[28] Μαλθάνης τις ἐγεγόνει ἐν Κίλιξι Λέοντος ἐκείνου γαμβρὸς, ὃς περιεῖπεν, ὥσπερ μοι ἔμπροσθεν εἴρηται, τὴν τοῦ καλουμένου ῥεφερενδαρίου τιμήν.
[28] There was a certain Malthanes in Cilicia, son-in-law of that Leon who held, as mentioned above, the office of Referendarius as it is called.
[29] τοῦτον βίας ἀναστέλλειν ἐπέστελλε τὰς ἐν Κίλιξι. ταύτης τε τῆς σκήψεως ὁ Μαλθάνης λαβόμενος ἀνήκεστα κακὰ Κιλίκων τοὺς πλείστους εἰργάζετο, καὶ τὰ χρήματα ληϊζόμενος τὰ μὲν τῷ τυράννῳ ἔπεμπε, τοῖς δὲ αὐτὸς ἐδικαίου πλουτεῖν.
[29] This man he directed to put a stop to the acts of violence in Cilicia. And laying hold of this pretext, Malthanes committed outrageous wrongs upon the majority of the Cilicians, and as he plundered their money, he sent some to the tyrant, while he saw fit to enrich himself with the remainder.
[30] οἱ μὲν οὖν ἄλλοι τὰ σφίσι παρόντα σιωπῇ ἔφερον, Ταρσέων δὲ ὅσοι Βένετοι ἦσαν τῇ ἐκ βασιλέως παρρησίᾳ θαρσοῦντες ἐν τῷ δημοσίῳ τῆς ἀγορᾶς ἐς τὸν Μαλθάνην οὐ παρόντα σφίσι πολλὰ ὕβριζον.
[30] Now all the rest endured their misfortunes in silence, but such of the men of Tarsus as were Blues, being bold in the licence which the Emperor’s favour gave them, heaped many insults upon Malthanes in the public market-place when he was not present among them.
[31] ὅπερ ἐπεὶ ὁ Μαλθάνης ἔγνω, πλῆθος στρατιωτῶν ἐπαγόμενος ἐς Ταρσὸν εὐθὺς ἀφίκετο νύκτωρ περιπέμπων τε τοὺς στρατιώτας ἐς τὰς οἰκίας ὄρθρου βαθέος καταλύειν ἐκέλευεν.
[31] And when Malthanes learned this, he straightway came to Tarsus by night, bringing a large force of soldiers, and sending them around to the houses at early dawn, he ordered them to take lodgings therein.
[32] ἔφοδον δὲ οἰόμενοι ταύτην οἱ Βένετοι εἶναι, ἐκ τῶν παρόντων ἠμύνοντο. ξυνέβη τοίνυν ἄλλα τε κακὰ ἐν σκότῳ γενέσθαι καὶ Δαμιανὸν,
[32] And the Blues, thinking this to be a raid, defended themselves as well as they could. And many other mishaps took place in the darkness, but the worst was that Damianus, a member of the Senate, fell by a shot from a bow.
[33] ἄνδρα ἐκ βουλῆς, τοξεύματι βληθέντα πεσεῖν. ἦν δὲ ὁ Δαμιανὸς οὗτος τῶν τῇδε Βενέτων προστάτης. ὅπερ ἐπεὶ ἐς Βυζάντιον ἦλθεν, οἵ τε Βένετοι δυσφορούμενοι θορύβῳ ἀνὰ τὴν πόλιν πολλῷ εἴχοντο, καὶ βασιλέα μὲν ἀμφὶ τῷ πράγματι ἠνώχλουν ἄγαν, Λέοντα δὲ καὶ τὸν Μαλθάνην ξὺν δεινοτάταις ἀπειλαῖς πολλὰ ἐδυσφήμουν.
[33] Now this Damianus was the patron of the Blues there. And when news of this came to Byzantium, the Blues were angry and raised a great tumult throughout the city, and they plagued the Emperor about the matter exceedingly, and they vilified Leon and Malthanes roundly together with most terrible threats.
