τοὺς κατηκόους λεηλασίας ἐρῶν ἔρχομαι. οἱ βασιλεῖ τε καὶ ταῖς ἀρχαῖς ἐν Βυζαντίῳ ἢ ὁπλιζόμενοι ἢ γράμματα διαχειρίζοντες ἢ ἄλλο ὁτιοῦν ὑπηρετοῦντες τάσσονται μὲν ἐν τοῖς καταλόγοις ἀρχὴν ἔσχατοι, προϊόντος δὲ τοῦ χρόνου ἀναβαίνοντες ἀεὶ ἐς τῶν ἀπογινομένων ἢ ὑπεξιόντων τὴν χώραν τάξεως ἕκαστοι τῆς κατ̓ αὐτοὺς ἐς τόδε χωροῦσιν, ἕως ἄν τις βαθμοῦ ἐπιβεβηκὼς τοῦ πρώτου ἤδη ἐς τὸ τῆς τιμῆς ἀφίκηται πέρας.
[30] And I shall pass on to explain still another of his methods of plundering his subjects. Those who mount guard or handle dispatches for the Emperor and the officials in Byzantium, or who perform any other service whatsoever, are assigned at first to the lowest ranks, and as time goes on they advance steadily to fill the places of those who have died or retired, and each of them keeps moving up from the rank he has held until such time as he mounts the topmost step and attains to the highest attainable point of this career.
[31] καὶ τοῖς ἐς τοῦτο ἀξιώματος ἥκουσι χρήματα ἐκ παλαιοῦ διατέτακται τοσαῦτα τὸ πλῆθος ὥστε πλέον ἀνὰ πᾶν ἔτος ἢ ἐς ἑκατὸν χρυσοῦ ἀγείρεσθαι κεντηνάρια τούτοις, καὶ αὐτούς τε γηροκομεῖσθαι καὶ τῶν ἄλλων πολλοὺς μετέχειν αὐτοῖς ὠφελείας ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον τῆς ἔνθεν ξυνέβαινε, τῆς τε πολιτείας τὰ πράγματα ἐπὶ μέγα εὐπορίας ἀεὶ ταύτῃ ἐχώρει.
[31] For those who have achieved this high rank a salary has been assigned from of old, so huge that each year they gather in more than one hundred centenaria of gold, and it has come about that not only they themselves are cared for in old age but that many others also share with them, as a general thing, the assistance derived from this source, and the affairs of the State have in this way advanced to a high point of prosperity.
[32] ἀλλὰ βασιλεὺς ὅδε τούτων αὐτοὺς ἀποστερήσας σχεδόν τι ἁπάντων, αὐτοῖς τε καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀνθρώποις κακὰ ἤνεγκεν. ἁψαμένη γὰρ αὐτῶν ἡ πενία πρῶτον, εἶτα καὶ διὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἐχώρει, οἷς τι καὶ πρότερον ὠφελείας μετῆν.
[32] But this Emperor, by depriving them of practically all these revenues, has brought woes upon them and the rest of mankind. For poverty laid hold upon them first and then passed on through the rest who previously had had some share of their benefit.
[33] καὶ ἤν τις τὴν ξυμπεπτωκυῖαν αὐτοῖς ἐνθένδε ζημίαν ἐς ἔτη δύο καὶ τριάκοντα διαριθμοῖτο, εὑρήσει τὸ μέτρον ὧνπερ αὐτοὺς ἀποστερεῖσθαι ξυνέπεσε.
[33] And if anyone should calculate the loss which fell upon them from this source over a period of thirty-two years, he would arrive at the measure of the amount of which it was their misfortune to be deprived.
XXV
Τοὺς μὲν στρατευομένους οὕτως ὁ τύραννος ὅδε διεχρήσατο. ἅπερ δὲ αὐτῷ ἐς ἐμπόρους τε καὶ ναύτας καὶ βαναύσους καὶ ἀγοραίους ἀνθρώπους, δἰ αὐτῶν τε καὶ ἐς τοὺς ἄλλους ἅπαντας εἴργασται,
Thus were the men in service mishandled by this tyrant. And I shall now proceed to tell of his treatment of merchants and sailors and craftsmen and traders in the market-place and, through these, of all the others.
