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they say he immediately asked, if anyone were ever slandered to the three, whose the investigation of the matter would be; and that he replied, whoever of them got to it before the others. But also the office called that of the quaestor he arranged in no order, which all the previous emperors, so to speak, had especially cared for, so that those who administered it would be experienced and wise in other matters and especially in the laws, and conspicuously incorruptible regarding money, since it would not happen without great ruin to the state if those holding this office were either held by some inexperience or given over to avarice. 20.16 But this emperor first appointed to this office Tribonian, whose practices have been sufficiently described in the previous account. 20.17 And when Tribonian had disappeared from among men, he took away a portion of his property, although a child and a multitude of grandchildren were left to him, when the final day of his life came upon the man, and he appointed Junilus, a Libyan by birth, to this honor, a man who had not even so much as a hearing of the law, since he was not one of the rhetors, and though he was well-versed in Latin letters, on account of Greek things, however, he had never even attended a grammarian's school, nor was he able to speak the language itself in Greek (indeed, often when he was eager to utter a Greek sound he incurred the laughter of his attendants), but he was demonically devoted to shameful gain, who indeed was not in the least ashamed to sell the emperor's decrees in public. 20.18 For the sake of a single gold stater he did not at all hesitate to stretch out his hand to those who met him. 20.19 For a period of no less than seven years the state incurred this ridicule. 20.20 And when Junilus also came to the measure of his life, he appointed Constantine to this office, a man not unpracticed in the laws, but quite young and not yet having come to the test of judicial contest, and the most thievish and most boastful of all men. 20.21 This man had become exceedingly longed-for and dearest to Justinian among the first, since this emperor by no means disdained to steal and to judge through him. 20.22 Therefore, in a short time Constantine got great sums of money and employed an extraordinary arrogance, walking on air and despising all men, and if some wished to give him much money, by depositing this with one of his most trusted men, they were able to set right the matters they were concerned with. 20.23 However, it was not possible for anyone at all to meet or get together with him, except when he was going to the emperor in a run or departing from there, not at a walk, but with great haste and speed, so that those approaching would not inflict on him some unprofitable delay. 21.1 So these things were in this way with this emperor. And from the praetorian prefect every year more than thirty centenaria were exacted in addition to the public 21.2 taxes. To which he had given the name *aerikon*, signifying this, I suppose, that this tax was not some fixed or customary one, but by some chance, as if borne from the air, he always received it, when he ought to have called these things the works of his own wickedness. 21.3 By which name those appointed to the office always engaged more fearlessly in robberies against their subjects. 21.4 And while they saw fit to bring these sums to the emperor, they themselves acquired a kingly wealth with no trouble. 21.5 Of whom Justinian did not deign to take any notice, watching for the opportunity so that, as soon as they had acquired some great amount of wealth, by bringing some baseless charge against them, he would be able to take away their property from them all at once. Which is just what he did to John 21.6 the Cappadocian. Therefore, of course, all those who took up the office during this time became rich beyond any measure, with two exceptions, however, Phocas, whom I mentioned in the preceding account as having been a guardian of justice to the highest degree; for this man remained pure from any gain whatever in his office, and

