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he investigated, and after many tortures of the body, he ordered him to be beheaded. But Valentinian gave his sister Honoria as a gift to his mother, who had asked for her many times. Thus indeed Honoria was then freed from the **. 200 Exc. Salm.: Valentinian, having fallen in love with the wife of Maximus the senator, was playing dice with him; and when Maximus was defeated, and had nothing to give, the emperor took his ring, and rising up gave the ring to a certain associate of Maximus, so that he might go and show it to his wife, as if her husband had ordered her to come to the palace to dine with his own. And she, thinking this to be true, came, and when it was announced to the emperor, he rose up, and without Maximus' knowledge, he had intercourse with her. After the game, when he came, his wife met him weeping, and reproaching him as her betrayer; and he, having learned everything, held a grudge against the emperor. But knowing that as long as Aetius lived he would not be able to take revenge on him, he arranged through the emperor's eunuchs to have him killed, ostensibly as a conspirator. And when he was killed, the emperor said to one of those who were able to guess shrewdly: 'Has not the death of Aetius been well done for me?' And he said, 'Whether well or not, I do not know; but I know that with your left hand you have cut off your right.' 2. This Maximus, therefore, finding the emperor bereft of Aetius, killed him, and married the empress Eudoxia. This Eudoxia was the daughter of the emperor Theodosius the Younger. And thinking to win her over to goodwill, he says that 'for the love of you I have become the murderer of Valentinian;' but she, being of a noble mind, and reasoning thus: 'Alas, if I am the cause of the death of my spouse and emperor,' writes to Gizeric, who already held Libya, to come with speed and take Rome. And he came and took the city, and Eudoxia and her daughter. But Maximus, hated because of the emperor's murder, is pursued and easily killed. 201 Exc. De ins.: That the affairs of the Western Romans were in turmoil. A certain Maximus, a noble and powerful man who had been consul for the second time, being hostile to Aetius the general of the legions in Italy, when he learned that Heraclius also (this was a eunuch and had the greatest influence with the emperor) was of the same most hostile disposition towards Aetius (for both were trying to substitute their own power for his), enters into a conspiracy; and they persuade the emperor that if he did not quickly forestall Aetius by killing him, he would be destroyed by him. 2. But Valentinian, since it was destined for him to fare ill for destroying the bulwark of