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5.6.3 to be made by the judgment of the emperor. But if Theodatus should wish to advance any of his subjects to the rank of patrician or other senatorial dignity, he himself would not bestow 5.6.4 this, but would ask the emperor to grant it. And when the Roman people acclaim, they would always shout first for the emperor, then for Theodatus, in the theatres and hippodromes 5.6.5 and wherever else such a thing should need to happen. And that a statue of bronze or other material should never be set up for Theodatus alone, but should always be made for both, and would be placed thus: on the right, that of the emperor, and on the other side, that of Theodatus. Having written this agreement, Theodatus sent the ambassador away. 5.6.6 But a little later, a dread of soul, seizing the man, led him into terrors without limit and twisted his mind, being frightened by the name of war, and by the thought that if the emperor were in no way pleased with the things agreed upon by him and Peter, war 5.6.7 would immediately ensue. Therefore, summoning Peter again, who was already at Albanum, as if conversing secretly, he enquired of the man whether he thought the agreement would be to the emperor's 5.6.8 pleasure. And he said that he indeed suspected so. “But if these things should in no way please 5.6.9 “the man, what will happen then?” he said. Peter answered, “You must then make war, O noble sir.” “What? Is this just, O dearest ambassador?” he said. And he, immediately taking him up, said, “How is it not just, O good sir,” he said, “for the pursuits of each man's soul to be preserved?” 5.6.10 “What does this mean?” Theodatus asked. “That for you,” he said, “it is a great pursuit to philosophize, but for Justinian, emperor of the Romans, to be noble. But it makes a difference, because for one who has practiced philosophy to bring about the death of men, especially of so great a number, would never be seemly, and this from the school of Plato, in which you have clearly participated, it is not pious for you not to be free from all bloodshed; but for him to lay claim to a land is in no way unfitting, since from of old it belongs to his existing 5.6.11 rule.” Theodatus, being persuaded by this suggestion, agreed to yield the rule to the emperor Justinian. And according to this, both he and his 5.6.12 wife swore an oath. And he bound Peter with oaths that he would not make these things public before he saw that the emperor would not accept the 5.6.13 former agreement. And he sent with him on this mission Rusticus, one of the priests and one especially friendly to him, a Roman man. To whom he also entrusted letters. 