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to be sickly. 4.13 So the affair of Bouzes went this way. But the Emperor, although Belisarius was convicted of none of the charges, at the insistence of the Empress, relieved him of the command which he held and appointed Martinus general of the East in his place, 4.14 and he ordered the spearmen and guards of Belisarius, and any of his domestics who were proven in war, to be distributed among some of the officers and the Palace eunuchs. And these men, casting lots for them, divided them all up among themselves, arms and all, as chance fell to each. 4.15 And he forbade many of his friends and others who had previously served him to go to Belisarius any longer. 4.16 And he went about, a bitter spectacle and an incredible sight, Belisarius a private citizen in Byzantium, almost alone, always deep in thought and gloomy, and dreading a death by assassination. 4.17 And when the Empress learned that he had a great deal of money in the East, she sent one of the Palace eunuchs 4.18 and had it all brought back. Now Antonina, as I have said, had become estranged from her husband, but was most dear and indispensable to the Empress, especially since she had recently brought about the downfall of John the Cappadocian. 4.19 For this reason, the Empress, planning to do Antonina a favor, did everything so that it might seem that the wife interceded for her husband and rescued him from such great misfortunes, and that in this way she would not only become completely reconciled with the poor man, but would also openly make him her captive, since he had been saved by her. 4.20 And it happened thus. One day Belisarius came early to the Palace, as was his custom, with a few wretched men. 4.21 But meeting with no favor from the Emperor and Empress, but rather being insulted there by base and common men, he went away toward home late in the afternoon, often turning around during this departure and looking in all directions, to see from where those who would destroy him might approach. 4.22 And with this dread he went up to his chamber and sat alone on his couch, thinking nothing noble, nor remembering that he had been a man, but sweating constantly and dizzy and greatly trembling, being worn out by servile fears and by love of life and altogether unmanly anxieties. 4.23 But Antonina, since she neither knew at all what was being done nor was expecting any of the things to come, was taking frequent walks there, alleging indigestion; 4.24 for they were still suspicious of each other. Meanwhile a certain man from the Palace, Quadratus by name, arrived after the sun had already set, and crossing the courtyard he suddenly stood at the door of the men's quarters, saying that he had been sent there by the Empress. 