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on the one hand, because of his apparent goodwill towards her, and honored with the highest priesthood and not suspected ever to lie; on the other hand, the other one would not have seemed to have been driven to such a pit of despair, unless he were truly aware of such things concerning his son-in-law, that he would willingly choose his daughter's misfortune, by slandering him so much. But when they had voted together, these things having been said in the palace, the patriarch was the first to begin speaking to the empress, saying: “The goodwill and zeal of the grand domestic towards me from the very beginning, and how from a mean fortune and great obscurity I have been advanced by him to this glory and splendor, for which I rightly confess I owe him many thanks, all the Romans would know, but especially you. As long, then, as I saw him employing right and just reasoning and keeping his goodwill and faith to you unfeigned and pure towards the emperors, I thought it necessary to pay attention to him as the most genuine of friends, and no less than a loving father, I chose to do what I hoped would profit him towards good repute. But when I learned from many others speaking and understood myself, that he is both planning and has already set out to do unjust 2.129 and violent things, unjustly repaying the emperor who had loved him much and advanced him to great glory by depriving the children not only of their rule, but even of their life, I both abhorred his intention as most cruel and lacking no excess of ingratitude, and I decided that I must consider him not among friends as before, but among the most hostile of enemies. And thinking it to be of the utmost importance that you not be ignorant of such things, I have come to report them, so that having considered the present circumstances you may save not only yourself and your children, but also the entire rest of the empire, which is in peril along with you.” The empress, as if astonished, said she was hearing words, such as she thought not even the inventor of wickedness himself would ever be able to attempt to persuade concerning the grand domestic, that he was evil towards her and plotting against the emperor's children and returning such favors for that wondrous friendship. And the patriarch said that he too had suffered the same thing in the beginning concerning the things said about him and had disbelieved those who said them, although there were not two or four times as many, but many times more who had spoken than those who had approached her. Then, having applied his mind and paid close attention to what was being done, he understood the perversion of his intention. And as he was urging her also to be persuaded and not to delay about a matter having so sharp a danger, 2.130 but to think already about the safety of herself and her children, the empress recalled the oaths which had been made to one another not yet yesterday or the day before in his presence, in which other things had been said by the grand domestic, she said, as many as we ourselves are aware, and before all other things, that if anything should be accused by someone, we should not thus condemn him in his absence, but having called him to trial and given him a place for a defense, if he is caught doing wrong and forswearing himself, to demand the ultimate penalties; but if nothing true is attached to what was said, he is to be acquitted of the charges, and that the accusers be proved to be what they are: slanderers. But now, though there are many who prosecute him for faithlessness and perjury, she sees no one who would dare to stand against him at the trial, so as to convict him of wrongdoing. Moreover, not even now does anyone openly accuse him, that he has been seen acting badly and as a traitor towards me, so that from the things said she herself can discern whether the things spoken are slander or hold some truth. But thus, as if by agreement, they all condemn him for the seizure of the empire, adding nothing more. It is not then just, nor otherwise seemly for me, having been persuaded by the words of the many, which have nothing certain for the proof of the truth, to stir up a civil war against him. For he is not one of the many, so that it would be very easy 2.131 to overcome him. But for now, to make nothing of what has been said clear to him, but

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μὲν πρὸς τῇ δοκούσῃ πρὸς ἐκείνην εὐνοίᾳ, καὶ ἱερωσύνῃ τῇ μεγίστῃ τετιμημένου καὶ μὴ ἄν ποτε ψεύσασθαι ὑποπτευθέντος· τοῦ ἑτέρου δὲ μὴ τοσοῦτον ἂν εἰς ἀπονοίας βάραθρον ἐληλακέναι δόξαντος, εἰ μὴ τοιαῦτα τῷ γαμβρῷ συνῄδει ἀληθῶς, ὥσθ' ἑκοντὶ τὴν θυγατρὸς αἱρεῖσθαι κακοπραγίαν, καταψευδόμενον τοσαῦτα. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐψηφίσαντο κοινῇ, γενομένων ἐν βασιλείοις τῶν εἰρημένων, ὁ πατριάρχης λόγου ἥπτετο πρῶτος πρὸς τὴν βασιλίδα, «τὴν μὲν περὶ ἐμὲ τοῦ μεγάλου δομεστίκου» φάσκων «εὐμένειαν καὶ σπουδὴν εὐθὺς ἐξαρχῆς, καὶ ὡς ἐκ φαύλης τύχης καὶ πολλῆς ἀφανείας εἰς τοῦτο δι' ἐκείνου δόξης καὶ λαμπρότητος προῆγμαι, δι' ἃ πολλὰς αὐτῷ χάριτας ὀφείλειν ὁμολογῶ δίκαιος εἶναι, πάντες μὲν ἂν εἰδεῖεν Ῥωμαