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But complete want and the depth of poverty swallowed up affairs, the prefecture for the remainder, in the manner of a lowly judge, being occupied only with private legal proceedings. But nevertheless Marinus was ashamed and seemed to honor the office, pushing away envy with skill. Whence, as the public affairs were administered as if 210 by others and not conducted in an orderly fashion, the order slipped and poverty began; for what was left for it, when it served only the lawsuits of private citizens? 50 Thus, with affairs having fallen under Marinus, the emperor decided to console the dishonor of the office with a different honor. He therefore brought forth the best of the forensic orators to the office. And once, when he was being troubled by his wife Ariadne to hand over the office to Anthemius, the son of Anthemius who had been emperor of Rome, he became indignant, and said that the prefecture was worthy of no one but men of letters alone. How he respected the office, one may know from this. A certain Hermias, who was numbered among the scriniarii of Lydia, came under the censure of Sergius, who was then administering the prefecture, and who was indignant. But the emperor, being troubled by Hermias' mother, was insistent in asking the prefect to yield to Hermias; but he kept putting it off, and the emperor gave way, observing both the office and the dignity of Sergius. Nevertheless, he prevailed by pleading for justice. So, with the men of letters taking over the office in turn, they would hand over from the so-called Augustales, who especially excelled in letters, and indeed also to their followers among the stenographers, to present and deliver speeches and to demonstrate in public hearings the preparation they had in letters, and to receive no small rewards. 51 Such were some of the things being done then, and the emperor lived luxuriously, growing rich from the contrivances of Marinus and taking pride in the acclamations of the consuls. A deep peace relaxed the entire state, and not least the soldiery, with everyone together envying the ease of the court and pursuing the emperor’s practices. And the end of Anastasius's life was then troubled by the disturbances from the dogmas and from Vitalian. And when Justin took over the empire—he was a man inactive in affairs and 212 knowing absolutely nothing apart from experience in arms—Marinus and all who had gained advancement from Anastasius were removed, and since there were no longer profits for the rulers as before—for they turned away from outrages against their subjects—all the wealth of Anastasius, which had been gathered into countless myriads of pounds of gold, flowed away, and a multitude of wars shook the Roman state, with the Persians demanding the ever-talked-of expense for the Caspian Gates. The story about this is as follows. 