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εὐθὺς ἐρέσθαι φασὶν, ἢν ἐς τοὺς τρεῖς τίς ποτε διαβάλλοιτο, τίνος ἂν αὐτῶν ἡ τοῦ πράγματος διάγνωσις εἴη· τὸν δὲ ὑπολαβόντα φάναι, ὅστις ἂν αὐτῶν προ20.15 τερήσας τοὺς ἄλλους φθάνοι. ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν τοῦ κοιαίστωρος καλουμένην ἀρχὴν διέθετο οὐδενὶ κόσμῳ, ἧσπερ διαφερόντως ἐπεμελοῦντο οἱ πρότερον βεβασιλευκότες, ὡς εἰπεῖν, ἅπαντες, ὅπως τε τὰ ἄλλα ἔμπειροι καὶ σοφοὶ καὶ τὰ ἐς τοὺς νόμους μάλιστα εἶεν οἱ ταύτην διαχειρίσαντες καὶ χρημάτων διαφανῶς ἀδωρότατοι, ὡς οὐκ ἄνευ μεγάλου ὀλέθρου τούτου γε τῇ πολιτείᾳ γενησομένου, εἴπερ οἱ ταύτην τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔχοντες ἢ ἀπειρίᾳ τινὶ ἔχοιντο ἢ φιλοχρηματίᾳ ἐφεῖντο. 20.16 ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς οὗτος πρῶτον μὲν ἐπὶ ταύτης Τριβωνιανὸν κατεστήσατο, οὗπερ τὰ ἐπιτηδεύματα ἐν τοῖς 20.17 ἔμπροσθεν λόγοις διαρκῶς εἴρητο. ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁ Τριβωνιανὸς ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἠφάνιστο, μοῖραν μὲν αὐτοῦ τῆς οὐσίας ἀφείλετο, καίτοι παιδός τέ οἱ ἀπολελειμμένου καὶ πλήθους ἐκγόνων, ἐπεὶ ἐπεγένετο τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἡ τέλειος ἡμέρα τοῦ βίου,Ἰούνιλον δὲ Λίβυν γένος ἐπὶ τῆς τιμῆς κατεστήσατο ταύτης, νόμου μὲν οὐδὲ ὅσον ἀκοὴν ἔχοντα, ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ τῶν ῥητόρων τις ἦν, γράμματα δὲ Λατῖνα μὲν ἐξεπιστάμενον,Ἑλληνικῶν μέντοι ἕνεκα οὐδὲ πεφοιτηκότα πρὸς γραμματιστοῦ πώποτε, οὐδὲ τὴν γλῶσσαν αὐτὴν ἑλληνίζειν δυνά μενον (πολλάκις ἀμέλει φωνὴνἙλληνίδα προθυμηθεὶς ἀφεῖναι πρὸς τῶν ὑπηρετούντων γέλωτα ὦφλεν), ἐς δὲ τὴν αἰσχροκέρδειαν δαιμονίως ἐσπουδακότα, ὅς γε γράμματα μὲν τὰ βασιλέως ἐν δημοσίῳ ἀπεμπολῶν ὡς 20.18 ἥκιστα κατεδύετο. ἑνὸς δὲ στατῆρος χρυσοῦ ἕνεκα τὴν χεῖρα ὀρέγειν τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσιν οὐδαμῆ ὤκνει. 20.19 οὐχ ἧσσόν τε ἢ ἑπτὰ ἐνιαυτῶν χρόνον τοῦτον ἡ πολι20.20 τεία τὸν γέλωτα ὦφλεν. ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶἸούνιλος ἐς τὸ μέτρον τοῦ βίου ἀφίκετο, Κωνσταντῖνον ἐπὶ τοῦδε τοῦ ἀξιώματος κατεστήσατο, νόμων μὲν ὄντα οὐκ ἀμελέτητον, νέον δὲ κομιδῆ καὶ οὔπω ἀγωνίας δικανικῆς ἐς πεῖραν ἐλθόντα, κλεπτίστατον δὲ καὶ ἀλαζονικώτα20.21 τον ἀνθρώπων ἁπάντων. οὗτοςἸουστινιανῷ ποθεινότατός τε ἄγαν καὶ φίλτατος ἐν τοῖς μάλιστα ἐγεγόνει, ἐπεὶ καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ κλέπτειν τε καὶ δικάζειν ἀεὶ ὁ 20.22 βασιλεὺς οὗτος οὐδαμῆ ἀπηξίου. διὸ δὴ χρήματα μεγάλα χρόνου ὀλίγου Κωνσταντῖνος ἔσχε καὶ ὑπερφυεῖ τινι κόμπῳ ἐχρῆτο, ἀεροβατῶν τε καὶ πάντας ἀνθρώπους περιφρονῶν, κἂν μέν τινες αὐτῷ πολλὰ βούλοιντο χρήματα προέσθαι, ταῦτα δὴ κατατιθέντες τῶν οἱ πιστοτάτων τισὶ τὰ σφίσιν ἐσπουδασμένα 20.23 κατορθοῦν ἴσχυον. αὐτῷ μέντοι ἐντυχεῖν ἢ ξυγγενέσθαι τῶν πάντων οὐδενὶ γέγονε δυνατὸν, ὅτι μὴ ἐς βασιλέα δρόμῳ ἰόντι ἢ ἀπαλλασσομένῳ ἐνθένδε οὐ βάδην, ἀλλὰ σπουδῇ τε καὶ τάχει πολλῷ τοῦ μή τινά οἱ ἀκερδῆ ἀσχολίαν τοὺς προσιόντας προστρίβεσθαι. 21.1 Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν τῇδε βασιλεῖ τῷδε εἶχε. πρὸς δὲ τοῦ τῶν πραιτωρίων ἐπάρχου ἀνὰ πᾶν ἔτος πλέον ἢ τριάκοντα κεντηνάρια πρὸς τοῖς δημοσίοις ἐπράσ21.2 σετο φόροις. οἷς δὴ ὄνομα τὸ ἀερικὸν ἐπιτέθεικεν, 21.2 ἐκεῖνο, οἶμαι, παραδηλῶν, ὅτι δὴ οὐ τεταγμένη τις οὐδὲ ξυνειθισμένη οὖσα ἡ φορὰ ἐτύγχανεν αὕτη, ἀλλὰ τύχῃ τινὶ ὥσπερ ἐξ ἀέρος ἀεὶ αὐτὴν φερομένην ἐλάμβανε, δέον τῆς πονηρίας τῆς αὐτοῦ ταῦτα ἐπικαλεῖν 21.3 ἔργα. ὧν δὴ τῷ ὀνόματι οἱ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς τεταγμένοι ἀδεέστερον ἀεὶ ταῖς ἐς τοὺς κατηκόους λῃστείαις 21.4 ἐχρῶντο. καὶ ταῦτα μὲν τῷ αὐτοκράτορι ἀποφέρειν ἠξίουν, αὐτοὶ δὲ πλοῦτον βασιλικὸν περιεβάλλοντο 21.5 οὐδενὶ πόνῳ. ὧνπερἸουστινιανὸς ἐπιστροφὴν οὐδεμίαν ἐδικαίου ποιεῖσθαι, καιροφυλακῶν ὅπως, ἐπειδὰν τάχιστα πλούτου τι μέγα περιβάλωνται χρῆμα, ἔγκλημα ὅ τι δὴ αὐτοῖς ἐπενεγκὼν ἀπροφάσιστον ἀθρόον αὐτοῖς ἀφαιρεῖσθαι τὴν οὐσίαν ἱκανὸς εἴη. ὅπερ καὶἸωάννην 21.6 τὸν Καππαδόκην εἰργάσατο. ἅπαντες οὖν ἀμέλει ὅσοι τῆς τιμῆς ὑπὸ τὸν χρόνον τοῦτον ἐλαμβάνοντο πλούσιοι ἐξαπιναίως οὐδενὶ γεγένηνται μέτρῳ, δυοῖν μέντοι χωρὶς, Φωκᾶ τε, οὗπερ ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν λόγοις ἐμνήσθην ἅτε τοῦ δικαίου ἐς τὸ ἀκρότατον ἐπιμελητοῦ γεγονότος· κέρδους γὰρ ὁτουοῦν οὗτος ὁ ἀνὴρ ἐν τῷ ἀξιώματι καθαρὸς ἔμεινε, καὶ