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he confessed to know. But to the things he demanded, she insisted, that she was able not only to endure these things which he himself had asked, but even many times more; and that not even if all men, agreeing together, should speak against him, would they be able to make her hostile to him, but she would keep her friendship for him untouched and unharmed, if nothing else, at least remembering the words of the emperor, by whom it had often been said concerning him, that not even if she saw him advancing against him with a drawn sword as if to kill him, not even so would she be able to hate him, but would maintain the same goodwill and friendship for him, even if this had been done. She said that using him as a teacher, one who so much surpassed her both in intelligence and in experience of affairs, she would both know the same things concerning him and would try to keep them. And she encouraged him to suspect nothing ignoble about her, but to be 2.46 firmly persuaded, that there would be nothing so great which would be able to shake her thoughts and cause her to think evil things about him. At this, the Grand Domestic, thinking the empress's confession a sufficient proof that there was no impediment, if he wished to appear evil, and especially being able to choose the good and just voluntarily, then also having acknowledged his thanks to the empress for her nobility and affection for him, he took up the speech again, saying that neither she nor the patriarch should for these reasons suspect that the words had been spoken by him cunningly, preparing for himself an indemnity, so that even if someone had true things to say about him and to prove him to be doing wrong, there would be no place for an accusation and charge against him; for this was not what he meant by his words. But if some were to make such accusations as are by themselves refuted as being calumnies and slanders, to take no account of these, but even to hate those who contrive them. But if they should be so plausible as to create doubt, whether one should rather believe or disbelieve completely, not to condemn him immediately in his absence and unheard, but to summon him to court, and if I am convicted of wrongdoing, I do not refuse to pay the penalty for my villainy.” But when the empress rejected the speech about a trial and insisted that not even if something happened would she think such things about him, so as to need courts against 2.47 him, he said he would not be content, unless she were persuaded by him on this point too, more for the sake of others than for her own, so that their tongues might be stopped in every way and they might not take from this a pretext for malice and slander. But when she refused and was unwilling to be persuaded, he convinced her