52 Towards the rising sun under Leo at a narrow beginning of the Caucasus, towards the north wind along the Caspian, where the spurs of the Caucasus are naturally divided, an entrance was made for the barbarians unknown to us and to the Persians, who dwell around Hyrcania; through which they would invade and plunder the lands belonging to the Persians to the east, and those belonging to the Romans to the north. And as long as the Romans held Artaxata and even beyond under their control, they opposed them by being present there; but when they withdrew from these and as many other places under Jovian, the Persians were not sufficient to guard both their own lands and those formerly of the Romans, and an unbearable disturbance always held both Armenias. Therefore, after the failure of the Romans under Julian, discussions took place with Salutius, who was prefect, from our side, and with the most eminent of the Persians, and later with Isdigerdes, so that both states would construct a fortress at the said entrance with common funds, and to post a garrison in the region to repel the barbarians who overran it. But since the Romans were troubled by wars in the west and the north, the Persians had the necessity, as they were nearer to the incursions of the barbarians, to build a fortress in response there, calling it Biraparach in their native tongue, and they stationed forces; and no enemy entered. 53 From this

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ἀπορία δὲ παντελὴς καὶ πενίας βάθος κατέπιε τὰ πράγματα, τὸ λοιπὸν τῆς ἐπαρχότητος τρόπῳ χαμαιζήλου δικαστοῦ μόναις ταῖς ἰδιωτικαῖς διαδικασίαις σχολαζούσης. ἠρυθρία δὲ ὅμως ὁ Μαρῖνος καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐδόκει τιμᾶν, τέχνῃ τὸν φθόνον ἀπωθούμενος. ἔνθεν τῶν δημοσίων ὥσπερ 210 ὑφ' ἑτέρους τελούντων καὶ μὴ κατὰ τάξιν πραττομένων, ὑπώλισθεν ἡ τάξις καὶ πενίας ἐνήρχετο· τί γὰρ περιεγίνετο αὐτῇ, μόναις ταῖς δίκαις τῶν ἰδιωτῶν ἐξυπηρετουμένῃ; 50 Οὕτως οὖν τῶν πραγμάτων ὑπὸ τῷ Μαρίνῳ πεσόντων, συνεῖδεν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἑτέρᾳ τιμῇ τὴν ἀτιμίαν παραμυθήσασθαι τῆς ἀρχῆς. τῶν γ' οὖν δικανικῶν ῥητόρων τοὺς ἀρίστους ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν προὔφερεν. καί ποτε, πρὸς τῆς γαμετῆς Ἀριάδνης ὀχλούμενος Ἀνθεμίῳ τῷ Ἀνθεμίου τοῦ Ῥώμης βεβασιλευκότοςπαιδὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐγχειρίσαι, ἠγανάκτησεν, εἰπὼν δέ, μηδενὸς ἢ μόνων λογικῶν ἀξίαν εἶναι τὴν ἐπαρχότητα. ὅπως δὲ ἠρυθρία τὴν ἀρχήν, γνώσεταί τις ἐκ τούτου. Ἑρμίας τις τοῖς Λυδίας σκρινιαρίοις συναριθμούμενος ὑπὸ μέμψιν γέγονε Σεργίου, τοῦ τότε τὴν ἐπαρχότητα διέποντος, ἀγανακτήσαντος. ὁ δὲ βασιλεύς, πρὸς τῆς Ἑρμίου