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she neither dreaded the plot of the Goths nor was she softened like a woman, but still displaying her royal dignity, she selected three of the most notable men among the barbarians and most responsible for the sedition against her, and ordered them to go to the farthest parts of Italy, not together, however, but as far as possible from each other; and they were sent with the pretext of guarding the country from enemy attack. 5.2.22 But these men no less, through both their friends 5.2.22 and their relatives (for all of them still went to them, even travelling a long way), were contriving the plot against Amalasuntha. Since the woman was no longer able 5.2.23 to bear these things, she devised the following plan. Sending to Byzantium, she inquired of Emperor Justinian whether it was his wish for Amalasuntha, the daughter of Theuderic, to come to him. For she wished to depart from Italy 5.2.24 as quickly as possible. The emperor, pleased with the proposal, bade the woman come, and sent orders for the finest of the houses in Epidamnus to be prepared, so that when Amalasuntha came there, she might lodge there and, after staying as long as she wished, 5.2.25 be thus conveyed to Byzantium. When Amalasuntha learned this, she selected Gothic men, who were active and most loyal to her, and sent them to kill the three men whom I have just mentioned as being most responsible for the sedition against her. 5.2.26 And she herself put other valuables and four hundred centenaria of gold on one ship, and embarking on it some of her most trusted men, she ordered them to sail to Epidamnus, and upon arrival to moor in its harbor, but not to unload any of the cargo from the ship 5.2.27 until she sent word. She did this so that, if she learned that the three men had been killed, she might both remain where she was and recall the ship, having no longer any fear of her enemies; but if it happened that any of them survived, with no good hope left to her, she might sail with all speed and be saved with her treasures in the emperor's 5.2.28 land. With such a plan Amalasuntha sent the ship to Epidamnus, and when it arrived at the harbor of the Epidamnians, those who had the treasures did as they had been 5.2.29 instructed. A little later Amalasuntha, when the murders had been carried out for her as she wished, recalled the ship and, remaining at Ravenna, secured her rule as safely as possible. 