[34] καὶ αὐτοκράτωρ οὐδέν τι ἧσσον ἀγριαίνεσθαι ἐπὶ τοῖς πεπραγμένοις ἐσκήπτετο. γράμμα οὖν εὐθὺς ἔγραψε, ζήτησίν τε καὶ τίσιν τῶν τῷ Μαλθάνῃ πεπολιτευμένων κελεύων γενέσθαι.
[34] And the Emperor pretended to be no less angry than they at what had happened. So he straightway wrote a letter ordering an investigation and punishment of the public acts of Malthanes.
[35] ἀλλὰ Λέων αὐτῷ χρυσίου προέμενος πλῆθος τοῦ τε θυμοῦ αὐτίκα καὶ τῆς ἐς τοὺς Βενέτους στοργῆς ἔπαυσε, τοῦ τε πράγματος ἀνεξετάστου μενενηκότος Μαλθάνην βασιλεὺς ἐς Βυζάντιον παῤ αὐτὸν ἥκοντα ξύν τε πολλῇ φιλοφροσύνῃ εἶδε καὶ ἐν τιμῇ ἔσχεν.
[35] But Leon, by handing over to him a vast quantity of gold, caused him to give up at once both his anger and his fondness for the Blues, and though the matter had remained uninvestigated, when Malthanes came into the Emperor’s presence in Byzantium, the latter received him with great friendliness and held him in honour.
[36] ἐξιόντα δὲ οἱ Βένετοι ἐκ βασιλέως τηρήσαντες πληγὰς αὐτῷ προσετρίψαντο ἐν Παλατίῳ καὶ διαχρήσασθαι ἔμελλον, εἰ μὴ αὐτῶν τινες διεκώλυσαν, οἵ γε πρὸς Λέοντος χρήματα ἤδη κεκομισμένοι λάθρα ἐτύγχανον.
[36] But when he went out from the Emperor’s presence, the Blues, who had been watching for him, rained blows upon him in the Palace, and they would have destroyed him had not some of them prevented it, these being the men who chanced to have already received money in secret from Leon.
[37] καίτοι τίς οὐκ ἂν ταύτην τὴν πολιτείαν ἐλεεινοτάτην καλοίη, ἐν ᾗ βασιλεὺς μὲν δωροδοκήσας ἀνεξέταστα κατέλειψε τὰ ἐγκλήματα, στασιῶται δὲ βασιλέως ἐν Παλατίῳ ὄντος ἐπαναστῆναι τῶν τινι ἀρχόντων οὐδεμιᾷ ὀκνήσει ἐτόλμησαν,
[37] And yet who would not call that State most pitiable in which an Emperor, having accepted a bribe, left the briber’s crimes uninvestigated, and factionists, on the other hand, while the Emperor was there in the Palace, dared without any compunction to set upon one of the magistrates and to commit an unjust attack upon him?
[38] ἀδίκων τε χειρῶν ἐπ̓ αὐτὸν ἄρξαι; τίσις μέντοι τούτων δὴ ἕνεκα οὐδεμία οὔτε εἰς τὸν Μαλθάνην ἐγένετο οὔτε εἰς τοὺς αὐτῷ ἐπαναστάντας. ἐκ τούτων δὲ εἴ τις βούλοιτο τὸ Ἰουστινιανοῦ τοῦ βασιλέως τεκμηριούσθω ἦθος.
[38] As for punishment, however, none was inflicted on account of these misdeeds, either upon Malthanes or upon his assailants. From these things, if anyone should wish, let him estimate the character of the Emperor Justinian.
XXX
Εἰ δέ τινα καὶ τοῦ τῆς πολιτείας ξυμφόρου ποιεῖται λόγον, τὰ ἐς δρόμον τε αὐτῷ τὸν δημόσιον καὶ τοὺς κατασκόπους εἰργασμένα δηλώσει.
And as to the question whether Justinian had any consideration for the welfare of the State, the things he did to the public post and to the spies will be illuminating.
