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this emperor must 'set out both to carry on the war and to 1.24.31 'manage other affairs in whatever way will be best.' Origenes said this much. But the others, as a crowd is accustomed to do, took a sharper view and thought the immediate course was advantageous, and not least Hypatius (for it was necessary for him to come to a bad end) ordered them to lead the way to the hippodrome. But some say that he came there on purpose, being well-disposed to the emperor. 1.24.32 And those around the emperor were in counsel, whether it would be better for them to remain or to turn to flight with the ships. And many speeches were made leading 1.24.33 to either conclusion. And Theodora the empress also spoke as follows: 'That a woman ought not to be bold among men 'or to play the braggart among those who are hesitant, the present 'moment, I think, least of all permits us to consider, whether this 1.24.34 'or some other way should be the custom. For to those whose affairs have come to 'the greatest danger, nothing else 'seems best than to arrange matters at hand as well as possible. 1.24.35 'I for my part think that flight, now if ever, 'even if it brings safety, is inexpedient. For a 'man who has come into the light, it is impossible not also to become 'a corpse, but for one who has been emperor to be a fugitive 1.24.36 'is not to be borne. For may I never be without this purple 'robe, nor may I live that day 'on which those who meet me will not call me mistress. If, 'therefore, you wish to save yourself, O emperor, 1.24.37 'this is no difficult matter. For we have 'much money, and there is the sea, and here are the ships. 'But consider whether, when you have been saved, it will not come to pass that you would most gladly 'exchange your safety for death. For a 'certain ancient saying pleases me, that royalty is a fine burial-shroud.' 1.24.38 When the empress had said so much, courage came upon them all, and turning to thoughts of valor they took counsel as to how they might be able to defend themselves, 1.24.39 should anyone come to attack them. Now all the soldiers, both the others and those who were stationed around the emperor's court, were neither well-disposed toward the emperor nor did they wish to set to work openly, but 1.24.40 they were waiting to see how the future would turn out. But the emperor placed all his hope in Belisarius and Mundus, of whom one, Belisarius, having recently returned from the Persian war, brought with him both his other retinue, which was powerful and noteworthy, and had a multitude of spearmen and shield-bearers who had been trained in contests and the dangers of war. 1.24.41 And Mundus, who had been appointed general of the Illyrians, had by some chance happened to arrive, having been summoned to Byzantium for some need, bringing with him Herulian barbarians. 