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the evils that arise, and especially of civil war, and it is possible to learn of them from many other sources, but one might best perceive them also from the war that has now been stirred up between me and the emperor. For in a short time we ourselves have destroyed by our own hands so much 1.155 of our power as not even all our neighboring barbarians together, attacking in concert, would have been able to achieve. which you yourselves well understood, especially at the beginning of this war, sending an embassy to the emperor, you were begging for peace, with my knowledge; but when you accomplished nothing, I myself also sent an embassy about the same things, begging the emperor repeatedly not to overlook us being destroyed by our own hands in the war against our own people, and I asked for peace as if it were the greatest of benefactions. Therefore, when we were begging then, he did not accept the proposals for peace; but now God has brought matters to this point, that the very ones who did not accept peace then have come to us begging for the same things. For which reason indeed, first I think it is fitting for us to acknowledge many thanks for the benefaction to God, who always shows us to be stronger than our opponents; and second, to welcome peace gladly, and not because of this small good fortune to appear arrogant and bold; but considering the situation to be that when, as we were deliberating, peace seemed necessary to us, so we should again deliberate and vote concerning it.” When the emperor had spoken thus, the Grand Domestic next said, “The emperor has omitted nothing in teaching us what is necessary, so that someone else has anything to add to what has been said. For not to be puffed up in good fortune, he has shown is the mark of prudent and brave men, and to respect and honor one's parents 1.156 is both just and necessary; and to care for one's own people and to hold their salvation of the greatest importance, and not to overlook them being destroyed through contentiousness, but if it is necessary to give up even some of one's own possessions for the sake of their being saved, this is the mark not only of good men, but also of men endowed with understanding. For by the same means that one might overlook his own family and people being destroyed, by these same means he himself is destroyed without knowing it; and victory over one's own people alone one must consider a most shameful defeat, and not a victory; and the main point in addition to these things is, that God, who oversees all things, seeing us use the present good fortune rightly and as is fitting and without arrogance, and not having become cruel and inhuman and ignorant of our nature, would deem us worthy of many other such or even