μητρὸς ὀχλούμενος, πολὺς ἐγίνετο τὸν ὕπαρχον παρακαλῶν παραχωρεῖν Ἑρμίᾳ· ἐκεῖνος δὲ μέχρι παντὸς ἀνεβάλλετο καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐνεδίδου, τήν τε ἀρχὴν τήν τε Σεργίου σεμνότητα παρατηρούμενος. ἴσχυσε δ' ὅμως ὑπὲρ δικαίου παρακαλῶν. αὐτῶν οὖν τῶν ἐν λόγῳ ἀμοιβαδὸν τὴν ἀρχὴν παραλαμβανόντων, παραδιδόασιν ἐκ τῶν λεγομένων Αὐγουσταλίων, οἳ μάλιστα τοῖς λόγοις ἐνέπρεπον, καὶ μὴν καὶ ταχυγράφων τοῖς ἀκολούθοις παριέναι καὶ λόγους παραδιδόναι καὶ ἀκροάσεσι δημοσίαις ἐπιδείκνυσθαι τὴν οὖσαν αὐτοῖς ἐπὶ τοῖς λόγοις παρασκευήν, γερῶν τε οὐ μικρῶν τυγχάνειν. 51 Τοιαῦτα μέν τινα τότε ἐπράττετο, ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἐτρύφα ταῖς Μαρίνου περινοίαις πλουτῶν καὶ ταῖς τῶν ὑπάτων εὐφημίαις ἐναβρυνόμενος. εἰρήνη δὲ βαθεῖα τὴν πᾶσαν ἐχαύνου πολιτείαν, καὶ οὐχ ἥκιστα τὸν στρατιώτην, πάντων ὁμοῦ τὴν τῆς αὐλῆς ῥᾳστώνην ζηλούντων καὶ διωκόντων τὰ βασιλέως ἐπιτηδεύματα. καὶ πέρας ἦν λοιπὸν Ἀναστασίου τοῦ βίου τοῖς ἀπὸ τῶν δογμάτων καὶ Βιταλιανοῦ θορύβοις ταραττόμενον. Ἰουστίνου δὲ τὴν βασιλείαν παραλαβόντος ἀνὴρ δὲ ἦν ἀπράγμων καὶ 212 μηδὲν ἁπλῶς παρὰ τὴν τῶν ὅπλων πεῖραν ἐπιστάμενος, Μαρῖνος μὲν καὶ ὅσοι Ἀναστασίου τῆς αὐξήσεως ἔτυχον ἀπηλλάττοντο, οὐκ ὄντων δὲ τὸ λοιπὸν τοῖς κρατοῦσι κερδῶν, ὥσπερ τὸ πρότερον καὶ γὰρ ἀπεστρέφοντο τὰς κατὰ τῶν ὑπηκόων ἐπηρείας, ἅπας μὲν ὁ πλοῦτος Ἀναστασίου εἰς ἀπείρους μυριάδας χρυσίου λιτρῶν συναγόμενος διερρύη, ὄχλος δὲ πολέμων τὰ Ῥωμαίων ἐδόνει, Περσῶν τὴν ἀειθρύλητον ἐπὶ ταῖς Κασπίαις πύλαις ἀπαιτούντων δαπάνην. ὁ δὲ περὶ αὐτῆς λόγος τοιοῦτος. 52 Πρὸς ἀνίσχοντα ὑπὸ λέοντι ἥλιον ἐν ἀρχῇ στενῇ τοῦ Καυκάσου, πρὸς βορέαν ἄνεμον κατὰ τὴν Κασπίαν χωριζομένων φύσει τῶν τοῦ Καυκάσου σφυρῶν, εἴσοδος ἀπετελέσθη βαρβάρων τοῖς ἀγνοουμένοις ἡμῖν τε καὶ Πέρσαις, οἳ περὶ τὴν Ὑρκανὴν νέμονται· δι' ἧς εἰσβάλλοντες τά τε πρὸς εὖρον Πέρσαις, τά τε πρὸς βορέαν Ῥωμαίοις ἀνήκοντα ἐδῄουν. καὶ ἕως μὲν Ἀρτάξατα καὶ ἔτι ἐπέκεινα εἶχον ὑφ' ἑαυτοῖς οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι, ἀντέβαινον παρόντες ἐκεῖ· ὡς δὲ τούτων ἐξέστησαν καὶ ὅσων ἄλλων ἐπὶ Ἰοβιανοῦ, οὐκ ἐξήρκουν οἱ Πέρσαι τά τε ἑαυτῶν τά τε πάλαι Ῥωμαίων φρουρεῖν καὶ θόρυβος ἀεὶ τὰς ἑκατέρων Ἀρμενίας εἶχεν ἀφόρητος. γίνονται δὴ οὖν λόγοι μετὰ τὴν ἐπὶ Ἰουλιανοῦ Ῥωμαίων ἀστοχίαν Σαλουτίῳ τε, ὃς ἦν ὕπαρχος, ἐξ ἡμῶν καὶ Περσῶν τοῖς ἐξοχωτάτοις καὶ Ἰσδιγέρδῃ ὕστερον, ὥστε κοιναῖς δαπάναις ἄμφω τὰ πολιτεύματα φρούριον ἐπὶ τῆς εἰρημένης εἰσόδου κατασκευάσαι, ἐπιστῆσαί τε βοήθειαν τοῖς τόποις πρὸς ἀναχαιτισμὸν τῶν κατατρεχόντων δι' αὐτῆς βαρβάρων. Ῥωμαίων δὲ τοῖς περὶ τὴν ἑσπέραν καὶ τὴν ἄρκτον πολέμοις ἐνοχλουμένων, οἱ Πέρσαι ἔσχον ἀνάγκην, οἷα προσεχέστεροι ταῖς τῶν βαρβάρων ἐφόδοις, ἀντοικοδομεῖν φρούριον ἐκεῖ, Βιραπαρὰχ πατρίως αὐτὸ καλέσαντες, καὶ δυνάμεις ἐπέστησαν· καὶ πολέμιος οὐκ εἰσῄει. 53 Ἐκ ταύτης τῆς