[2] οἱ μὲν γὰρ Ῥωμαίων αὐτοκράτορες ἐν τοῖς ἄνω χρόνοις γεγενημένοι, προνοήσαντες ὅπως ἅπαντά τε σφίσιν ἐπαγγέλλοιτο τάχιστα καὶ μηδεμιᾷ διδῷτο μελλήσει, τά τε πρὸς τῶν πολεμίων ἐν χώρᾳ ἑκάστῃ ξυμπίπτοντα καὶ ταῖς πόλεσι κατὰ στάσιν ἢ ἄλλο τι ἀπρόοπτον συμβαίνοντα πάθος τά τε πρὸς τῶν ἀρχόντων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων πανταχόθι πρασσόμενα τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῆς, ὅπως τε οἱ τοὺς φόρους παραπέμποντες τοὺς ἐπετείους διασώζοιντο βραδυτῆτός τε καὶ κινδύνου χωρὶς, δημόσιον ὀξύν τινα πανταχόσε πεπο
ίηνται δρόμον τρόπῳ τοιῷδε.
[2] For the Roman Emperors of earlier times, by way of making provision that everything should be reported to them speedily and be subject to no delay, — such as the damage inflicted by the enemy upon each several country, whatever befell the cities in the course of civil conflict or of some unforeseen calamity, the acts of the magistrates and of all others in every part of the Roman Empire — and also, to the end that those who conveyed the annual taxes might reach the capital safely and without either delay or risk, had created a swift public post extending everywhere, in the following manner.
[3] ἐς ἡμέρας ὁδὸν εὐζώνῳ ἀνδρὶ σταθμοὺς κατεστήσαντο, πὴ μὲν ὀκτὼ, πὴ δὲ τούτων ἐλάσσους, οὐ μέντοι ἧσσον ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἢ κατὰ πέντε.
[3] Within the distance included in each day’s journey for an unencumbered traveller they established stations, sometimes eight, sometimes less, but as a general thing not less than five.
[4] ἵπποι δὲ ἵσταντο ἐς τεσσαράκοντα ἐν σταθμῷ ἑκάστῳ. ἱπποκόμοι δὲ κατὰ λόγον τοῦ τῶν ἵππων μέτρου ἐτετάχατο ἐν πᾶσι σταθμοῖς.
[4] And horses to the number of forty stood ready at each station. And grooms in proportion to the number of horses were detailed to all stations.
[5] συχναῖς δὲ ἵππων δοκιμωτάτων ὄντων διαδοχαῖς ἐλαύνοντες ἀεὶ οἷσπερ ἐπίκειται τὸ ἔργον τοῦτο, δέκα τε, ἂν οὕτω τύχοι, ὁδὸν ἡμερῶν ἀμείβοντες ἐν ἡμέρᾳ μιᾷ ἔπρασσον ἅπαντα ὅσα μοι ἀρτίως δεδήλωται, πρὸς δὲ καὶ οἱ τῶν χωρίων πανταχῆ κύριοι, ἄλλως τε κἂν ἐν μεσογείοις τὰ χωρία ὄντα ἐτύγχανεν, εὐδαιμονέστατοι ἐπ̓ αὐτοῖς ἐν τοῖς μάλιστα ἦσαν.
[5] And always travelling with frequent changes of the horses, which were of the most approved breeds, those to whom this duty was assigned covered, on occasion, a ten-days’ journey in a single day, and accomplished all those things which have just been mentioned; and furthermore, the owners of the land everywhere, and particularly if their lands happened to lie in the interior, were exceedingly prosperous because of this system.
[6] τοὺς γὰρ ὄντας ἐκ τοῦ περιόντος σφίσι καρποὺς ἵππων τε καὶ ἱπποκόμων τροφῆς ἕνεκα τῷ δημοσίῳ ἀνὰ πᾶν ἔτος ἀποδιδόμενοι,
[6] For every year they sold the surplus of their crops to the Government for the maintenance of horses and grooms, and thus earned much money.