4.25 When Belisarius heard this, he drew his hands and feet up on the couch and lay on his back, fully prepared for his destruction; 4.26 so completely had all his manliness left him. Then Quadratus, entering to his side, showed him a letter from the Empress. 4.27 And the letter declared the following: "What you have done to us, my good sir, you know. But I, owing a great debt to your wife, have decided to forgive you all these charges, granting your life to her. 4.28 Therefore, from this time forward you may be confident both for your safety and for your property; but what sort of man you will be toward her we shall know from your future actions." 4.29 When Belisarius had read this, being at once greatly elated with joy and wishing to give a present demonstration of his sentiment, he rose up and immediately fell at his wife's feet on his face. 4.30 And embracing both her shins with each hand, and continually moving his tongue over the soles of his wife's feet, he called her the cause of his life and his safety, and confessed that from then on he would be her faithful slave, and not her husband. 4.31 And the Empress, after giving thirty centenaria of gold from his property to the Emperor, returned the rest to Belisarius. 4.32 Thus, then, had fared the affair of the general Belisarius, for whom fortune not long before Gelimer 4.33 and Vittigis

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νοσώδει εἶναι. 4.13 Τὰ μὲν οὖν ἀμφὶ τῷ Βούζῃ τῇδε ἐχώρησε. Βελισάριον δὲ βασιλεὺς, καίπερ οὐδενὸς τῶν κατηγορουμένων ἁλόντα, ἐγκειμένης τῆς βασιλίδος παραλύσας ἧς εἶχεν ἀρχῆς Μαρτῖνον ἀντ' αὐτοῦ τῆς ἑῴας στρατηγὸν κατεστήσατο, τούς τε Βελισαρίου δορυφόρους τε καὶ ὑπασπιστὰς, καὶ τῶν οἰκετῶν εἴ τι ἐν πολέμῳ δόκιμον ἦν, τῶν τε ἀρχόντων καὶ τῶν ἐν Παλατίῳ εὐνούχων 4.14 τισὶν ἐπέστειλε διαδάσασθαι. οἱ δὲ κλήρους ἐπ' ἐκείνοις ἐμβεβλημένοι αὐτοῖς ὅπλοις ἅπαντας ἐν σφίσιν αὐτοῖς διενείμαντο, ὥς πη κατατυχεῖν ἑκάστῳ συνέβη. 4.15 καὶ τῶν φίλων δὲ καὶ ἄλλως αὐτῷ τὰ πρότερα ὑπουργηκότων πολλοῖς ἀπεῖπε παρὰ Βελισάριον μηκέτι ἰέναι. 4.16 καὶ περιήρχετο πικρὸν θέαμα καὶ ἄπιστος ὄψις, Βελισάριος ἰδιώτης ἐν Βυζαντίῳ, σχεδόν τι μόνος, σύννους ἀεὶ καὶ σκυθρωπὸς καὶ τὸν ἐξ ἐπιβουλῆς ὀρρωδῶν 4.17 θάνατον. μαθοῦσα δὲ ἡ βασιλὶς πολλά οἱ ἐπὶ τῆς ἕω χρήματα εἶναι, πέμψασα τῶν ἐν Παλατίῳ εὐνούχων 4.18 τινὰ κεκόμισται πάντα. ἐτύγχανε δὲ ἡἈντωνίνα, ὥς μοι εἴρηται, τῷ μὲν ἀνδρὶ διάφορος γεγενημένη, τῇ δὲ βασιλίδι φιλτάτη καὶ ἀναγκαιοτάτη οὖσα ἐν τοῖς μάλιστα ἅτεἸωάννην ἔναγχος κατεργασαμένη τὸν Καππα4.19 