The spies were organized in the following manner:—­A number of men used to be supported at the state’s expense, whose business it was to visit hostile countries, especially the court of Persia, on pretence of business or some other excuse, and to observe accurately what was going on; and by this means, on their return, they were able to report to the Emperors all the secret plans of their enemies, and the former, being warned in advance, took precautions and were never surprised.  This system had long been in vogue amongst the Medes.  Chosroes, by giving larger salaries to his spies, none of whom were born Romans, reaped great benefit from this precaution.  Justinian, having discontinued this practice, lost considerable territory, especially the country of the Lazes, which was taken by the enemy, since the Romans had no information where the King and his army were.  The state also formerly kept a large number of camels, which carried the baggage on the occasion of an expedition into an hostile country.  By this means the peasants were relieved from the necessity of carrying burdens, and the soldiers were well supplied with necessaries.  Justinian, however, did away with nearly all the camels, so that, when the army is marching against an enemy, everything is in an unsatisfactory condition.  Such was the care he took of the most important state institutions.  It will not be out of place to mention one of his ridiculous acts.  There was at Caesarea a lawyer named Evangelius, a person of distinction, who, by the favour of fortune, had amassed great riches and considerable landed estates.  He afterwards purchased, for three centenars of gold, a village on the coast named Porphyreon.  When Justinian heard of this, he immediately took it from him, only returning him a small portion of the price he had paid for it, at the same time declaring that it was unseemly that such a village should belong to Evangelius the lawyer.  But enough of this.  It remains to speak of certain innovations introduced by Justinian and Theodora.  Formerly, when the senate had audience of the Emperor, it paid him homage in the following manner:—­Every patrician kissed him on the right breast, and the Emperor, having kissed him on the head, dismissed him; all the rest bent the right knee before the Emperor and retired.  As for the Empress, it was not customary to do homage to her.  But those who were admitted to the presence of this royal pair, even those of patrician rank, were obliged to prostrate themselves upon their face, with hands and feet stretched out; and, after having kissed both his feet, they rose up and withdrew.  Nor did Theodora refuse this honour.  She received the ambassadors of the Persians and other barbarian nations and (a thing which had never been done before) bestowed magnificent presents upon them, as if she had been absolute mistress of the Empire.  Formerly, those who associated with the Emperor called him Imperator and the Empress Imperatrix, and the other officials according to their rank.