by saying many things, as if about a necessary matter, though she was unwilling and, as far as it concerned her, not needing such inquiries; but she was persuaded, then, for his sake. At this, he himself, being pleased and having put aside all doubt in his thoughts, said joyfully that he would now take over the command, if what had been said were confirmed by oaths. And immediately the oaths were sworn by both parties in the presence of the patriarch. Since they lacked nothing further for the reconciliation, the empress remained at home, but the Grand Domestic, now holding all the authority securely, went out together with the patriarch. And having come to the church of the great martyr Demetrius, which was built within the palace, the Grand Domestic spoke at length with the patriarch. For he said that he himself was clearly persuaded that just as the words the empress had uttered, so also was her disposition. But he was again not a little troubled, knowing the weakness of the female nature, how it is easily changeable through cowardice, and he feared that while he himself would always be compelled to be on long expeditions because of the wars against the neighboring barbarians, the slanderers staying at home might someday persuade her 2.48 to change, which we also see happening to men who are most timid in battles because of cowardice. For they, being reproached and insulted by their own people and suffering any terrible thing, when no battle is at hand, boast much and insist, even adding oaths, that no longer again to the enemies their face

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εἰδέναι ὡμολόγει. πρὸς ἃ δὲ ἠξίου ἰσχυρίζετο, ὡς οὐ μόνον ταῦτα, ἅπερ ᾔτησεν αὐτὸς, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλαπλασίω ἀνασχέσθαι δυνατή· καὶ ὡς οὐδ' ἂν εἰ πάντες ἄνθρωποι συμφωνήσαντες φαῖεν κατ' αὐτοῦ, δυνήσονται ταύτην αὐτῷ ἐκπολεμῶσαι, ἀλλ' ἄθικτον αὐτῷ καὶ ἀκεραίαν τηρήσει τὴν φιλίαν, εἰ μή τι ἄλλο, ἀλλὰ τῶν γε βασιλέως λόγων μεμνημένη, ᾧ πολλάκις εἴρηται περὶ αὐτοῦ, ὡς οὐδ' ἂν εἰ ξίφος σπασάμενον κατ' αὐτοῦ χωροῦντα ὡς ἀποκτενοῦντα ἴδῃ, οὐδ' οὕτω δυνήσεσθαι αὐτὸν μισῆσαι, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἴσην εὔνοιαν αὐτῷ, καὶ τούτου πεπραγμένου, τηρήσειν καὶ φιλίαν. ᾧπερ ἔφασκε χρωμένη διδασκάλῳ καὶ αὐτὴ τοσοῦτον ὑπερέχοντι αὐτῆς καὶ συνέσει καὶ πραγμάτων ἐμπειρίᾳ, τὰ ἴσα περὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ γινώσκειν καὶ πειράσεσθαι φυλάξειν. καὶ παρεθάῤῥυνεν αὐτὸν, μηδὲν περὶ αὐτῆς ὑποπτεύειν ἀγεννὲς, ἀλλ' εἶναι βε 2.46 βαίως πεπεισμένον, ὡς οὐδὲν ἔσται τηλικοῦτον, ὃ δυνήσεται τοὺς αὐτῆς κατασεῖσαι λογισμοὺς καὶ περὶ αὐτοῦ κακὰ λογίζεσθαι παρασκευάσει. ἐπὶ τούτοις δὲ ὁ μέγας δομέστικος τὴν μὲν ὁμολογίαν βασιλίδος ἀρκοῦσαν οἰηθεὶς ἀπόδειξιν πρὸς τὸ μηδὲν εἶναι ἐμποδὼν, εἰ ἐβούλετο κακὸς ὀφθῆναι, μάλιστα δὲ δυνάμενος