5.3.1 There was a certain man among the Goths, Theodahad by name, the son of Theuderic's sister Amalafrida, already far advanced in age, who had a share of Latin learning and Platonic doctrines, but was altogether inexperienced in warfare and far removed from an active life, 5.3.2 yet was marvellously devoted to the love of money. This Theodahad had become master of most of the lands in Tuscany, and was eager to seize the remaining ones by force from their owners. For to have a neighbor 5.3.3 seemed to Theodahad to be a kind of misfortune. Amalasuntha hastened to check this eagerness of his, and for this reason he was always vexed with her and ill-disposed. 5.3.4 He therefore planned to give Tuscany to the Emperor Justinian, on the condition that he would receive much money and the rank of senator from him, and spend the rest of his life in Byzantium. 5.3.5 While Theodahad was planning these things, ambassadors came from Byzantium to the high priest of Rome, both Hypatius the priest of Ephesus and Demetrius from Philippi in Macedonia, on account of a doctrine which Christians, being in doubt, 5.3.6 dispute among themselves. But the disputed matters, although I know them well, I shall mention as little as possible. For I consider it a kind of frantic folly to investigate the nature of God, what it may be. 5.3.7 For I think that not even human affairs are comprehensible to man with precision, much less things pertaining to the nature of God. For me, then, let these things be passed over in silence without risk, only so that 5.3.8 the honoured doctrines are not disbelieved. For I would say nothing else about God at all, except that He is altogether good and holds all things in His 5.3.9 power. But let each man speak as he thinks he knows

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κατωρρώδησε τὴν τῶν Γότθων ἐπιβουλὴν οὔτε οἷα γυνὴ ἐμαλθακίσθη, ἀλλ' ἔτι τὸ βασιλικὸν ἀξίωμα ἐνδεικνυμένη, τρεῖς ἀπολέξασα τοὺς ἐν τοῖς βαρβάροις λογιμωτάτους τε καὶ αὐτῇ αἰτιωτάτους τῆς στάσεως, ἐκέλευεν ἐς τὰς τῆς Ἰταλίας ἐσχατιὰς ἰέναι, οὐχ ἅμα μέντοι, ἀλλ' ὡς πορρωτάτω ἀλλήλων· τῷ δὲ λόγῳ ἐστέλλοντο, ἐφ' ᾧ τὴν χώραν φυλάξωσιν ἐκ τῆς τῶν πολεμίων ἐφόδου. 5.2.22 ἀλλ' οὐδέν τι ἧσσον οἱ ἄνδρες οὗτοι διά τε τῶν φίλων 5.2.22 καὶ τῶν ξυγγενῶν (ξυνῄεσαν γὰρ ἔτι καὶ μακρὰν ὁδὸν πορευόμενοι ἐς αὐτοὺς ἅπαντες) Ἀμαλασούνθῃ τὰ ἐς τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν ἐξηρτύοντο. ἅπερ οὐκέτι φέρειν ἡ 5.2.23 γυνὴ οἵα τε οὖσα ἐπενόει τοιάδε. πέμψασα ἐς Βυζάντιον Ἰουστινιανοῦ βασιλέως ἀνεπυνθάνετο εἴπερ αὐτῷ βουλομένῳ εἴη Ἀμαλασοῦνθαν τὴν Θευδερίχου παρ' αὐτὸν ἥκειν. βούλεσθαι γὰρ αὐτὴν ἐξ Ἰταλίας ἀπαλ5.2.24 λάσσεσθαι ὅτι τάχιστα. βασιλεὺς δὲ τῷ λόγῳ ἡσθεὶς ἐλθεῖν τε τὴν γυναῖκα ἐκέλευε καὶ τῶν Ἐπιδάμνου οἴκων τὸν κάλλιστον ἐν παρασκευῇ ἐπέστελλε γενέσθαι, ὅπως ἐπειδὰν Ἀμαλασοῦνθα ἐνταῦθα ἴοι, καταλύοι τε αὐτόσε καὶ χρόνον διατρίψασα ὅσον ἂν αὐτῇ βουλο5.2.25 μένῃ εἴη, οὕτω δὴ κομίζηται ἐς Βυζάντιον. ταῦτα ἐπεὶ Ἀμαλασοῦνθα ἔγνω, ἄνδρας ἀπολέξασα Γότθους, δραστηρίους τε καὶ αὐτῇ ἐς τὰ μάλιστα ἐπιτηδείους ἔστελλεν ἐφ' ᾧ τοὺς τρεῖς ἀποκτενοῦσιν, ὧν ἄρτι ἐμνήσθην ἅτε τῆς στάσεως αἰτιωτάτους αὐτῇ γενομένους. 