5.6.14 So Peter and Rusticus, having arrived in Byzantium, reported to the emperor the things previously decided, just as Theodatus had instructed them. But since the emperor was very unwilling to accept the proposals, they showed what was written 5.6.15 afterwards. And the letter declared the following: “I have not been a newcomer to the royal court, for it has been my lot both to be born in the house of a divine king and to be brought up worthily of my race, but of wars and the tumults therein 5.6.16 I am not at all experienced. For since I have from my youth been enamored of the study of letters and have always made this my pursuit, it happens that I am to this day very far removed 5.6.17 from the confusion of battles. Therefore it is least of all likely that I, coveting the honors of royalty, should pursue a life of danger, when it is possible to stand aloof from 5.6.18 both. For neither of these is a pleasure to me: the one, because it is held in satiety, for satiety is of all pleasant things; the other, because not being accustomed to it brings 5.6.19 confusion. But I, if I should get lands yielding an annual income of no less than twelve centenaria, would count the kingship of less value than them, and I will very soon hand over to you the rule of the Goths and the 5.6.20 Italians. As for myself, I would more gladly be a farmer in tranquility than live amid royal cares, 5.6.21 which send forth dangers from dangers. But send a man as quickly as possible, to whom it is proper for me to hand over both Italy and the affairs of the 5.6.22 kingdom.” The letter of Theodatus, then, declared so much. But the emperor, being exceedingly pleased, answered thus: “Long ago I had heard that you were a man of understanding, and now having learned by experience I know in that you have not recognized the ... of the

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5.6.3 βασιλέως ποιεῖσθαι γνώμῃ. ἢν δέ γε τῶν ὑπηκόων τινὰς ἐς τὸ τῶν πατρικίων ἢ ἄλλο βουλῆς ἀξίωμα Θευδάτος ἀγαγεῖν βούληται, τοῦτο δὲ οὐκ αὐτὸν δώ5.6.4 σειν, ἀλλὰ βασιλέα αἰτήσειν διδόναι. εὐφημοῦντα δὲ Ῥωμαίων τὸν δῆμον, ἀναβοήσειν ἀεὶ βασιλέα πρῶτον, ἔπειτα Θευδάτον, ἔν τε θεάτροις καὶ ἱπποδρομίαις 5.6.5 καὶ εἴ που ἄλλῃ τὸ τοιοῦτον δεήσει γενέσθαι. εἰκόνα τε χαλκῆν ἢ ὕλης ἑτέρας μή ποτε Θευδάτῳ μόνῳ καθίστασθαι, ἀλλὰ γίνεσθαι μὲν ἀεὶ ἀμφοτέροις, στήσεσθαι δὲ οὕτως· ἐν δεξιᾷ μὲν τὴν βασιλέως, ἐπὶ θάτερα δὲ τὴν Θευδάτου. ἐπὶ ταύτῃ μὲν τῇ ξυμβάσει γράψας τὸν πρεσβευτὴν ὁ Θευδάτος ἀπεπέμψατο. 5.6.6 Ὀλίγῳ δὲ ὕστερον ψυχῆς ὀρρωδία περιλαβοῦσα τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐς δείματά τε ἀπῆγεν ὅρον οὐκ ἔχοντα καὶ ἔστρεφεν αὐτοῦ τὴν διάνοιαν, δεδισσομένη τῷ τοῦ πολέμου ὀνόματι, καὶ ὡς, εἴ γε βασιλέα οὐδαμῆ ἀρέσκει τά τε αὐτῷ καὶ Πέτρῳ συγκείμενα, ὁ πόλεμος 5.6.7 εὐθὺς ἀπαντήσει. αὖθις οὖν Πέτρον μεταπεμψάμενος ἐν Ἀλβανοῖς ἤδη γενόμενον ἅτε κοινολογούμενος λάθρα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἀνεπυνθάνετο, εἰ τὴν ξύμβασιν 5.6.8 