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It is possible to see those who first won renown in culture; for these, taking hold of the souls of men, which are fond of story, ever eager for learning and thirsting for strange tales, fashion for them a fable, and clothe the fiction in language, and they solidify the falsehood with rhythm, and with meters, as if with some alluring girdles, they beautify the 1.π.12 marvel. And this entertainment had so much power, that they were even considered theologians, and the gods consorted with them, and in their tongues they revealed to men things at home, and whatever 1.π.13 noble deed or misfortune ever befell their own life. Therefore one might find history a common teacher for all mankind, introducing both what must be undertaken and what must be overlooked as being unprofitable. And through it one may see the most prudent generals; for it knows how to array forces, and how 1.π.14 one must outwit the enemy with ambushes. And it makes them more provident through the misfortunes of others, guiding them by those who have stumbled; and then again it has shown them to be more fortunate through successes, by small beginnings 1.π.15 increasing great peaks of virtues. And for the old man it is a certain guide and staff, but for the young man a most beautiful and most wise tutor, somehow making the younger man gray-haired with its great experience and anticipating the lessons of time learned little by little. 1.π.16 To which I myself will also have recourse, even if the undertaking is greater than I am capable of, because of the ignobility of my diction and the utter feebleness of my thoughts and the lack of beauty of my composition and the complete artlessness of my arrangement. But if anything of what will be set forth should appear pleasing to anyone, let him attribute it to some chance; for knowledge is not the cause. 1.1.1 When the emperor Tiberius was now about to pass from his station here and to yield to the common law of nature, with black bile having set upon his illness, as it is customary for the sons of physicians to call it, Maurice was proclaimed and is glorified with the dignity of emperor and, young in the purple, he partook of the great power of the 1.1.2 emperors. For the emperor Tiberius, having been brought on a litter to the open court of the palace, which is attached to the much-trodden residence of the palace by a conspicuous forecourt and some glorious portico, having summoned the one presiding over the hierarchical throne (John at that time was directing the rudders of the church), and having assembled the college of sacred offices and the bodyguards and guards and all those arrayed in the emperor's honor, yes, and even the more notable of the people, 1.1.3 he himself had not yet conversed with those present, but he showed John as the emperor's tongue, a man both a skillful orator and knowledgeable in Roman laws, who with the piercing quality of his eloquence proclaimed the emperor's commands in a manner worthy of imperial magnanimity. The Romans call him quaestor in their native tongue. 1.1.4 The emperor was therefore present at the investiture of the emperor, along with his daughter Constantina, whom he had made a partner of both fortune and life for Maurice, and before the proclamation he set these things before the assembly. 1.1.5 "Men of Rome, a name much talked of and honored among the nations, which for its good repute is on many lips for praise, great and final now are the birth-pangs of our cares which surround us, some compelling us to arrange matters here well, others disturbing us by the separation of our departure and urging us to render the accounts of our 1.1.6 life here to the Creator. And my former freedom of speech and license is timid today; for it is likely that for those who have an abundance of power, greater errors also attend them. 1.1.7 But nevertheless, our concerns for the empire are sharper and more pressing, not for how to lay it down so quickly, but for how it is possible to arrange it well, since I for my part did not undertake it for the luxury of power and the flattery of the body. And I see that nature together with fortune us