1.24.42 When Hypatius, therefore, arrived at the hippodrome, he immediately went up to where it is the custom to install an emperor, and he sat upon the royal throne, from which the emperor was always accustomed to watch the horse-races and athletic 1.24.43 contests. And from the palace Mundus went out through the gate which is called the Cochlias because the descent there is circular. 1.24.44 And Belisarius at first went straight up toward Hypatius himself and the imperial throne, but when he came to the nearby building, where there has been a guard of soldiers from of old, he shouted to the soldiers, ordering them to open the door for him as quickly as possible, so that 1.24.45 he might go against the usurper. But since the soldiers had decided to help neither party, until one of them should win a clear victory, 1.24.46 pretending that they did not hear at all, they put him off. Belisarius therefore returned to the emperor and insisted that their cause 1.24.47 was lost. For the soldiers who hold the palace guard were plotting revolution against him. The emperor therefore ordered him to go to what is called the Chalke 1.24.48 and the gateway there. And he, with difficulty and not without great dangers and toils, making his way through ruins and half-burnt places, went up to the hippodrome. 1.24.49 And when he had come to the portico of the Blues, which is on the right of the emperor's throne, he planned to go first against Hypatius himself, but since there was a small gate there, which had been closed and by those inside with Hypatius

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χρὴ βασιλέα τόνδε «ὁρμώμενον τόν τε πόλεμον διενεγκεῖν καὶ τὰ ἄλλα 1.24.31 «διοικήσασθαι ᾗ ἄμεινον ἕξει.» Ὠριγένης μὲν τοσαῦτα εἶπεν. οἱ δὲ δὴ ἄλλοι, ὅπερ φιλεῖ ὅμιλος ποιεῖν, ὀξύτερόν τε ἀντελαμβάνοντο καὶ τὸ παραυτίκα ᾤοντο ξύμφορον εἶναι, καὶ οὐχ ἥκιστά γε Ὑπάτιος (χρῆν γάρ οἱ γενέσθαι κακῶς) τῆς ἐπὶ τὸν ἱππόδρομον ὁδοῦ ἐκέλευεν ἡγεῖσθαι. τινὲς δέ φασιν ἐξεπίτηδες αὐτὸν ἐνταῦθα ἥκειν, βασιλεῖ εὐνοϊκῶς ἔχοντα. 1.24.32 Οἱ δὲ ἀμφὶ τὸν βασιλέα ἐν βουλῇ ἦσαν, πότερα μένουσιν αὐτοῖς ἢ ταῖς ναυσὶν ἐς φυγὴν τρεπομένοις ἄμεινον ἔσται. καὶ λόγοι μὲν πολλοὶ ἐλέγοντο ἐς 1.24.33 ἑκάτερα φέροντες. καὶ Θεοδώρα δὲ ἡ βασιλὶς ἔλεξε τοιάδε «Τὸ μὲν γυναῖκα ἐν ἀνδράσι μὴ χρῆναι τολμᾶν «ἢ ἐν τοῖς ἀποκνοῦσι νεανιεύεσθαι, τὸν παρόντα «οἶμαι καιρὸν ἥκιστα ἐφεῖναι διασκοπεῖσθαι, εἴτε ταύτῃ 1.24.34 «εἴτε ἄλλῃ πη νομιστέον. οἷς γὰρ τὰ πράγματα ἐς «κίνδυνον τὸν μέγιστον ἥκει, οὐκ ἄλλο οὐδὲν εἶναι «δοκεῖ ἄριστον ἢ τὰ ἐν ποσὶν ὡς ἄριστα θέσθαι. 