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for the sake of which, as if I were not even serving in the army, I was brought forward, and I received honor and respect from the rulers and, what is sweetest of all, I passed my life in ease. And all-wise Justice, consoling me in righteous ways, showed me to be venerable to the soldiers, as I said, and not unworthy of honor to the magistrates. And this is clear from the decree issued concerning me when, having laid aside the belt of office, I proceeded to the court. For first, when I had mounted the tribunal of the prefecture, according to custom, to give thanks to the Almighty and to resign the office, the prefect honored me—it was the good Hephaestus, a noble man, and 180 showing by his name alone his existing nobility; for he was famed to be a descendant of Hephaestus, the first king of Egypt according to the Sicilian historian—and rising up, he greeted me warmly, and embracing me, he at once handed over with his own hands the edict concerning the grain supply, giving thanks; and after countless praises, with the entire bureau present, he read out a decree which ran as follows: "John the most learned—for he rejoices in this title more than in the distinctions added to him from the honors he has held—having already outstripped everyone with the most beautiful things, we mean by education and letters, has shown himself to be such a man that not only he himself is to be admired but also many others who have become the product of his teaching; and, having considered it, as it seems, a small thing if he were adorned only with the pursuits of literature—and yet what could one consider greater than these?—he also mingled in political affairs; and having served in our tribunals, he maintained a certain single harmony throughout, following his own examples everywhere and teaching by his very deeds that a good nature, being able to produce the more useful things, to whatever form of life it might be turned, does not depart from its own advantages, but makes virtue more august, adorning it with letters and political affairs. Having therefore distinguished himself in all these things, John the most illustrious, having completed the ranks and toils in our tribunals, will hasten to the footsteps of the great emperor and will enjoy greater gifts from there. For indeed, among his other advantages, the emperor is also a lover of letters, our time having brought this about well, so that the dignity of the ruler might lead the entire remaining bureau to something more brilliant." Having received this honor from the tribunal in place of much money, with all my sweetest companions leading the way, I departed for the court, having served in all forty years and four months, and having obtained the customary dignity from the emperor to be given to those who complete their service, I returned again to my books.

182 CONCERNING THE SCRINIARII OF THE MILITARY AND

ANNONARIAN DIOCESES AND CONCERNING THE CANCELLARII 31 If anyone should go through the entire Roman history step by step, he will never find before

the reign of Constantine the name *scriniarius*. For he will find *scrinium* and *scriba* and their derivatives, but nowhere the title *scriniarius*. So the state has not known them from of old, nor are they a part of the bureau of the master of the horse nor indeed of that of the prefects, but they came to public affairs as private citizens out of necessity; and how, I will tell. Constantine was the first, as has been said before, unwillingly to inflict loss upon the Roman state of Scythia and Moesia and the tribute from them, by scattering the forces that were guarding the bank of the northern Ister into lower Asia out of fear of a tyranny. But it seems good to me, having deviated a little from my purpose, to speak briefly about the name of the river; for now