more and more wonderful benefactions. If, therefore, the things that have been decided are both just and necessary and advantageous for being held in high esteem and for being saved, nothing is left but for you also to vote in favor. For I myself, thinking that what has been said is right and having the same opinion on the same matters, give my vote to accept the peace, and for my part, I ratify it.” When the Grand Domestic had said such things, the Protostrator voted to accept the peace, saying that the emperor had spoken rightly and that the Grand Domestic had spoken in agreement with him; and all the rest immediately, unwillingly, nevertheless voted in favor. And when everyone had voted for peace, the emperor asked again 1.157 if the peace should be of such a kind as to be forever secure, and to hold no later suspicion or pretext for war. But the Grand Domestic, since indeed he had previously deliberated with the emperor about what kind of peace there should be, made such a speech so as to seem not to be doing it on purpose, but to be compelled by some necessity toward agreements of this sort. “For it is necessary,” he said, “O emperor, that our agreements for peace not again be of such a kind, that it would be possible for slanderers, finding plausible pretexts, to set you, the emperors, against one another and to stir up war, bringing not only dishonor and the most critical damage upon you, but also causing an abundance of all kinds of evils for every subject

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φυόμενα κακὰ καὶ μάλιστα τοῦ ἐμφυλίου, καὶ πολλαχόθεν μὲν ἄλλοθεν ἔξεστι καταμαθεῖν, μάλιστα δ' ἄν τις αὐτὰ κατίδοι καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ νυνὶ ἐμοῦ τε μεταξὺ καὶ βασιλέως κινηθέντος πολέμου. ἐν γὰρ ὀλίγῳ χρόνῳ τοσοῦτον αὐτοὶ ὑφ' ἑαυτῶν διεφθείρα 1.155 μεν τῆς δυνάμεως ἡμῶν, ὅσον οὐδ' ὁμοῦ πάντες οἱ πρόσοικοι ἡμῖν βάρβαροι ἐπιστρατεύσαντες ὁμονοοῦσι κατεργάσασθαι ἴσχυσαν ἄν. ὃ δὴ καὶ αὐτοὶ καλῶς συνιδόντες, ἐν ἀρχαῖς μάλιστα τοῦδε τοῦ πολέμου πρεσβείαν ἀποστείλαντες πρὸς βασιλέα, περὶ εἰρήνης ἐδεῖσθε κἀμοῦ συνειδότος· ὡς δ' ἠνύετε ὑμεῖς οὐδὲν, ἐπρεσβευόμην καὶ αὐτὸς περὶ τῶν ἴσων, πολλὰ δεόμενος βασιλέως μὴ περιϊδεῖν ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς ὑφ' ἑαυτῶν ἐν τῷ πρὸς τοὺς ὁμοφύλους πολέμῳ διαφθαρέντας, καὶ τὴν εἰρήνην ὥσπερ τι μέγιστον τῶν εὐεργετημάτων ᾔτουν. τότε μὲν οὖν ἡμῶν δεομένων, ἐκεῖνος οὐ προσεδέξατο τοὺς περὶ τῆς εἰρήνης λόγους· νυνὶ δὲ εἰς τοῦτο θεὸς περιέστησε τὰ πράγματα, ὥστ' αὐτοὺς τοὺς μὴ προσδεχομένους τότε τὴν εἰρήνην ἥκειν παρ' ἡμᾶς δεομένους περὶ τῶν ὁμοίων. οὗ δὴ ἕνεκα πρῶτον μὲν ἡγοῦμαι προσήκειν ἡμᾶς πολλὰς τῆς εὐεργεσίας χάριτας ὁμολογεῖν θεῷ, κρείττους ἀεὶ τῶν ἀντιτεταγμένων ἀποδεικνύντι· ἔπειτα δὲ ἀσμένως προσδέχεσθαι καὶ τὴν εἰρήνην, καὶ μὴ διὰ τὴν μικρὰν ταύτην