[15] And he, unable to support the blow of a very strong man, fell on his back, and by this time trembling and in a state of panic he suspected that Longinus knew entirely what he had done and so confessed the truth; thus the entire deviltry was brought to light and the denouncing ceased.
[16] Ταῦτα δὲ οὐ μόνον ἐς τοὺς νόμους ἀεὶ καὶ καθ̓ ἑκάστην εἰργάζετο τοὺς Ῥωμαίων, ἀλλὰ καὶ οὓς Ἑβραῖοι τιμῶσι καταλύειν ὅδε βασιλεὺς ἐν σπουδῇ εἶχεν.
[16] Yet these constant and daily tamperings with the laws of the Romans were not the only harm he did, but the Emperor also took pains to abolish the laws which the Hebrews honour.
[17] ἢν γάρ ποτε αὐτοῖς ἐπανιὼν ὁ χρόνος τὴν Πασχαλίαν ἑορτὴν πρὸ τῶν Χριστιανῶν ἀγαγὼν τύχοι, οὐκ εἴα ταύτην τοὺς Ἰουδαίους καιροῖς τοῖς καθήκουσιν ἄγειν, οὐδέ τι ἐν ταύτῃ δεξιοῦσθαι τῷ θεῷ ἢ ἐπιτελεῖν τῶν ἐν σφίσιν αὐτοῖς νομίμων.
[17] If it ever happened, for instance, that the year in its recurring rounds brought on the Feast of the Passover before the festival of the Christians, he would not allow the Jews to celebrate this at the proper time nor to make any offering to God at that feast nor to perform any of the rites customary among them.
[18] πολλούς τε αὐτῶν οἱ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀρχῶν τεταγμένοι ἅτε προβατείων κρεῶν ἐν τούτῳ γευσαμένους τῷ χρόνῳ, τῆς ἐς τὴν πολιτείαν παρανομίας ὑπάγοντες χρήμασιν ἐζημίουν πολλοῖς.
[18] And many of them used to be brought to trial as having tasted the flesh of lambs at this time by those who were in positions of authority, and these punished them by heavy fines, arraigning them for violation of the laws of the State.
[19] ἔργα μὲν οὖν καὶ ἄλλα τοιαῦτα Ἰουστινιανοῦ ἀνάριθμα ἐξεπιστάμενος οὐκ ἄν τι ἐνθείην, ἐπεὶ πέρας δοτέον τῷ λόγῳ. ἀποχρήσει γὰρ καὶ δἰ αὐτῶν τὸ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἦθος σημῆναι.
[19] And though I know well of countless other such actions on the part of Justinian, I shall not add anything, for an end must be set to my discourse. For the man’s character will be disclosed with sufficient clearness by what has been said.
XXIX
Ὅτι δὲ εἴρων τε καὶ κατάπλαστος ἦν, αὐτίκα δηλώσω. τὸν Λιβέριον τοῦτον, οὗπερ ἐμνήσθην ἀρτίως, παραλύσας ἧς εἶχεν ἀρχῆς, Ἰωάννην ἀντ̓ αὐτοῦ κατεστήσατο Αἰγύπτιον γένος, ἐπίκλησιν Λαξαρίωνα.
That he was insincere and a dissembler I shall straightway make clear. The Liberius whom I have just mentioned he dismissed from the office he held and appointed in his place John surnamed Laxarion, an Egyptian by birth.
[2] ὅπερ ἐπεὶ Πελάγιος ἔγνω Λιβερίῳ φίλος ἐς τὰ μάλιστα ὢν, τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος ἀνεπυνθάνετο εἴπερ ὁ ἀμφὶ Λαξαρίωνα λόγος ἀληθὴς εἴη.
[2] And when Pelagius, who was a very close friend of Liberius, learned of this, he enquired of the Emperor whether the report about Laxarion was true.