[7] χρήματα μεγάλα ἐφέροντο. ξυνέβαινέ τε διὰ ταῦτα τῷ δημοσίῳ δέχεσθαι μὲν ἀεὶ τοὺς ἐγκειμένους ἑκάστῳ φόρους, ἀντιπαραδέχεσθαι δὲ αὐτοὺς τοῖς ἐσκομίζουσιν αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα, καὶ προσῆν τὸ γεγενῆσθαι τῇ πολιτείᾳ τὰ δέοντα.
[7] And the result of all this was that while the treasury regularly received the taxes assessed upon each man, yet those who paid the taxes received their money but also again immediately, and there was the further advantage that the State business has been accomplished.
[8] Τὰ μὲν οὖν πρότερα ταύτῃ πη εἶχεν. ὁ δὲ αὐτοκράτωρ οὗτος πρῶτα μὲν τὸν ἐκ Καλχηδόνος ἄχρι ἐς Δακίβιζαν καθελὼν δρόμον ἠνάγκασε πάντας ἐκ Βυζαντίου εὐθὺς ἄχρι ἐς τὴν Ἑλενούπολιν οὔτι ἐθελουσίους ναυτίλλεσθαι.
[8] Now in earlier times this was the situation. But this Emperor first of all abolished the post from Chalcedon as far as Daciviza and compelled all the couriers, much against their will, to proceed from Byzantium directly to Helenopolis by sea.
[9] πλέοντες οὖν ἐν ἀκάτοις βραχείαις τισὶν, οἷαι διαπορθμεύεσθαι τῇδε εἰώθασι, χειμῶνος, ἂν οὕτω τύχοι, ἐπιπεσόντος, ἐπὶ μέγα κινδύνου χωροῦσι. τῆς γὰρ ἀναγκαίου σπουδῆς ἐγκειμένης σφίσι καιροφυλακεῖν τε καὶ προσδέχεσθαι μέλλουσαν τὴν γαλήνην ἀδύνατά ἐστιν.
[9] When they make the passage, then, in small boats of the kind the folk are accustomed to use in crossing the strait, in case a storm happens to descend upon them, they come into great danger. For since the haste which is obligatory keeps urging them on, it is impossible for them to watch for the right weather and wait for the next calm.
[10] ἔπειτα δὲ κατὰ μὲν τὴν ἐπὶ Πέρσας ὁδὸν φέρουσαν τὸν δρόμον ἐπὶ σχήματος τοῦ πρόσθεν ὄντος εἴασεν εἶναι, ἐς δὲ τὴν λοιπὴν ξύμπασαν ἕω μέχρι ἐς Αἴγυπτον ἐν ἡμέρας ὁδῷ κατὰ σταθμὸν ἕνα κατεστήσατο μόνον, οὐχ ἵππων μέντοι,
[10] And, in the second place, while on the route leading into Persia he did allow the previous arrangement to stand, yet for all the rest of the East as far as Egypt he allowed one station only for each day’s journey, using not horses, however, but mules and only a few of them.
[11] ἀλλ̓ ὄνων ὀλίγων. διὸ δὴ τὰ μὲν ξυμβαίνοντα ἐν χώρᾳ ἑκάστῃ μόλις τε καὶ ὀψὲ τοῦ καιροῦ καὶ ὀπίσω τῶν πραγμάτων ἐσαγγελλόμενα ἐπικουρίας οὐδεμιᾶς τυγχάνειν εἰκὸς, οἱ δὲ τοὺς ἀγροὺς κεκτημένοι καρπῶν τῶν σφετέρων σεσηπότων τε καὶ εἰκῆ κειμένων ἀνόνητοι ἐς ἀεὶ γίνονται.
[11] It is no wonder, consequently, that the things which take place in each country, being reported both with difficulty and too late to give opportunity for action and behind the course of events, cannot be dealt with at all, and the owners of the lands, with crops rotting on their hands and going to waste, continually lose all their profits.
