CHAPTER XXVI

Destruction of city decorations and ornaments—­Advocates deprived of their fees by the institution of arbitrators—­Physicians and professors deprived of their pensions—­Public spectacles discontinued—­The consulship suppressed—­Scarcity of corn and water at Byzantium, Rome, and Alexandria—­Generosity of Theodoric, the conqueror of Italy—­Greed of Alexander Forficula—­Disbanding of the garrison of Thermopylae—­Spoliation of Athens and other Greek cities—­Hephaestus and Diocletian.

CHAPTER XXVII

Conduct of Justinian and Theodora in regard to the clergy and council of Chalcedon—­Arsenius the Samaritan persecutes the Christians of Scythopolis with impunity—­Paul, archbishop of Alexandria, has the deacon Psoes put to death—­Rhodon, the governor, by his orders, tortures him:  but he is dismissed, and then put to death, together with Arsenius, through the influence of Theodora—­Liberius, the new governor, and Pelagius, legate of Pope Vigilius at Alexandria, depose Paul, who buys back the favour of Justinian—­Resistance of Vigilius—­Faustinus, governor of Palestine, denounced by the Christians as a Samaritan—­His condemnation by the Senate—­The sentence annulled by Justinian—­Outrages upon the Christians.

CHAPTER XXVIII

Laws changed for money considerations—­Affair of the church of Emesa—­Priscus the forger—­A hundred years’ prescription granted to the churches—­Mission of Longinus—­Persecution of the Jews at the Passover—­Justinian’s intolerance.

CHAPTER XXIX

Justinian’s hypocrisy—­Letters sent to both Liberius and John Laxarion, confirming them as governors of Egypt—­Intervention of Pelagius and Eudaemon—­Murder of John—­Liberius acquitted by the Senate—­Fine inflicted by Justinian—­Confiscation of the inheritances of Eudaemon, Euphratas, and Irenaeus—­New law as to the inheritances of municipal councillors—­Spoliation of the daughter of Anatolia and Ascalon, the widow of Mamilianus—­Affair of Tarsus—­Malthanes and the Blues of Cilicia—­Unpunished assassinations—­Justinian’s corruptness—­Leo the Referendary.

CHAPTER XXX

The “posts” and “spies”—­Rapidity of the imperial couriers—­Their chief routes—­Superiority of the Persians—­Reverses of the Romans in Lazica at the hands of Chosroes—­The army commissariat—­Spoliation of the lawyer Evangelius—­Justinian’s sarcasm—­He and Theodora required their feet to be kissed by those who had audience of them—­Their titles of “master” and “mistress”—­The palace crowded by applicants for audiences—­The death of Justinian alone will show how the vast wealth of the Empire has been spent.

INTRODUCTION