[3] καὶ ὃς εὐθὺς ἀπηρνήσατο μηδὲν πεπραγέναι τοιοῦτο ἀπισχυρισάμενος, γράμματά τε αὐτῷ πρὸς Λιβέριον ἐνεχείρισεν, ἐντελλόμενος βεβαιότατα τῆς ἀρχῆς ἔχεσθαι, καὶ μηδενὶ αὐτῆς τρόπῳ μεθίεσθαι.
[3] And he straightway denied the report, insisting that he had not done any such thing, and he put in his hands a letter to Liberius, instructing him to hold on to this office most firmly and by no means to relinquish it.
[4] οὐ γὰρ ταύτης ἐθέλειν ἐν τῷ παρόντι αὐτὸν παραλῦσαι. ἦν δέ τις τῷ Ἰωάννῃ ἐν Βυζαντίῳ θεῖος, Εὐδαίμων ὄνομα, ἔς τε τὸ τῶν ὑπάτων ἀξίωμα ἥκων καὶ χρήματα περιβεβλημένος πολλὰ ἐπίτροπος τέως τῆς βασιλέως οὐσίας ἰδίας.
[4] For it was not his will, he said, to remove him from the office at the present time. And John had an uncle in Byzantium named Eudaemon, who, having risen to senatorial rank and having acquired great wealth, was for a time administrator of the Emperor’s personal estate.
[5] οὗτος Εὐδαίμων ἐπειδὴ ταῦτα ἠκηκόει ἅπερ ἐρρήθη, καὶ αὐτὸς βασιλέως ἀνεπυνθάνετο εἰ ἐν βεβαίῳ τῷ ἀδελφιδῷ τὰ τῆς ἀρχῆς εἴη.
[5] This Eudaemon, upon hearing the statements we have mentioned, also enquired of the Emperor whether his nephew’s office was secure.
[6] ὁ δὲ ὅσα οἱ πρὸς Λιβέριον ἐγέγραπτο ἀρνησάμενος, πρὸς τὸν Ἰωάννην γράμματα γράψας ἀντιλαβέσθαι τῆς ἀρχῆς δυνάμει πάσῃ ἐπέστελλεν.
[6] Whereupon the Emperor denied what he had written to Liberius and wrote a letter to John instructing him to lay claim to the office with all his might;
[7] οὐδὲ γὰρ οὐδ̓ αὐτῷ νεώτερον ἀμφ̓ αὐτῇ βεβουλεῦσθαι. οἷσπερ ὁ Ἰωάννης ἀναπεισθεὶς Λιβέριον ἀναχωρεῖν τοῦ τῆς ἀρχῆς καταγωγίου ἅτε αὐτῆς παραλελυμένον ἐκέλευε.
[7] for, he said, he on his part had not planned any change regarding it. And John, having been convinced by these statements, commanded Liberius to retire from his official quarters as having been dismissed from his office.
[8] Λιβέριος δὲ αὐτῷ πείθεσθαι οὐδαμῆ ἔφασκεν, ἠγμένος δηλονότι τοῖς βασιλέως καὶ αὐτὸς γράμμασιν.
[8] But Liberius refused absolutely to obey him, he also obviously having been led to do so by the Emperor’s letters.
[9] ὁ μὲν οὖν Ἰωάννης τούς οἱ ἑπομένους ὁπλίσας ἐπὶ τὸν Λιβέριον ᾔει, ὁ δὲ ξὺν τοῖς ἀμφ̓ αὑτὸν εἰς ἀντίστασιν εἶδε. μάχης τε γενομένης, ἄλλοι τε πολλοὶ πίπτουσι καὶ Ἰωάννης αὐτὸς ὁ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔχων.
[9] So John armed his followers and proceeded to attack Liberius, while the latter, together with his supporters, prepared for resistance. And a fight took place in which many were killed, including John himself, the holder of the office.