[12] Τὰ δὲ τῶν κατασκόπων τοιαῦτά ἐστιν. ἄνδρες πολλοὶ ἐν δημοσίῳ τὸ ἀνέκαθεν ἐσιτίζοντο, οἳ δὴ ἐς τοὺς πολεμίους ἰόντες ἔν τε τοῖς Περσῶν βασιλείοις γινόμενοι ἢ ἐμπορίας ὀνόματι ἢ τρόπῳ ἑτέρῳ, ἔς τε τὸ ἀκριβὲς διερευνώμενοι ἕκαστα, ἐπανήκοντες ἐς Ῥωμαίων τὴν γῆν πάντα τοῖς ἄρχουσιν ἐπαγγέλλειν ἠδύναντο τὰ τῶν πολεμίων ἀπόρρητα.
[12] And the matter of the spies is as follows. Many men from ancient times were maintained by the State, men who would go into the enemy’s country and get into the Palace of the Persians, either on the pretext of selling something of by some other device, and after making a thorough investigation of everything, they would return to the land of the Romans, where they were able to report all the secrets of the enemy to the magistrates.
[13] οἱ δὲ προὔμαθον ἐφύλασσόν τε καὶ ἀπρόοπτον οὐδὲν ξυνέπιπτε σφίσι. τοῦτο δὲ τὸ χρῆμα κἀν τοῖς Μήδοις ἐκ παλαιοῦ ἦν. Χοσρόης μὲν οὖν μείζους, ὥσπερ φασὶ, πεποιημένος τὰς τῶν κατασκόπων ξυντάξεις προμηθείας τῆς ἐνθένδε ἀπήλαυσεν.
[13] And they, furnished with this advance information, would be on their guard and nothing unforeseen would befall them. And this practice had existed among the Medes also from ancient times. Indeed Chosroes, as they say, increas
ed the salaries of his spies and profited by this forethought.
[14] οὐδὲν γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐλάνθανε τῶν ἐν Ῥωμαίοις γινομένων. ὁ δὲ Ἰουστινιανὸς οὐδ̓ ὁτιοῦν ἀναλώσας καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ τῶν κατασκόπων ὄνομα ἐξέτριψεν ἐκ Ῥωμαίων τῆς γῆς, ἐξ οὗ δὴ ἄλλα τε πολλὰ ἡμαρτήθη καὶ Λαζικὴ πρὸς τῶν πολεμίων ἑάλω, Ῥωμαίων οὐδαμῆ πεπυσμένων ὅποι ποτὲ γῆς ὁ Περσῶν βασιλεὺς ξὺν τῷ στρατῷ εἴη.
[14] For nothing that was happening among the Romans escaped him. Justinian, on the other hand, by refusing to spend anything at all on them blotted out from the land of the Romans even the very name of spies, and in consequence of this action many mistakes were made and Lazica was captured by the enemy, the Romans having utterly failed to discover where in the world the Persian king and his army were.
[15] ἀλλὰ καὶ καμήλους παμπληθεῖς τὸ δημόσιον ἐκ παλαιοῦ τρέφειν εἰώθει, αἳ δὴ τῷ Ῥωμαίων στρατῷ ἐπὶ πολεμίους ἰόντι ἅπαντα φέρουσαι τὰ ἐπιτήδεια εἵποντο.
[15] Nay more, the State had also been wont from ancient times to maintain a great number of camels, which followed the Roman army as it moved against an enemy and carried all the provisions.
[16] καὶ οὔτε τοῖς γεωργοῖς τότε ἀγγαροφορεῖν ἐπάναγκες ἦν οὔτε τι ἐνδεῖν τοῖς στρατιώταις τῶν ἀναγκαίων ξυνέβαινεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ταύτας περιεῖλεν Ἰουστινιανὸς σχεδόν τι ἁπάσας. διὸ δὴ ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους ἰόντος τὰ νῦν τοῦ Ῥωμαίων στρατοῦ γεγενῆσθαί τι τῶν δεόντων ἀδύνατον.
Delphi Complete Works of Procopius Page 576