ἑκοντὶ τἀγαθὰ καὶ δίκαια αἱρεῖσθαι, εἶτα καὶ τῆς καλοκἀγαθίας καὶ τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν στοργῆς χάριτας ὁμολογήσας βασιλίδι, αὖθις ἀνελάμβανε τὸν λόγον, μὴ δὴ διὰ ταῦτα, φάσκων, μήτ' αὐτὴν, μήτε πατριάρχην ὑποπτεύειν, αὐτῷ τοὺς λόγους ὡς πανούργως εἰρημένους, ἄδειαν αὐτῷ προπαρασκευάζοντι τὸ μηδ' ἄν τις ἀληθῆ λέγειν ἔχῃ περὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀποδεικνύειν ἀδικοῦντα, τόπον ἔχειν πρὸς τὴν κατ' αὐτοῦ κατηγορίαν καὶ γραφήν· οὐ γὰρ τοῦτο βούλεσθαι αὐτῷ τοὺς λόγους· ἀλλ' εἰ μέν τινες τοιαῦτα δήποτε κατηγοροῖεν, οἷα αὐτὰ ὑφ' ἑαυτῶν ἐξελέγχεσθαι ὡς εἰσὶ συκοφαντίαι καὶ διαβολαὶ, τούτων μηδένα ποιεῖσθαι λόγον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς πλάττοντας μισεῖν. εἰ δ' ἄρα οὕτως εἴη πιθανὰ, ὥστ' ἀμφιβολίαν ἐμποιεῖν, εἰ μᾶλλον χρὴ πιστεύειν ἢ παντάπασιν ἀπιστεῖν, μὴ ἐρήμην εὐθὺς καταψηφίζεσθαι καὶ ἀπόντος, ἀλλ' εἰς δικαστήριον καλεῖν κἂν ἁλίσκωμαι ἀδικῶν, οὐ παραιτοῦμαι τῆς κακουργίας διδόναι δίκας.» τῆς βασιλίδος δὲ τὸν περὶ τῆς δίκης λόγον ἀποσειομένης καὶ μηδ' ἂν, εἴ τι γένοιτο, τοιαῦτα περὶ αὐτοῦ φρονήσειν διατεινομένης, ὥστε καὶ δικαστηρίων δεήσεσθαι πρὸς 2.47 αὐτὸν, οὐκ ἔφασκεν ἐκεῖνος ἀγαπήσειν, εἰ μὴ καὶ περὶ τούτου πείθοιτο αὐτῷ τῶν ἄλλων μᾶλλον ἕνεκα ἢ αὐτῆς, ὥστε διὰ πάντων αὐτοῖς ἀποφράττεσθαι τὰς γλώσσας καὶ μὴ πρόφασιν ἐκ τούτου κακουργίας καὶ διαβολῆς λαβεῖν. ἀπαγορευούσης δὲ αὐτῆς καὶ οὐκ ἐθελούσης πείθεσθαι, ἔπεισε πολλὰ εἰπὼν, ὡς περὶ ἀναγκαίου, ἄκουσαν μὲν καὶ τόγε εἰς αὐτὴν ἧκον τῶν τοιούτων μὴ δεομένην ζητημάτων· ἐπείθετο δ' οὖν ἕνεκα αὐτοῦ. ἐπὶ τούτοις δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ἡσθεὶς καὶ πᾶσαν λογισμῶν ἀμφιβολίαν ἀποθέμενος, χαίρων ἔφασκεν ἤδη παραλήψεσθαι τὴν ἀρχὴν, εἰ καὶ δι' ὅρκων γένοιτο πιστὰ τὰ εἰρημένα. καὶ αὐτίκα ἐτελοῦντο καὶ οἱ ὅρκοι παρ' ἑκατέρων ἐπὶ τοῦ πατριάρχου. ἐπεὶ δὲ οὐδενὸς αὐτοῖς ἐνέδει ἔτι πρὸς τὰς διαλύσεις, βασιλὶς μὲν οἴκοι ὑπελείπετο, ὁ μέγας δὲ δομέστικος ἤδη πᾶσαν τὴν ἀρχὴν βεβαίως ἔχων, ἐξῄεσαν ἅμα πατριάρχῃ. καὶ πρὸς τῷ ναῷ τοῦ μεγαλομάρτυρος γενόμενοι ∆ημητρίου, ὃς τῶν βασιλείων ᾠκοδόμητο ἐντὸς, πολλὰ καὶ πρὸς πατριάρχην ὁ μέγας δομέστικος διειλέχθη. ἔφη γὰρ, πεπεῖσθαι μὲν καὶ αὐτὸν σαφῶς, ὡς οἵους ἡ βασιλὶς ἐφθέγξατο λόγους, τοιοῦτον καὶ τὸ φρόνημα ἔχειν. θορυβεῖσθαι δὲ αὖθις οὐ μικρῶς, τὴν ἀσθένειαν τῆς γυναικείας φύσεως εἰδότα, ὡς εὐμετάβλητος διὰ δειλίαν, καὶ δεδοικέναι, μὴ αὐτὸς μὲν ἀναγκάζοιτο πάντοτε μακραῖς ἀποδημίαις χρῆσθαι διὰ τοὺς πρὸς τοὺς περιοίκους βαρβάρους πολέμους, οἱ συκοφάνται δὲ οἰκουροῦντες πείσωσί ποτε αὐτὴν 2.48 μεταβαλεῖν, ὃ καὶ ἀνδράσι συμβαῖνον ὁρῶμεν τοῖς περὶ μάχας διὰ δειλίαν ἀτολμωτάτοις. ἐκεῖνοι γὰρ ὑπὸ τῶν οἰκείων ὀνειδιζόμενοι καὶ περιυβριζόμενοι καὶ ὁτιοῦν ὑπομένοντες δεινὸν, μάχης μὲν οὐ παρούσης, κομπάζουσι πολλὰ καὶ ἰσχυρίζονται καὶ ὅρκους προστιθέντες, μηκέτ' αὖθις τοῖς πολεμίοις τὸ πρόσωπον