1.24.35 «ἡγοῦμαι δὲ τὴν φυγὴν ἔγωγε, εἴπερ ποτὲ, καὶ νῦν, «ἢν καὶ τὴν σωτηρίαν ἐπάγηται, ἀξύμφορον εἶναι. ἀν»θρώπῳ μὲν γὰρ ἐς φῶς ἥκοντι τὸ μὴ οὐχὶ καὶ νεκρῷ «γενέσθαι ἀδύνατον, τῷ δὲ βεβασιλευκότι τὸ φυγάδι 1.24.36 «εἶναι οὐκ ἀνεκτόν. μὴ γὰρ ἂν γενοίμην τῆς ἁλουργί»δος ταύτης χωρὶς, μηδ' ἂν τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην βιῴην, «ἐν ᾗ με δέσποιναν οἱ ἐντυχόντες οὐ προσεροῦσιν. εἰ «μὲν οὖν σώζεσθαί σοι βουλομένῳ ἐστὶν, ὦ βασιλεῦ, 1.24.37 «οὐδὲν τοῦτο πρᾶγμα. χρήματα γάρ τε πολλὰ ἔστιν «ἡμῖν, καὶ θάλασσα μὲν ἐκείνη, πλοῖα δὲ ταῦτα. «σκόπει μέντοι μὴ διασωθέντι ξυμβήσεταί σοι ἥδιστα «ἂν τῆς σωτηρίας τὸν θάνατον ἀνταλλάξασθαι. ἐμὲ «γάρ τις καὶ παλαιὸς ἀρέσκει λόγος, ὡς καλὸν ἐντάφιον 1.24.38 «ἡ βασιλεία ἐστί». τοσαῦτα τῆς βασιλίδος εἰπούσης, θάρσος τε τοῖς πᾶσιν ἐπεγένετο καὶ ἐς ἀλκὴν τραπόμενοι ἐν βουλῇ ἐποιοῦντο ᾗ ἂν ἀμύνεσθαι δυνατοὶ 1.24.39 γένοιντο, ἤν τις ἐπ' αὐτοὺς πολεμήσων ἴοι. οἱ μὲν οὖν στρατιῶται ξύμπαντες, οἵ τε ἄλλοι καὶ ὅσοι ἀμφὶ τὴν βασιλέως αὐλὴν ἐτετάχατο, οὔτε τῷ βασιλεῖ εὐνοϊκῶς εἶχον οὔτε ἐς τὸ ἐμφανὲς ἔργου ἔχεσθαι ἤθελον, ἀλλὰ 1.24.40 τὸ μέλλον ἐκαραδόκουν ὅπη ἐκβήσεται. πᾶσαν δὲ τὴν ἐλπίδα ἐν Βελισαρίῳ τε καὶ Μούνδῳ ὁ βασιλεὺς εἶχεν, ὧν ἅτερος μὲν, Βελισάριος, ἄρτι ἐκ τοῦ Μηδικοῦ ἐπανήκων πολέμου τήν τε ἄλλην θεραπείαν δυνατήν τε καὶ λόγου ἀξίαν ἐπήγετο καὶ δορυφόρων τε εἶχε καὶ ὑπασπιστῶν πλῆθος ἔν τε ἀγῶσι καὶ τοῖς τοῦ πολέμου κινδύνοις τὰς μελέτας πεποιημένον. 1.24.41 Μοῦνδος δὲ, Ἰλλυριῶν στρατηγὸς ἀποδεδειγμένος, τύχῃ τινὶ ξυνεκύρησε βαρβάρους Ἐρούλους ἐπαγαγόμενος κατά τινα χρείαν ἐς Βυζάντιον μετάπεμπτος ἥκειν. 1.24.42 Ὑπάτιος μὲν οὖν ἐπειδὴ εἰς τὸν ἱππόδρομον ἀφίκετο, ἀναβαίνει μὲν αὐτίκα οὗ δὴ βασιλέα καθίστασθαι νόμος, κάθηται δὲ ἐς τὸν βασίλειον θρόνον, ὅθεν ἀεὶ βασιλεὺς εἰώθει τόν τε ἱππικὸν καὶ γυμνικὸν θεᾶσθαι 1.24.43 ἀγῶνα. ἐκ δὲ παλατίου Μοῦνδος μὲν διὰ πύλης ἐξῄει, ἔνθα δὴ ὁ κοχλίας ἀπὸ τῆς καθόδου κυκλοτεροῦς 1.24.44 οὔσης ὠνόμασται. Βελισάριος δὲ τὰ μὲν πρῶτα εὐθὺ αὐτοῦ τε Ὑπατίου καὶ θρόνου τοῦ βασιλείου ἀνέβαινεν, ὡς δὲ ἐς τὸ πλησίον οἴκημα ἦλθεν, οὗ δὴ στρατιωτῶν φρουρὰ ἐκ παλαιοῦ ἐστιν, ἐβόα τοῖς στρατιώταις ἐγκελευόμενος ἀνοιγνύναι οἱ τὴν θύραν ὡς τάχιστα, ὅπως 1.24.45 ἐπὶ τὸν τύραννον ἴοι. δεδογμένον δὲ τοῖς στρατιώταις μηδετέρῳ ἀμύνειν, ἕως αὐτῶν ἅτερος λαμπρῶς νικῴη, 1.24.46 ὡς ἥκιστα ἐπαΐειν δοκοῦντες διεκρούσαντο. ἀναστρέψας οὖν Βελισάριος ὡς βασιλέα διεφθάρθαι ἰσχυρίζετο 1.24.47 σφίσι τὰ πράγματα. νεωτερίζειν γὰρ ἐς αὐτὸν τοὺς στρατιώτας, οἳ τὴν παλατίου φρουρὰν ἔχουσιν. ἐκέλευεν οὖν αὐτὸν βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ τὴν καλουμένην Χαλκῆν 1.24.48 καὶ τὰ ἐνταῦθα προπύλαια ἰέναι. ὁ δὲ δὴ μόλις καὶ οὔτε κινδύνων οὔτε πόνων μεγάλων χωρὶς δι' ἐρειπίων τε καὶ χωρίων ἡμιφλέκτων διεξιὼν ἐς τὸ ἱππικὸν 1.24.49 ἀναβαίνει. καὶ ἐπειδὴ παρὰ τὴν Βενέτειον ἐγεγόνει στοὰν, ἣ τοῦ βασιλέως θρόνου ἐν δεξιᾷ ἐστιν, ἐβούλευσε μὲν ἐπὶ πρῶτον αὐτὸν Ὑπάτιον ἰέναι, βραχείας δὲ οὔσης ἐνταῦθα πυλίδος, ἣ ἀπεκέκλειστό τε καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν ἐντὸς Ὑπατίου