5.2.26 αὐτὴ δὲ ἄλλα τε χρήματα καὶ τετρακόσια χρυσοῦ κεντηνάρια ἐν νηὶ μιᾷ ἐνθεμένη, ἐς ταύτην τε ἐμβιβάσασα τῶν οἱ πιστοτάτων τινὰς, πλεῖν μὲν ἐκέλευσεν εἰς Ἐπίδαμνον, ἀφικομένους δὲ ὁρμίζεσθαι μὲν ἐν τῷ ταύτης λιμένι, τῶν δὲ φορτίων, ἕως αὐτὴ ἐπιστέλλοι, 5.2.27 μηδ' ὁτιοῦν ἐκφορεῖν τῆς νεώς. ἔπρασσε δὲ ταῦτα, ὅπως, ἢν μὲν ἀπολωλέναι τοὺς τρεῖς πύθηται, μένοι τε αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν ναῦν μεταπέμποιτο, οὐδὲν ἔτι ἔχουσα πρὸς τῶν ἐχθρῶν δέος· ἢν δὲ αὐτῶν τινα περιεῖναι ξυμβαίνῃ, οὐδεμιᾶς οἱ ἀγαθῆς ἀπολελειμμένης ἐλπίδος, πλέοι τε κατὰ τάχος καὶ ἐς γῆν τὴν βασιλέως ξὺν τοῖς 5.2.28 χρήμασι διασώζοιτο. τοιαύτῃ μὲν γνώμῃ Ἀμαλασοῦνθα ἐς Ἐπίδαμνον τὴν ναῦν ἔπεμπε, καὶ ἐπεὶ ἀφίκετο ἐς τὸν Ἐπιδαμνίων λιμένα, οἱ τὰ χρήματα ἔχοντες τὰ 5.2.29 ἐντεταλμένα ἐποίουν. ὀλίγῳ δὲ ὕστερον Ἀμαλασοῦνθα, τῶν φόνων οἱ ἐξειργασμένων ᾗπερ ἐβούλετο, τήν τε ναῦν μετεπέμπετο καὶ μένουσα ἐπὶ Ῥαβέννης τὴν ἀρχὴν ὡς ἀσφαλέστατα ἐκρατύνατο. 5.3.1 Ἦν δέ τις ἐν Γότθοις Θευδάτος ὄνομα, τῆς Θευδερίχου ἀδελφῆς Ἀμαλαφρίδης υἱὸς, πόρρω που ἤδη ἡλικίας ἥκων, λόγων μὲν Λατίνων μεταλαχὼν καὶ δογμάτων Πλατωνικῶν, πολέμων δὲ ἀμελετήτως παντάπασιν ἔχων, μακράν τε ἀπολελειμμένος τοῦ δραστηρίου, 5.3.2 ἐς μέντοι φιλοχρηματίαν δαιμονίως ἐσπουδακώς. οὗτος ὁ Θευδάτος πλείστων μὲν τῶν ἐν Τούσκοις χωρίων κύριος ἐγεγόνει, βιαζόμενος δὲ καὶ τὰ λειπόμενα τοὺς κεκτημένους ἀφαιρεῖσθαι ἐν σπουδῇ εἶχε. γείτονα γὰρ 5.3.3 ἔχειν συμφορά τις Θευδάτῳ ἐδόκει εἶναι. ταύτην αὐτῷ Ἀμαλασοῦνθα τὴν προθυμίαν ἀναστέλλειν ἠπείγετο, καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ ἤχθετό τε αὐτῇ ἐς ἀεὶ καὶ χαλεπῶς 5.3.4 εἶχεν. ἐβουλεύετο οὖν Ἰουστινιανῷ βασιλεῖ Τουσκίαν ἐνδοῦναι, ἐφ' ᾧ χρήματά τε πολλὰ καὶ βουλῆς πρὸς αὐτοῦ ἀξίωμα κομισάμενος ἐν Βυζαντίῳ τὸ λοιπὸν 5.3.5 διατρίβοι. ταῦτα Θευδάτου βεβουλευμένου πρέσβεις ἐκ Βυζαντίου παρὰ τὸν Ῥώμης ἀρχιερέα ἧκον, ὅ τε τῆς Ἐφέσου ἱερεὺς Ὑπάτιος καὶ ∆ημήτριος ἐκ τῶν ἐν Μακεδόσι Φιλίππων, δόξης ἕνεκεν, ἣν Χριστιανοὶ ἐν 5.3.6 σφίσιν αὐτοῖς ἀντιλέγουσιν ἀμφιγνοοῦντες. τὰ δὲ ἀντιλεγόμενα ἐγὼ ἐξεπιστάμενος ὡς ἥκιστα ἐπιμνήσομαι. ἀπονοίας γὰρ μανιώδους τινὸς ἡγοῦμαι εἶναι διερευνᾶσθαι τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ φύσιν, ὁποία ποτέ ἐστιν. 5.3.7 ἀνθρώπῳ γὰρ οὐδὲ τὰ ἀνθρώπεια ἐς τὸ ἀκριβὲς οἶμαι καταληπτὰ, μή τί γε δὴ τὰ εἰς θεοῦ φύσιν ἥκοντα. ἐμοὶ μὲν οὖν ταῦτα ἀκινδύνως σεσιωπήσθω μόνῳ τῷ 5.3.8 μὴ ἀπιστεῖσθαι τὰ τετιμημένα. ἐγὼ γὰρ οὐκ ἂν οὐδὲν ἄλλο περὶ θεοῦ ὁτιοῦν εἴποιμι ἢ ὅτι ἀγαθός τε παντάπασιν εἴη καὶ ξύμπαντα ἐν τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ τῇ αὑτοῦ 5.3.9 ἔχει. λεγέτω δὲ ὥς πη ἕκαστος γινώσκειν