εὐτυχίαν αὐθάδεις φαίνεσθαι καὶ θρασεῖς· ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνον εἶναι νομίζοντας τὸν καιρὸν, ἡνίκα βουλευομένοις ἡμῖν ἀναγκαία ἐδόκει ἡ εἰρήνη, οὕτω πάλιν καὶ βουλεύεσθαι καὶ ψηφίζεσθαι περὶ αὐτῆς.» Οὕτω τοῦ βασιλέως εἰρηκότος, ὁ μέγας δομέστικος ἐφεξῆς «οὐδὲν ἐνέλιπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς» ἔφη «τοῦ μὴ διδάξαι τῶν δεόντων ἡμᾶς, ὥσθ' ἕτερόν τινα ἔχειν τοῖς εἰρημένοις προσθεῖναι. τό, τε γὰρ ἐν ταῖς εὐτυχίαις μὴ φυσᾶσθαι, σωφρόνων καὶ ἀνδρείων ἀπέδειξεν ὂν ἀνδρῶν, καὶ τὸ τοὺς γεγεννηκό 1.156 τας αἰδεῖσθαί τε καὶ τιμᾷν καὶ δίκαιον ἅμα καὶ ἀναγκαῖον· καὶ τὸ τῶν ὁμοφύλων κήδεσθαι καὶ περὶ πλείστου τὴν σωτηρίαν αὐτῶν ποιεῖσθαι, καὶ μὴ διὰ φιλονεικίαν φθειρομένους περιορᾷν, ἀλλ' εἰ δεῖ τι καὶ τῶν οἰκείων προΐεσθαι τοῦ σώζεσθαι ἕνεκα αὐτοὺς, οὐ μόνον ἀγαθῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ συνέσει κεχρημένων ἀνθρώπων εἶναι. οἷς γὰρ ἄν τις τοὺς οἰκείους καὶ ὁμοφύλους φθειρομένους περιορῴη, τοῖς αὐτοῖς τούτοις αὐτόν ἐστι φθείρεσθαι ἀγνοοῦντα· καὶ μόνην τὴν κατὰ τῶν ὁμοφύλων νίκην ἧτταν αἰσχίστην, ἀλλ' οὐ νίκην νομίζειν χρή· κεφάλαιον δὲ ἐπὶ τούτοις, ὡς ὁ πάντα ἐφορῶν θεὸς τῇ παρούσῃ εὐτυχίᾳ ὀρθῶς καὶ ὡς προσῆκε καὶ μετὰ ἀτυφίας ὁρῶν χρωμένους ἡμᾶς, καὶ μὴ ὠμούς τινας καὶ ἀπανθρώπους γεγενημένους καὶ τὴν φύσιν ἀγνοήσαντας, ἑτέρων πολλῶν τοιούτων ἢ καὶ πλειόνων καὶ θαυμασιωτέρων εὐεργετημάτων ἀξιώσειεν ἄν. εἰ οὖν δίκαιά τε ὁμοῦ καὶ ἀναγκαῖα τὰ βεβουλευμένα καὶ πρὸς τὸ εὐδοξεῖν καὶ τὸ σώζεσθαι· λυσιτελοῦντα, οὐδὲν ἔτι λεῖπον ἢ ἐπιψηφίζεσθαι καὶ ὑμᾶς. αὐτὸς γὰρ ὀρθῶς τε οἰόμενος ἔχειν τὰ εἰρημένα καὶ ὁμοίως περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν φρονῶν, γνώμην δίδωμι δέχεσθαι τὴν εἰρήνην, καὶ τὸ ἐμὸν μέρος ἐπικυρῶ.» Τοιαῦτα καὶ τοῦ μεγάλου δομεστίκου εἰρηκότος, ὅ, τε πρωτοστράτωρ ἐπεψηφίζετο δέχεσθαι τὴν εἰρήνη, ὀρθῶς τόν τε βασιλέα εἰρηκέναι τόν τε μέγαν δομέστικον συνειπεῖν αὐτῷ εἰπών· καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ πάντες εὐθὺς ἄκοντες μὲν, ἐπεψηφίζοντο δ' οὖν ὅμως. πάντων δὲ ἐπιψηφισαμένων τὴν εἰρήνην, ἐπυνθάνετο 1.157 αὖθις ὁ βασιλεὺς, εἰ τοιαύτην δέοι τὴν εἰρήνην γενέσθαι ὥστε βεβαίαν εἶναι ἀεὶ, καὶ μηδεμίαν ὑποψίαν ὕστερον ἢ πρόφασίν τινα πολέμου ἔχειν. ὁ δέ γε μέγας δομέστικος, οἷα δὴ πρότερον ἅμα βασιλεῖ ὁποίαν τινὰ δεῖ εἰρήνην γενέσθαι βεβουλευμένος, τοιούτους ἐποιεῖτο τοὺς λόγους, ὡς δοκεῖν οὐκ ἐξεπίτηδες, ἀλλ' ἀνάγκῃ τινὶ πρὸς τὰς ἐπὶ τοῖς τοιούτοις ὁμολογίας συνωθεῖσθαι. «δέον γὰρ» ἔλεγεν «εἶναι, ὦ βασιλεῦ, μὴ πάλιν ἡμῖν τὰς ἐπὶ τῇ εἰρήνῃ συμβάσεις τοιαύτας γενέσθαι, ὥστε τοὺς συκοφάντας ἐγχωρεῖν προφάσεων εὐπροσώπων εὐποροῦντας ὑμᾶς τοὺς βασιλέας πρὸς ἀλλήλους διαβάλλειν καὶ τὸν πόλεμον κινεῖν, οὐ μόνον ὑμῖν ἀδοξίαν ἅμα καὶ εἰς τὰ καιριώτατα ζημίαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ ὑπηκόῳ παντὶ παντοίων προξενοῦντα φορὰν