παιδείᾳ πρώτους ἐνευδοκιμήσαντας ἔστι θεάσασθαι· παραλαβόντες γὰρ οὗτοι τὰς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ψυχὰς φιλοΐστορας καὶ πρὸς μάθησιν ὀργώσας ἀεὶ καὶ ξένων διψώσας διηγημάτων, τεχνουργοῦσιν αὐταῖς μυθολόγημα, καὶ περιβάλλουσι φράσιν τῷ πλάσματι, ῥυθμῷ δὲ τὸ ψεῦδος στιβίζουσιν, καὶ μέτροις οἷα κεστοῖς θελκτηρίοις τισὶ τὸ 1.π.12 τεράτευμα καλλωπίζουσιν. καὶ τοσαύτην εἶχεν ἡ ψυχαγωγία τὴν δύναμιν, ὡς καὶ θεολόγους εἶναι νομίζεσθαι, καὶ παρ' ἐκείνους φοιτᾶν τοὺς θεούς, καὶ ταῖς ἐκείνων γλώτταις παραγυμνοῦν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τὰ οἴκοι, καὶ εἴ τί ποτε τῷ σφῶν 1.π.13 αὐτῶν βίῳ συνέτυχεν ἀνδραγάθημα ἢ δυστύχημα. οὐκοῦν εὑρήσειέ τις κοινὴν ἁπάντων ἀνθρώπων τὴν ἱστορίαν διδάσκαλον, εἰσηγουμένην οἷς τε ἐγχειρητέον καὶ ἃ παροπτέον ὡς μὴ συνοίσοντα. ἐμφρονεστάτους τε τοὺς στρατηγοὺς δι' ἐκείνης ἔστιν ἰδεῖν· τάττειν γὰρ δυνάμεις ἐπίσταται, ὅπως τε 1.π.14 λόχοις σοφίζεσθαι δεῖ τὸ πολέμιον. καὶ ταῖς μὲν τῶν ἄλλων συμφοραῖς προμηθεστέρους σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἀπεργάζεται, τοῖς προσφαλεῖσιν ἑτέροις ἐκείνους ἰθύνουσα· ταῖς δ' αὖ πάλιν εὐπραγίαις εὐδαιμονεστέρους ἀπέδειξε μικραῖς ἀφορμαῖς 1.π.15 μεγάλας ἀρετῶν κορυφὰς ἐπαυξάνουσα. καὶ τῶν μὲν πρεσβύτῃ χειραγωγός τίς ἐστι καὶ βακτηρία, τῷ δὲ νέῳ παιδαγωγὸς κάλλιστος καὶ συνετώτατος, τῇ πολυπειρίᾳ πολιοῦσά πως τὸ νεώτερον καὶ προφθάνουσα τοῦ χρόνου τὰ κατ' ὀλίγον μαθή1.π.16 ματα. πρὸς ἣν ἐπιδραμοῦμαι καὐτός, εἰ καὶ μεῖζον ἢ κατ' ἐμὲ τὸ ἐγχείρημα διὰ τὸ τῆς λέξεως ἀγεννὲς τῶν τε νοημάτων τὸ ἀδρανέστατον τῆς τε τοῦ λόγου συνθήκης τὸ ἀκαλλὲς τό τε τῆς οἰκονομίας ἀτεχνότατον. εἰ δέ τῳ εὔχαρί τι τῶν ἐκτεθησομένων φανείη, τύχῃ τινὶ προσαπτέτω· μὴ γὰρ ἐπιστήμη τὸ αἴτιον. 1.1.1 ῞Οτε τὸν αὐτοκράτορα Τιβέριον τῆς ἐντεῦθεν ἔδει λοιπὸν μεταβήσεσθαι λήξεως καὶ τῷ κοινῷ ὑπείκειν νόμῳ τῆς φύσεως, ἐπιθεμένης τῇ νόσῳ μελαίνης χολῆς, ὡς σύνηθες παισὶν ἀποκαλεῖν ἰατρῶν, ἀνερρήθη Μαυρίκιος καὶ βασιλέως ἀξίᾳ μεγαλαυχεῖται καὶ νεάζων τῇ ἁλουργίδι τῆς μεγάλης τῶν 1.1.2 αὐτοκρατόρων δυνάμεως μετελάγχανεν. φοράδην γὰρ ἀχθεὶς ὁ βασιλεὺς Τιβέριος ἐπὶ τὴν ὕπαιθρον τῶν βασιλείων αὐλήν, ἥτις παρήνωται τῇ πολυστιβάδι τῶν ἀνακτόρων οἰκίᾳ προαυλίῳ περιφανεῖ καὶ περιδόξῳ τῳ προσκηνίῳ, τὸν τῆς ἱεραρχικῆς προεστῶτα καθέδρας συγκαλεσάμενος (᾿Ιωάννης δὲ κατ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ τοὺς τῆς ἐκκλησίας διίθυνεν οἴακας) τόν τε τῶν ἱερῶν ἀξιωμάτων συναθροισάμενος ξύλλογον τούς τε δορυφόρους καὶ φύλακας καὶ πάντας τοὺς ἐς βασιλέως τιμὴν συντεταγμένους, ναὶ μὴν καὶ τοὺς ἐπισημοτέρους τοῦ δήμου, 1.1.3 αὐτὸς μὲν οὐδέπω τοῖς ἐντυχοῦσι διείλεκται, βασιλέως δὲ γλῶτταν τὸν ᾿Ιωάννην ἐδείκνυεν, ἄνδρα ῥήτορά τε δεινὸν καὶ νόμων ῾Ρωμαϊκῶν ἐπιστήμονα, ὃς τὰ βασιλέως προστάγματα τῷ διατόρῳ τῆς εὐγλωττίας ἐμεγαληγόρει βασιλικῆς μεγαλοφροσύνης ἐπάξια. τοῦτον ἐπιχωρίῳ ῾Ρωμαῖοι φωνῇ 1.1.4 ἀποκαλοῦσι κυαίστορα. παρῆν γοῦν ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ ἐπὶ τῇ χειροτονίᾳ τοῦ βασιλέως ἅμα τῇ παιδὶ Κωνσταντίνῃ, ἣν τῷ Μαυρικίῳ τύχης ἅμα καὶ βίου κοινωνὸν ἐποιήσατο, καὶ πρό γε τῆς ἀναρρήσεως τῷ ξυλλόγῳ τάδε παρέθετο. 1.1.5 "῎Ανδρες ῾Ρωμαῖοι, τὸ πολυθρύλητον τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ὄνομα καὶ ἐπίτιμον, τὸ ἐπὶ στομάτων πολλῶν ἐπ' εὐφημίᾳ δι' εὔκλειαν περικείμενον, μεγάλαι καὶ τελευταῖαι νῦν αἱ τῶν φροντίδων ὠδῖνες ἡμῖν περιίστανται, αἱ μὲν τὰ τῇδε διαθεῖναι καλῶς ἀναγκάζουσαι, αἱ δὲ τῇ διαζεύξει τῆς μεταστάσεως ἐκταράττουσαι καὶ τῶν ἐνθένδε τοὺς λόγους τῆς 1.1.6 βιοτῆς παραθέσθαι τῷ δημιουργῷ κατεπείγουσαι. καὶ περιδεής μοι τήμερον ἡ πάλαι παρρησία καὶ ἄδεια· οἷς γὰρ ἀφθονία τῆς ἐξουσίας, τούτοις εἰκὸς καὶ τὰ σφάλματα παρέπε1.1.7 σθαι πλείονα. ἀλλ' ὅμως αἱ περὶ τῆς βασιλείας ἡμῖν ὀξύτεραι καὶ προκύπτουσαι, οὐχ ὅτῳ ταύτην οὕτω ταχὺ κατατίθεσθαι, ἀλλ' ὅτῳ ταύτην ἔνεστι καλῶς διατίθεσθαι, ἐπεὶ μηδὲ κατενεγυώμην ταύτην ἐγὼ ἐπί τε τρυφῇ τῆς ἐξουσίας καὶ κολακείᾳ τοῦ σώματος. ὁρῶ δὲ καὶ τὴν φύσιν μετὰ τῆς τύχης ἡμᾶς