39

ἕνεκα, ὡς εἰ μηδ' ἐν στρατείᾳ τελῶν, παρηνέχθην, ἔτυχον δὲ τιμῆς καὶ τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν κρατούντων αἰδοῦς καί, τὸ δὴ πάντων γλυκύτερον, ἐν ἀνέσει τὸν βίον παρέδραμον. ἡ δὲ πάνσοφος ∆ίκη, δικαίοις με παραμυθουμένη τρόποις, τοῖς μὲν στρατιώταις, ὡς ἔφην, αἰδέσιμον ἔδειξεν, τοῖς δὲ ἄρχουσιν οὐκ ἀπάξιον τιμῆς. καὶ τοῦτο δῆλον ἐκ τῆς προελθούσης ἐπ' ἐμοὶ ψήφου ὅτε τὴν ζώνην ἀφεὶς ἐπὶ τὴν αὐλὴν ἐχώρουν. πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ ἀναβάντα με ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος τῆς ἐπαρχότητος, κατὰ τοῦτο δὴ τὸ σύνηθες, εὐχαριστῆσαι τῷ κρείττονι καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀπώσασθαι, τιμήσας ὁ ὕπαρχος Ἥφαιστος δὲ ἦν ὁ χρηστός, ἀνὴρ ἀγαθὸς καὶ 180 ἐκ μόνης τῆς προσηγορίας τὴν οὖσαν εὐγένειαν αὐτῷ δεικνύς· Ἡφαίστου γὰρ τοῦ πρώτου βασιλεύσαντος Αἰγύπτου κατὰ τὸν Σικελιώτην ἀπόγονος εἶναι διεφημίζετο ἐγερθεὶς ἀντησπάσατό με λιπαρῶς, καὶ περιβαλὼν αὐτίκα μὲν τὸ πρόσταγμα τῶν ἀννωνῶν χερσὶν ἰδίαις ἐπιδίδωσιν εὐχαριστῶν, μετὰ δὲ μυρίους ἐπαίνους, πάσης τῆς τάξεως παρούσης, ψῆφον ἀνέγνω ἔχουσαν ὧδε· «Ἰωάννης μὲν ὁ λογιώτατος τούτῳ γὰρ χαίρει τῷ προσρήματι μᾶλλον ἢ τοῖς ἐκ τῶν ὑπαρξάντων αὐτῷ γερῶν προσγενομένοις γνωρίσμασιν ἤδη φθάσας τοῖς ἁπάντων ἑαυτὸν καλλίστοις, παιδείᾳ τε καὶ λόγοις φαμέν, τοιοῦτον ἀπέδειξεν, ὡς οὐκ αὐτὸν θαυμάζεσθαι μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλοὺς ἑτέρους, οἳ δὴ τῆς αὐτοῦ διδασκαλίας ἔργον γεγόνασιν· μικρὸν δέ, ὡς ἔοικεν, εἶναι νενομικὼς εἰ μόνοις κοσμοῖτο τοῖς ἐκ λόγων ἐπιτηδεύμασιν καίτοι γε τί ἄν τις τούτων ἡγήσοιτο μεῖζον; καὶ τοῖς πολιτικοῖς ἐνέμιξε πράγμασιν· ὑπηρετησάμενος δὲ τοῖς ἡμετέροις δικαστηρίοις μίαν τινὰ διὰ πάντων ἐφύλαξεν ἁρμονίαν, τοῖς οἰκείοις πανταχοῦ κατακολουθῶν παραδείγμασι καὶ δι' αὐτῶν διδάσκων τῶν ἔργων ὡς φύσις ἀγαθὴ καὶ τίκτειν οἵα τε οὖσα τὰ χρησιμώτερα, πρὸς ὅπερ ἂν βίου σχῆμα τραπείη, τῶν οἰκείων οὐκ ἐξίσταται πλεονεκτημάτων, σεμνοτέραν δὲ τὴν ἀρετὴν ἀπεργάζεται, λόγοις αὐτὴν καὶ πολιτικοῖς ποικίλλουσα πράγμασιν. τούτοις τοίνυν ἅπασιν ἐνευδοκιμηκὼς Ἰωάννης ὁ λαμπρότατος, τοὺς ἐν τοῖς ἡμετέροις δικαστηρίοις βαθμούς τε καὶ πόνους διανύσας, ἐπὶ τὰ τοῦ μεγάλου βασιλέως δραμεῖται ἴχνη καὶ μειζόνων ἐκεῖθεν ἀπολαύσει δωρεῶν. ἔστι γὰρ δὴ πρὸς τοῖς ἄλλοις πλεονεκτήμασι καὶ φιλόλογος ὁ βασιλεύς, τοῦτο καλῶς ἐφ' ἡμῶν πεποιηκότος τοῦ χρόνου ὅπως ἂν ἡ τοῦ προστατοῦντος σεμνότης καὶ τὴν λοιπὴν ἅπασαν τάξιν ἐπί τι φέροι λαμπρότερον.» ταύτην τὴν τιμὴν ἀντὶ πολλῶν χρημάτων ἐκ τοῦ δικαστηρίου λαβών, ἡγουμένων τῶν πάντα μοι γλυκυτάτων ἑταίρων, ἐπὶ τὴν αὐλὴν ἀνεχώρησα, στρατευσάμενος τοὺς πάντας τεσσαράκοντα ἐνιαυτοὺς πρὸς μησὶ τέσσαρσιν, καὶ τυχὼν τοῦ εἰωθότος παρὰ τῆς βασιλείας ἀξιώματος τοῖς πληροῦσιν ἐπιδίδοσθαι αὖθις ἐπὶ τὰ βιβλία παρῆλθον.

182 ΠΕΡῚ ΤΩ͂Ν ΣΚΡΙΝΙΑΡΊΩΝ ΤΩ͂Ν ∆ΙΟΙΚΉΣΕΩΝ ΣΤΡΑΤΙΩΤΙΚΟΥ͂ ΤΕ ΚΑῚ

ΣΙΤΩΝΙΚΟΥ͂ ΚΑῚ ΚΑΓΚΕΛΛΑΡΊΩΝ 31 Εἰ πᾶσάν τις ἐπέλθοι κατὰ πόδα τὴν Ῥωμαϊκὴν ἱστορίαν, οὔποτε εὑρήσει πρὸ

τῆς Κωνσταντίνου βασιλείας τὸ σκρινιάριον ὄνομα. σκρινίον μὲν γὰρ καὶ σκρίβαν καὶ τὰ τούτων δὴ παράγωγα εὑρήσει, τὸ δὲ σκρινιάριον ἐπώνυμον οὐδαμοῦ. ὥστε οὐκ οἶδε μὲν αὐτοὺς ἀνέκαθεν τὸ πολίτευμα, οὐδ' εἰσὶ μέρος οὐ τῆς τοῦ ἱππάρχου οὐδὲ μὴν τῆς τῶν ἐπάρχων τάξεως, ἰδιωτεύοντες δὲ παρῆλθον κατὰ τὸ ἀναγκαῖον ἐπὶ τὰ πράγματα· καὶ ὅπως, ἐρῶ. Κωνσταντῖνος πρῶτος, ὡς ἔμπροσθεν εἴρηται, Σκυθίαν τε καὶ Μυσίαν καὶ τοὺς ἐξ ἐκείνων φόρους ἄκων ἐζημίωσε τὴν Ῥωμαϊκὴν πολιτείαν, τὰς φρουρούσας δυνάμεις τὴν ὄχθην τοῦ πρὸς βορέαν Ἴστρου ἐπὶ τὴν κάτω Ἀσίαν δέει τυραννίδος διασκεδασάμενος. ἐμοὶ δὲ δοκεῖ βραχὺ παρατραπέντι τοῦ σκοποῦ περὶ τῆς προσηγορίας τοῦ ποταμοῦ διὰ βραχέων εἰπεῖν· νῦν μὲν γὰρ