δόκην. διὸ δὴ χαρίσασθαι ἡ βασιλὶς τῇἈντωνίνῃ βουλευσαμένη, ἅπαντα ἔπραττεν ὅπως ἐξαιτήσασθαί τε τὸν ἄνδρα ἡ γυνὴ καὶ ἀπὸ ξυμφορῶν τηλικῶνδε ῥύσασθαι δόξειε, ταύτῃ τε οὐ μόνον τῷ ταλαιπώρῳ ἐς τὸ παντελὲς καταλλαγῆναι συμβήσεται, ἀλλὰ καὶ διαρρήδην αὐτὸν ἅτε πρὸς αὐτῆς διασεσωσμένον αἰχμάλωτον ἀναρ4.20 πάσασθαι. ἐγένετο δὲ ὧδε. ἦλθε μέν ποτε Βελισάριος πρωῒ ἐς Παλάτιον, ᾗπερ εἰώθει, ξὺν ἀνθρώποις οἰκ4.21 τροῖς τε καὶ ὀλίγοις τισίν. οὐκ εὐμενῶν δὲ πειρασάμενος βασιλέως τε καὶ τῆς βασιλίδος, ἀλλὰ καὶ περιυβρισμένος ἐνταῦθα ὑπ' ἀνδρῶν μοχθηρῶν τε καὶ ἀγελαίων, οἴκαδε ἀμφὶ δείλην ὀψίαν ἀπιὼν ᾤχετο, συχνά τε περιστρεφόμενος ἐν τῇ ἀναχωρήσει ταύτῃ καὶ πανταχόσε περισκοπούμενος, ὁπόθεν ποτὲ προσιόντας αὐτῷ 4.22 τοὺς ἀπολλύντας ἴδοι. ξὺν ταύτῃ τε τῇ ὀρρωδίᾳ εἰς τὸ δωμάτιον ἀναβὰς ἐπὶ τῆς στιβάδος καθῆστο μόνος, γενναῖον μὲν οὐδὲν ἐννοῶν, οὐδὲ ὅτι ἀνὴρ ἐγεγόνει ἐν μνήμῃ ἔχων, ἱδρῶν δὲ ἀεὶ καὶ ἰλιγγιῶν καὶ ξὺν τρόμῳ πολλῷ ἀπορούμενος, φόβοις τε ἀνδραποδώδεσι καὶ μερίμναις ἀποκναιόμενος φιλοψύχοις τε καὶ ὅλως 4.23 ἀνάνδροις.Ἀντωνίνα δὲ ἅτε οὔτε τὰ πρασσόμενα ὅλως ἐπισταμένη οὔτε τι τῶν ἐσομένων καραδοκοῦσα περιπάτους ἐνταῦθα ἐποιεῖτο συχνοὺς ὀξυρεγμίαν σκη4.24 πτομένη· ἔτι γὰρ εἰς ἀλλήλους ὑπόπτως εἶχον. μεταξὺ δέ τις ἐκ Παλατίου, Κουαδρᾶτος ὄνομα, ἧκεν ἤδη δεδυκότος ἡλίου, τήν τε αὔλειον ὑπερβὰς ἐξαπιναίως παρὰ τὴν ἀνδρωνίτιδα ἔστη θύραν, φάσκων πρὸς τῆς 4.25 βασιλίδος ἐνταῦθα ἐστάλθαι. ὅπερ ἐπεὶ Βελισάριος ἤκουσε, χεῖρας καὶ πόδας ἐπὶ τῆς στιβάδος ἑλκύσας ὕπτιος ἔκειτο, πρὸς τὴν ἀναίρεσιν ἑτοιμότατος· οὕτως 4.26 ἅπαν αὐτὸν τὸ ἀρρενωπὸν ἀπελελοίπει. οὔπω τοίνυν ὁ Κουαδρᾶτος παρ' αὐτὸν εἰσελθὼν γράμματά οἱ τῆς 4.27 βασιλίδος ἐπέδειξεν. ἐδήλου δὲ ἡ γραφὴ τάδε «Ἃ μὲν «εἰργάσω ἡμᾶς, ὦ βέλτιστε, οἶσθα. ἐγὼ δὲ τὰ πολλὰ «ὀφείλουσα τῇ σῇ γυναικὶ, ταῦτα δὴ τὰ ἐγκλήματά σοι «ἀφεῖναι ξύμπαντα ἔγνωκα, ἐκείνῃ τὴν σὴν δωρουμένη 4.28 «ψυχήν. τὸ μὲν οὖν ἔνθεν σοι τὸ θαρσεῖν ὑπέρ τε «τῆς σωτηρίας καὶ τῶν χρημάτων περίεστιν· ὁποῖος δὲ «σὺ πρὸς αὐτὴν ἔσῃ διὰ τῶν πραχθησομένων εἰσόμεθα.» 4.29 ταῦτα ἐπεὶ Βελισάριος ἀνελέξατο, ἅμα μὲν ὑφ' ἡδονῆς ἐπὶ μέγα ἀρθεὶς, ἅμα δὲ καὶ τῷ παρόντι ἐπίδειξιν ἐθέλων ποιεῖσθαι τῆς γνώμης, ἀναστὰς εὐθὺς παρὰ 4.30 τῆς γυναικὸς τοὺς πόδας ἐπὶ στόμα πίπτει. καὶ χειρὶ μὲν ἑκατέρᾳ περιλαβὼν αὐτῆς ἄμφω τὰς κνήμας, τὴν δὲ γλῶσσαν ἀεὶ τῶν ταρσῶν τῆς γυναικὸς μεταβιβάζων, τοῦ μὲν βίου καὶ τῆς σωτηρίας αἰτίαν ἐκάλει, ἀνδράποδον δὲ αὐτῆς τὸ ἐνθένδε πιστὸν ὡμολόγει καὶ 4.31 οὐκ ἀνὴρ ἔσεσθαι. καὶ τῶν χρημάτων δὲ ἡ βασιλὶς ἐς τριάκοντα χρυσοῦ κεντηνάρια τῷ βασιλεῖ δοῦσα, τἄλλα Βελισαρίῳ ἀπέδοτο. 4.32 Τὰ μὲν οὖν ἀμφὶ Βελισαρίῳ τῷ στρατηγῷ τῇδε κεχωρήκει, ᾧπερ ἡ τύχη οὐ πολλῷ πρότερον Γελίμερά 4.33 τε καὶ Οὐίττιγιν