This endangered the authority of the Romans, especially in Italy.  Alexander, who was sent thither as commissioner, unhesitatingly reproached the soldiers for this.  He also exacted large sums of money from the Italians, under the pretence of punishing them for their negotiations with Theoderic and the Goths.  The soldiers were not the only persons who were reduced to poverty and privation by the commissioners; but those who had accompanied the generals in different capacities and had formerly enjoyed a high reputation, found themselves in great distress, as they had no means of procuring the ordinary necessaries.  Since I am speaking of the soldiers, I will give a few additional details.  Preceding Emperors had, for a very long time past, carefully posted upon all the frontiers of the Empire a large military force to protect its boundaries, and particularly, in the Eastern provinces, in order to repel the inroads of the Persians and Saracens, they had established garrisons called “frontier troops.”  Justinian at first treated these troops with such shameful neglect that their pay was four, or even five years in arrear; and, when peace was concluded between Rome and Persia, these unhappy individuals, who expected to enjoy the advantages of peace, were obliged to make a present to the treasury of the money due to them; and the Emperor finally disbanded them most unjustly.  Thus the frontiers of the Roman Empire remained ungarrisoned, and the troops had nothing to subsist upon except the benevolence of the charitable.

There was a certain body of soldiers, about 3,500 in number, called “Scholares,” who had been originally appointed as an imperial palace-guard, and received a larger pay from the imperial treasury than the rest of the army.  They were first chosen according to merit from the Armenians; but, from the reign of Zeno, anyone, however cowardly and unwarlike, was allowed to enter this body.  In course of time, even slaves, on payment of a sum of money, were admitted to their ranks.  When Justin succeeded to the throne, Justinian enrolled a large number on payment of considerable sums of money.  When the list was filled up, he added about 2,000 more who were called “Supernumeraries,” but disbanded them, when he himself came to the throne, without any reimbursement.  In regard to these “Scholares,” he invented the following plan:  Whenever it was probable that an expedition would be despatched to Italy, Libya, or Persia, he ordered them to make ready to take part in the campaign, although he knew that they were utterly unfit for war; and they, being afraid of this, surrendered their salaries to the Emperor.  This was a frequent occurrence.  When Peter was “Master of Offices,” he daily harassed them with monstrous thefts.  This man, although he was of a mild and by no means overbearing disposition, was the greatest thief in the world and an absolute slave to sordid avarice.  He it was who (as I have related) contrived the murder of Amalasunta, the daughter of Theodoric.