[10] Εὐδαίμονος οὖν ἰσχυρότατα ἐγκειμένου, μετάπεμπτος εὐθὺς ἐς Βυζάντιον ὁ Λιβέριος ἦν, ἥ τε σύγκλητος βουλὴ τὴν διάγνωσιν ποιουμένη τῶν πεπραγμένων, ἀπεψηφίσατο τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ἐπεὶ αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐπελθόντος, ἀλλ̓ ἀμυνομένου τὸ μίασμα ξυνηνέχθη γενέσθαι.
[10] Liberius was therefore immediately summoned to Byzantium, Eudaemon urging this step vigorously, and the Senate, making a determination of the facts in the case, acquitted the man on the ground that the outrage had occurred while he was not an aggressor, but was acting in self-defence.
[11] βασιλεὺς μέντοι οὐ πρότερον ἀπέστη ἕως αὐτὸν ἐζημίωσε χρήμασι λάθρα.
[11] But the Emperor did not drop the matter until he had punished him by a fine of money, imposed secretly.
[12] Οὕτω μὲν οὖν Ἰουστινιανὸς ἀληθίζεσθαί �
�ε ἠπίστατο καὶ εὐθύγλωσσος ἦν. ἐγὼ δὲ πάρεργόν τι τοῦδε τοῦ λόγου εἰπεῖν οὐκ ἄπο τοῦ καιροῦ οἴομαι εἶναι. ὁ μὲν γὰρ Εὐδαίμων οὗτος ἐτελεύτησεν οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον, ξυγγενῶν μέν οἱ ἀπολελειμμένων πολλῶν, οὔτε διαθήκην τινὰ διαθέμενος οὔτε τι ἄλλο τὸ παράπαν εἰπών.
[12] It was in this wise, in sooth, that Justinian knew how to tell the truth and practised straightforwardness of speech! But it is not, I think, inopportune to add a matter that is incidental to this narrative. For this Eudaemon died not long afterwards, having neither disposed of his estate by will nor made any statement whatever, although he had many relatives surviving.
[13] ὑπὸ χρόνον τε τὸν αὐτὸν καί τις ἄρχων γεγονὼς τῶν ἐν Παλατίῳ εὐνούχων ὄνομα Εὐφρατᾶς ἀπελύθη τοῦ βίου, ἀδελφιδοῦν μὲν ἀπολιπὼν, οὐδὲν δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ οὐσίᾳ διαθέμενος τῇ αὑτοῦ πολλῇ ἐς ἄγαν
[13] And at about the same time a certain man, Euphratas by name, who had been overseer of the Palace eunuchs, departed this life, leaving a nephew but without having made any disposition of his estate, which was very great.
[14] οὔσῃ. ἄμφω δὲ βασιλεὺς τὰς οὐσίας ἀφείλετο, κληρονόμος γεγενημένος αὐτόματος καὶ οὐδὲ τριώβολόν τινι τῶν νομίμων κληρονόμων προέμενος.
[14] And the Emperor seized both these estates, of his own arbitrary act making himself the heir and giving not a farthing to any of the lawful heirs.
[15] τοσαύτῃ αἰδοῖ ἔς τε τοὺς νόμους καὶ τῶν ἐπιτηδείων τοὺς ξυγγενεῖς ὁ βασιλεὺς οὗτος ἐχρῆτο.
[15] Such respect for the law and for the kinsmen of his intimates was shewn by this Emperor!
[16] οὕτως καὶ τὰ Εἰρηναίου πολλῷ ἔμπροσθεν τελευτήσαντος δικαίωμα οὐδ̓ ὁτιοῦν ἐπ̓ αὐτοῖς ἔχων ἀφείλετο.
[16] In the same way he had seized the property of Eirenaeus who had died a long time before, although he had not a shadow of a claim to it.