βασιλεῖ πρὸς ἡδονῆς ἔσεσθαι οἴεται. καὶ ὃς οὕτω δὴ ὑποτοπάζειν ἔφη. «ἢν δέ γε ταῦτα μηδαμῆ ἀρέσκει 5.6.9 «τὸν ἄνδρα, τί τὸ ἐντεῦθεν γενήσεται» εἶπεν. ἀπεκρίνατο Πέτρος «πολεμητέα σοι τὸ λοιπὸν, ὦ γενναῖε.» «τί δέ; δίκαια ταῦτα, ὦ φίλτατε πρεσβευτά»; ἔφη. ὁ δὲ αὐτίκα ἔφη ὑπολαβὼν καὶ «πῶς οὐ δίκαιον, ὦ ἀγαθὲ», εἶπε, «τὰ ἐπιτηδεύματα τῇ ψυχῇ ἑκάστου φυλάσσεσθαι»; 5.6.10 «τί δὴ τοῦτό ἐστιν»; ὁ Θευδάτος ἠρώτα. «ὅτι σοὶ μὲν «σπουδὴ πολλὴ φιλοσοφεῖν», ἔφη, «Ἰουστινιανῷ δὲ βα»σιλεῖ Ῥωμαίων γενναίῳ εἶναι. διαφέρει δὲ, ὅτι τῷ μὲν «φιλοσοφίαν ἀσκήσαντι θάνατον ἀνθρώποις πορίζεσθαι, «ἄλλως τε καὶ τοσούτοις τὸ πλῆθος, οὐ μήποτε εὐπρε»πὲς εἴη, καὶ ταῦτα ἀπὸ τῆς Πλάτωνος διατριβῆς, ἧς «δηλονότι μετασχόντι σοι μὴ οὐχὶ φόνου παντὸς ἐλευ»θέρῳ εἶναι οὐχ ὅσιον· ἐκεῖνον δὲ χώρας μεταποιήσα»σθαι οὐδὲν ἀπεικὸς, ἄνωθεν τῇ ὑπαρχούσῃ αὐτῷ 5.6.11 «προσηκούσης ἀρχῇ.» ταύτῃ ὁ Θευδάτος τῇ ὑποθήκῃ ἀναπεισθεὶς ὡμολόγησεν Ἰουστινιανῷ βασιλεῖ τῆς ἡγεμονίας ἐκστήσεσθαι. καὶ κατὰ ταῦτα αὐτός τε καὶ ἡ 5.6.12 γυνὴ ὤμοσε. τόν τε Πέτρον ὅρκοις κατέλαβεν, ὡς οὐ πρότερον ἔκπυστα ταῦτα ποιήσεται, πρὶν ἂν βασιλέα 5.6.13 οὐκ ἐνδεχόμενον τὴν προτέραν ξύμβασιν ἴδοι. καὶ Ῥουστικὸν τῶν τινα ἱερέων καὶ αὐτῷ μάλιστα ἐπιτηδείων, ἄνδρα Ῥωμαῖον, ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ ὁμολογίᾳ ξὺν αὐτῷ ἔπεμψεν. οἷς δὴ καὶ γράμματα ἐνεχείρισε. 5.6.14 Πέτρος μὲν οὖν καὶ Ῥουστικὸς ἐν Βυζαντίῳ γενόμενοι τὰ πρότερον δόξαντα βασιλεῖ ἤγγειλαν, καθάπερ Θευδάτος σφίσιν ἐπέστελλεν. ἐπεὶ δὲ τοὺς λόγους ἐνδέχεσθαι βασιλεὺς ἥκιστα ἤθελε, τὰ ἐν ὑστέρῳ γε5.6.15 γραμμένα ἐπέδειξαν. ἐδήλου δὲ ἡ γραφὴ τάδε «Οὐ «γέγονα μὲν βασιλικῆς αὐλῆς ἐπηλύτης, τετύχηκε γάρ «μοι τετέχθαι τε ἐν βασιλέως θείου καὶ τεθράφθαι «τοῦ γένους ἀξίως, πολέμων δὲ καὶ τῶν ἐν τούτοις 5.6.16 «θορύβων εἰμὶ οὐ παντελῶς ἔμπειρος. περὶ λόγων «γὰρ ἀκοὴν ἄνωθεν ἐρωτικῶς ἐσχηκότι μοι καὶ δια»τριβὴν ἐς τοῦτο ἀεὶ πεποιημένῳ ξυμβαίνει τῆς ἐν 5.6.17 «ταῖς μάχαις ταραχῆς ἑκαστάτω ἐς τόδε εἶναι. ὥστε «ἥκιστά με εἰκὸς τὰς ἐκ τῆς βασιλείας ζηλοῦντα τιμὰς «τὸν μετὰ κινδύνων διώκειν βίον, ἐξὸν ἀμφοῖν ἐκπο5.6.18 «δὼν ἵστασθαι. τούτοιν γάρ μοι οὐδέτερον ἐν ἡδονῇ «ἐστι· τὸ μὲν, ὅτι κόρῳ τετίμηται, πλησμονὴ γὰρ «ἡδέων ἁπάντων, τὸ δὲ, ὅτι τὸ μὴ ἐθισθῆναι ἐς ταρα5.6.19 «χὴν φέρει. ἐγὼ δὲ, εἴ μοι χωρία γένηται οὐχ ἧσσον «ἢ δώδεκα κεντηναρίων ἐπέτειον φέροντα πρόσοδον, «περὶ ἐλάσσονος ἂν αὐτῶν τὴν βασιλείαν ποιήσαιμι, «καί σοι τὸ Γότθων τε καὶ Ἰταλιωτῶν αὐτίκα μάλα 5.6.20 «ἐγχειριῶ κράτος. ὡς ἔγωγε ἥδιον ἂν ξὺν τῇ ἀπραγ»μοσύνῃ γεωργὸς εἴην ἢ ἐν μερίμναις βασιλικαῖς βιῴην, 5.6.21 «κινδύνους ἐκ κινδύνων παραπεμπούσαις. ἀλλὰ πέμπε «ἄνδρα ὡς τάχιστα, ὅτῳ με Ἰταλίαν τε καὶ τὰ τῆς 5.6.22 «βασιλείας πράγματα παραδοῦναι προσήκει.» Θευδάτου μὲν ἡ γραφὴ τοσαῦτα ἐδήλου. βασιλεὺς δὲ ὑπεράγαν ἡσθεὶς ἀμείβεται ὧδε «Πάλαι μέν σε ξυνετὸν εἶναι «ἀκοῇ εἶχον, νῦν δὲ καὶ τῇ πείρᾳ μεμαθηκὼς οἶδα «οἷς οὐκ ἔγνωκας τὸ τοῦ