[2] φράσων ἔρχομαι. πορθμὼ δύο ἑκατέρωθεν Βυζαντίου ἐστὸν, ἅτερος μὲν ἐφ̓ Ἑλλησπόντου ἀμφὶ Σηστόν τε καὶ Ἄβυδον, ὁ δὲ δὴ ἕτερος ἐπὶ τοῦ στόματος τοῦ Εὐξείνου καλουμένου Πόντου, οὗ τὸ Ἱερὸν ὀνομάζεται.
[2] There are two straits on the two sides of Byzantium, the one at the Hellespont between Sestus and Abydus and the other at the mouth of the sea called Euxine, where is the place named Hieron.
[3] ἐν μὲν οὖν τῷ Ἑλλησπόντου πορθμῷ τελωνεῖον μὲν ἐν δημοσίῳ ὡς ἥκιστα ἦν, ἄρχων δέ τις ἐκ βασιλέως στελλόμενος ἐν Ἀβύδῳ καθῆστο, διερευνώμενος μὲν, ἢν ναῦς ὅπλα φέρουσα ἐς Βυζάντιον οὐ βασιλέως ἴοι γνώμῃ, καὶ ἤν τις ἐκ Βυζαντίου ἀνάγοιτο οὐ φερόμενος γράμματα τῶν ἀνδρῶν καὶ σημεῖα οἷς ἐπίκειται ἡ τιμὴ αὕτη ῾οὐ γὰρ θέμις τινὰ ἐκ Βυζαντίου ἀνάγεσθαι οὐκ ἀφειμένον πρὸς τῶν ἀνδρῶν, οἳ τῇ τοῦ μαγίστρου καλουμένου ἀρχῇ ὑπουργοῦσἰ πραττόμενος δὲ τοὺς τῶν πλοίων κυρίους τέλος δὲ οὐδενὶ αἴσθησιν παρεχόμενον ἀλλ̓ ὥσπερ τινὰ μισθὸν ὁ ταύτην δὴ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔχων τοῦ ἔργου τούτου λαμβάνειν ἠξίου:
[3] Now on the Strait of the Hellespont there was no public Customs House at all, but a certain magistrate commissioned by the Emperor was stationed at Abydus, watching to see whether any ship bearing arms went towards Byzantium without the Emperor’s permission, and also whether anyone was putting out from Byzantium without carrying a permit and seals from the men who have this function (for it is illegal for anyone to put out from Byzantium without being released by the men who serve the office of the official known as the “Magister”), and collecting from the masters of the ships a toll which was felt by no one, but which was, as it were, a sort of payment claimed by the man who held this office as compensation for his labour.
[4] ὁ μέντοι ἐπὶ πορθμοῦ τοῦ ἑτέρου στελλόμενος τὸν μισθὸν ἀεὶ πρὸς βασιλέως κεκομισμένος ἦν καὶ διερευνώμενος ἐς τὸ ἀκριβὲς ταῦτά τε, ἅπερ μοι εἴρηται, καὶ ἤν τι ἐς τοὺς βαρβάρους κομίζοι
το, οἳ παρὰ τὸν Εὔξεινον ἵδρυνται Πόντον, ὧνπερ οὐ θέμις ἐκ Ῥωμαίων τῆς γῆς ἐς τοὺς πολεμίους κομίζεσθαι. οὐδὲν μέντοι ἐξῆν τῷ ἀνδρὶ τούτῳ πρὸς τῶν τῇδε ναυτιλλομένων προσίεσθαι.
[4] But the man dispatched to the other strait had always received his salary from the Emperor, and he watched with great care for the things which I have mentioned and, in addition, to see whether anything was being conveyed to the barbarians who are settled along the Euxine Sea, of a sort which it is not permitted to export from the land of the Romans to their enemies. This man, however, was not permitted to accept anything from those who sailed that way.
[5] ἐξ οὗ δὲ Ἰουστινιανὸς τὴν βασιλείαν παρέλαβε, τελωνεῖόν τε δημόσιον κατεστήσατο ἐν πορθμῷ ἑκατέρῳ καὶ μισθοφόρους ἄρχοντας δύο ἐς ἀεὶ πέμπων μίσθωσιν μὲν αὐτοῖς παρείχετο τὴν ξυγκειμένην, ἐπήγγελλε δὲ χρήματά οἱ ὅτι πλεῖστα ἐνθένδε ἀποφέρειν δυνάμει τῇ πάσῃ.
Delphi Complete Works of Procopius Page 570