[17] Τούτων δὲ τὸ ἐχόμενον ὑπὸ χρόνον τε τὸν αὐτὸν γεγονὸς οὐκ ἂν σιωπῴην. Ἀνατόλιός τις ἦν ἐν Ἀσκαλωνιτῶν τῷ λευκώματι τὰ πρωτεῖα ἔχων. τούτου τὴν παῖδα γαμετὴν γυναῖκα τῶν τις Καισαρέων πεποίηται,
[17] And the incident directly connected with those just mentioned, which occurred at about the same time, I could not pass by in silence. There was a certain Anatolius who held chief place in the senatorial roster of Ascalon. This man’s daughter had been duly married by one of the Caesareans, Mamilianus by name, a man of a very notable house.
[18] Μαμιλιανὸς ὄνομα, οἰκίας ἐπιφανοῦς ἄγαν. ἦν δὲ ἡ κόρη ἐπίκληρος, ἐπεὶ μόνης αὐτῆς Ἀνατόλιος ἐγεγόνει πατήρ.
[18] And the girl was an heiress, since she was the only child of Anatolius.
[19] νόμῳ δὲ ἄνωθεν διωρισμένον, ἐπειδὰν βουλευτὴς τῶν τινος πόλεων οὐκ ἀπολελειμμένων οἱ παίδων γόνου ἄρρενος ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἀφανισθείη, τῶν ἀπολελειμμένων ὑπὸ τούτου χρημάτων τὸ μὲν τεταρτημόριον δίδοσθαι τῷ τῆς πόλεως βουλευτηρίῳ, πάντων δὲ τῶν ἄλλων τοὺς κληρονόμους τοῦ τετελευτηκότος ἀπόνασθαι, γνώρισμα ἤθους τοῦ οἰκείου κἀνταῦθα ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ ἐνδεικνύμενος, νόμον ἔναγχος ἐτύγχανε γράψας, ἔμπαλιν τὰ τοῦ πράγματος διοικούμενον ὅπως δὴ, ἐπειδὰν βουλευτὴς ἄπαις τελευτῴη γόνου ἄρρενος τῆς οὐσίας οἱ μὲν κληρονόμοι τὸ τέταρτον ἔχοιεν, τἄλλα δὲ πάντα τό τε δημόσιον καὶ τὸ τῆς πόλεως λεύκωμα φέροιντο.
[19] Now it had been prescribed by ancient law that whenever a Senator of any one of the cities should depart this life without leaving male children, the fourth part of the property left by this man should be given to the Council of the city, while the natural heirs of the deceased should enjoy the rest; but the Emperor here too gave evidence of his own true character, for he happened to have promulgated a law recently, which arranged matters in just the opposite way, providing, namely, that when a Senator died without male issue, his natural heirs should receive the fourth part of his estate but that all the rest should be taken over by the Treasury and entered in the roster of the city’s Senate.
[20] καίτοι οὐδεπώποτε δημόσιον ἢ βασιλεὺς ἀφ̓ οὗ γεγόνασιν ἄνθρωποι χρημάτων βουλευτικῶν μετασχεῖν ἔσχε.
[20] And yet never since the creation of man has either Treasurer or Emperor been empowered to share in senatorial property.
[21] τούτου τοίνυν κειμένου τοῦ νόμου, Ἀνατολίῳ μὲν ἐπεγένετο ἡ τέλειος ἡμέρα τοῦ βίου, ἡ δὲ τούτου παῖς τὸν τούτου κλῆρον πρός τε τὸ δημόσιον καὶ τὸ τῆς πόλεως βουλευτήριον κατὰ τὸν νόμον ἐνείματο, καὶ αὐτῇ γράμματα βασιλεύς τε αὐτὸς καὶ Ἀσκαλωνιτῶν οἱ τοῦ λευκώματος ἔγραψαν, τῆς περὶ τούτων αὐτὴν ἀφιέντες ἀντιλογίας ἅτε τὰ σφίσι προσήκοντα κεκομισμένοι ὀρθῶς καὶ δικαίως.