his own rule, accepted the words of both Maximus and Heraclius, and he arranges the death for the man, at the very time when Aetius was in the palace, about to share in counsel with the ruler, and trying to bring in gold from the revenue. And as Aetius was setting forth the matters concerning the revenues and making a calculation of the monies collected all at once from the tribute, Valentinian, crying out, leaped up from his throne, and said he would no longer bear being insulted by such villainies; for he alleged that Aetius, who brought the blame of troubles upon him, wished to deprive him of the rule of the west, just as he had of the eastern kingdom, making clear his desire for the empire. And as Aetius was amazed at the unexpectedness of the anger, and was trying the irrational ** the sword from its sheath, he rushed forward with Heraclius, who already had his dagger ready under his cloak (for he was Primicerius of the bedchambers); and both, inflicting continuous blows upon the head of Aetius, killed him, who had accomplished many manly deeds in both civil and foreign wars. (3) For he had acted as guardian for Placidia, who was the mother of Valentinian, and for her son when he was young, through an alliance with the barbarians; and he out-generaled Bonifatius, who had crossed over from Libya with a large force, so that the latter died of disease from his cares, and he himself became master of his wife and property. And he also killed Felix by treachery, the generalship with him

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διηρεύνησε, καὶ μετὰ πολλοὺς τοῦ σώματος αἰκισμοὺς, τῆς κεφαλῆς ἀποτμηθῆναι ἐκέλευσεν. Ὀνωρίαν δὲ τὴν ἀδελφὴν Βαλεντινιανὸς τῇ μητρὶ δῶρον ἔδωκε πολλὰ αἰτησαμένῃ αὐτήν. Οὕτως μὲν οὖν Ὀνωρία τότε τῆς ** ἀπελύετο. 200 Exc. Salm.: Οὐαλεντινιανὸς ἐρασθεὶς τῆς γυναικὸς Μαξίμου συγκλητικοῦ συνεπέττευεν αὐτῷ· ἐπεὶ δὲ ἡττήθη ὁ Μάξιμος, καὶ οὐκ εἶχεν ὅ τι δοίη, ἔλαβεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸν δακτύλιον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀναστὰς (ὡς) ἐπιδίδωσι τὸν δακτύλιόν τινι συνήθει Μαξίμου, ὥστε ἀπελθόντα ὑποδεῖξαι τῇ γυναικὶ αὐτοῦ, ὡς τοῦ ἀνδρὸς κελεύσαντος ἥκειν εἰς τὰ βασίλεια συνδειπνήσουσαν τῇ αὐτοῦ. Ἡ δὲ ἀληθὲς τοῦτο νομίσασα ἧκε, καὶ μηνυθὲν τῷ βασιλεῖ ἀνέστη, καὶ ἀγνοοῦντος τοῦ Μαξίμου, συνεφθάρη αὐτῇ. Μετὰ δὲ τὴν παιδιὰν ἐλθόντι ὑπαντιάζει ἡ γυνὴ κλαίουσα, καὶ ὀνειδίζουσα αὐτὸν ὡς προδότην αὐτῆς· ὁ δὲ μαθὼν τὸ πᾶν ἐνεῖχε τὸν βασιλέα. Εἰδὼς δὲ ὡς ζῶντος τοῦ Ἀετίου οὐ δυνήσεται τιμωρῆσαι αὐτὸν, παρεσκεύασε διὰ τῶν εὐνούχων τοῦ βασιλέως ἀνελεῖν αὐτὸν δῆθεν ὡς ἐπίβουλον. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀνῃρέθη, εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρός τινα τῶν στοχάζεσθαι δυναμένων· «Οὐ καλῶς μοι ὁ θάνατος Ἀετίου εἴργασται;» ὁ δὲ, «Εἰ καλῶς, φησὶν, ἢ μὴ, οὐκ οἶδα· γιγνώσκω δὲ ὅτι τῇ λαιᾷ χειρὶ τὴν δεξιάν σου ἀπέκοψας.» 2. Οὗτος οὖν ὁ Μάξιμος ἔρημον Ἀετίου τὸν βασιλέα εὑρὼν, ἀπέκτεινε, καὶ τῇ βασιλίδι Εὐδοξίᾳ συνῆλθεν. Ἦν δὲ αὐτὴ Εὐδοξία θυγάτηρ τοῦ μικροῦ Θεοδοσίου βασιλέως. ∆οκῶν δὲ εἰς εὔνοιαν ἐφελκύσαι αὐτὴν, φησὶν ὅτι «διὰ τὸν πρός σε ἔρωτα αὐθέντης Οὐαλεντινιανοῦ γέγονα·» ἡ δὲ ἐλευθερογνώμων οὖσα, καὶ λογισαμένη ὡς «φεῦ, εἰ παραίτιος ἐγὼ τῆς τοῦ συνεύνου καὶ βασιλέως τελευτῆς,» γράφει Γιζερίχῳ ἤδη Λιβύην κατέχοντι, διὰ τάχους ἐλθεῖν καὶ τὴν Ῥώμην παραλαβεῖν. Ὁ δὲ ἐλθὼν τὴν πόλιν εἷλε, καὶ Εὐδοξίαν καὶ τὴν θυγατέρα αὐτῆς. Μάξιμος δὲ μισηθεὶς διὰ τὸν βασιλέως φόνον διώκεται καὶ ῥᾳδίως ἀναιρεῖται. 201 Exc. De ins.: Ὅτι τὰ τῶν ἑσπερίων Ῥωμαίων ἐν ταραχῇ ἦν. Μάξιμός τις ἀνὴρ εὐγενὴς καὶ δυνατὸς καὶ δεύτερον ὑπατεύσας, Ἀετίῳ τῷ στρατηγῷ τῶν κατὰ τὴν Ἰταλίαν ταγμάτων δυσμενὴς ὢν, ὡς ἔγνω καὶ τὸν Ἡράκλειον (εὐνοῦχος δὲ οὗτος καὶ τὴν μεγίστην παρὰ τῷ βασιλεύοντι ἔχων ῥοπήν) τῆς αὐτῆς τῷ Ἀετίῳ ἔχθιστον ὄντα προαιρέσεως (ἄμφω γὰρ τῆς ἐκείνου τὴν σφετέραν ἐπειρῶντο ἀντεισάγειν δύναμιν), ἐς συνωμοσίαν ἔρχεται· καὶ πείθουσι τὸν βασιλέα, ὡς εἰ μὴ φθάσοι τὸν Ἀέτιον ἀνελεῖν ταχέως, ὑπ' αὐτοῦ φθαρήσεται. 2. Ὁ δὲ Βαλεντινιανὸς, ἐπειδὴ αὐτῷ ἐχρῆν γενέσθαι κακῶς τὸ τεῖχος τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ἀρχῆς καταλύοντι, προσίετό τε τοὺς λόγους Μαξίμου τε καὶ Ἡρακλείου, καὶ διαρτύει τῷ ἀνδρὶ τὸν θάνατον, ὅτε δὴ ὁ Ἀέτιος ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις ἐγίνετο, κοινωνεῖν τῷ κρατοῦντι μέλλων ἐπὶ τοῖς βουλεύμασιν, καὶ προνοίας χρυσίον εἰσάγειν πειρώμενος. Ὡς δὲ τὰ περὶ τῶν πόρων Ἀέτιος προύθηκε καὶ ἀναλογισμὸν ἐποιεῖτο τῶν ἐκ τῆς εἰσφορᾶς ἀθροισθέντων χρημάτων ἀθρόων, ὁ Βαλεντινιανὸς ἀνακραγὼν ἀνέθορέ τε τοῦ θάκου, καὶ οὐκέτι ἔφη οἴσειν τοσαύταις ἐμπαροινούμενος μοχθηρίαις· ἐπ' αὐτὸν γὰρ φέροντα τὴν κακῶν αἰτίαν παρελέσθαι αὐτὸν, ὥσπερ τῆς ἑῴας βασιλείας, καὶ τοῦ τῆς ἑσπέρας βούλεσθαι κράτους παραδηλῶν (τῆς ἀρχῆς). Τὸ δὲ παράδοξον τῆς ὀργῆς ὡς ἀπεθαύμαζεν ὁ Ἀέτιος, καὶ ἐπειρᾶτο τῆς ἀλόγου ** τοῦ κολεοῦ τὸ ξίφος, σὺν τῷ Ἡρακλείῳ ὥρμησεν, ἤδη καὶ αὐτῷ τὴν κοπίδα εὐτρεπῆ ὑπὸ τὴν χλαμύδα φέροντι (Πριμικέριος γὰρ τῶν κοιτώνων ἦν)· καὶ ἄμφω κατὰ τοῦ Ἀετίου κεφαλῆς συνεχεῖς ἐπενεγκόντες πληγὰς, ἀνεῖλον αὐτὸν, πολλὰ ἀνδρὸς ἔργα διαπραξά μενον πρός τε ἐμφυλίους καὶ ὀθνείους πολέμου. (3) Τὴν μὲν γὰρ Πλακιδίαν, ἥτις τοῦ Βαλεντινιανοῦ μήτηρ ἦν, καὶ τὸν παῖδα, νέον ὄντα, ἐπετρόπευσε, διὰ τῆς τῶν βαρβάρων συμμαχίας· τὸν δὲ Βονιφάτιον, σὺν πολλῇ διαβάντα χειρὶ ἀπὸ τῆς Λιβύης, κατεστρατήγησεν, ὥστε ἐκεῖνον μὲν ὑπὸ φροντίδων νόσῳ τελευτῆσαι, αὐτὸν δὲ τῆς αὐτοῦ γαμετῆς καὶ τῆς περιουσίας κύριον γενέσθαι. Ἀνεῖλε δὲ καὶ Φήλικα δόλῳ, τὴν στρατηγικὴν σὺν αὐτῷ