[21] So while this law was in force, the final day of life came upon Anatolius, and his daughter divided the estate with the Treasury and the Council of the city in accordance with the law, and both the Emperor himself and the magistrates in charge of the roster of Ascalon wrote letters to her releasing her from the counter-claim in this matter, since they had received their due correctly and justly.
[22] ὕστερον καὶ Μαμιλιανὸς ἀπελύθη τοῦ βίου, ὅσπερ Ἀνατολίῳ κηδεστὴς ἐγεγόνει, παιδός οἱ ἀπολελειμμένης μιᾶς, ἥπερ καὶ μόνη τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς οὐσίαν, ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς, ἔσχε.
[22] Later on Mamilianus also departed this life, the man who had been son-in-law to Anatolius, and he left a single daughter, who alone acquired her father’s estate, as was to be expected.
[23] μετὰ δὲ καὶ αὕτη περιούσης ἔτι οἱ τῆς μητρὸς ἀφίκετο ἐς τὸ μέτρον τοῦ βίου, ἀνδρὶ μὲν ξυνοικισθεῖσα τῶν λογίμων τινὶ, μήτηρ δὲ οὔτε θήλεος οὔτε ἄρσενος γενομένη γόνου.
[23] But later on she too, while her mother still survived, reached the term of her life, having been married to one of the notables but having become mother of neither female nor male child.
[24] ἀλλ̓ Ἰουστινιανὸς πάντων ἀντελάβετο τῶν χρημάτων εὐθὺς, ἐκεῖνο ἀποφθεγξάμενος τὸ θαυμάσιον, ὡς τὴν Ἀνατολίου παῖδα γυναῖκα γραῦν οὖσαν τοῖς τε τοῦ ἀνδρὸς καὶ τοῖς τοῦ πατρὸς πλουτεῖν χρήμασιν οὐχ ὅσιον εἴη.
[24] But Justinian seized upon all the property forthwith, letting fall the amazing statement that for the daughter of Anatolius, now an old woman, to be enriched by her husband’s an
d her father’s money was an impious thing!
[25] ὅπως δὲ ἡ γυνὴ μὴ ἐν τοῖς προσαιτηταῖς τὸ ἐνθένδε τετάξεται, στατῆρα χρυσοῦν ἐς ἡμέραν ἑκάστην τὴν γυναῖκα φέρεσθαι ταύτην διώρισεν, ἕως ἂν περιῇ, τοῦτο θέμενος ἐν τοῖς γράμμασι, δἰ ὧν τὰ χρήματα ἐληΐσατο ταῦτα, ὡς τὸν στατῆρα προεῖται τῆς εὐσεβείας ἕνεκα τοῦτον: ‘ἔθος γάρ μοι’, ἔφη, ‘τά τε ὅσια καὶ εὐσεβῆ πράττειν’.
[25] But in order that the woman might not henceforth be assigned to the ranks of the beggars, he ordered that this woman should receive a gold stater each day, as long as she lived, inserting in the document by means of which he had plundered all this money the statement that he relinquished the stater for the sake of piety: “For it is my custom,” he said, “to do whatever is pious and righteous.”
[26] Ἀλλὰ περὶ μὲν τούτων ἀπόχρη λέγειν, ὅπως μὴ ὁ λόγος κατακόρως ἔχοι, ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ ἁπάντων ἀνθρώπῳ γε ὄντι δυνατὸν ἀπομνημονεῦσαι.
[26] But concerning these matters it suffices to give these facts, that my account may not lead to surfeit, since it is not possible for any human being to mention them all.
[27] ὅτι δὲ οὐ Βενέτων τῶν οἱ ἐσπουδασμένων δοκούντων εἶναι λόγον τινὰ πεποίηται χρημάτων παρόντων, ἐγὼ δηλώσω.
[27] But that he has taken no account even of any adherent of the Blues, who were supposed to be his favourites, when money was at stake, I shall now make clear.
Delphi Complete Works of Procopius Page 575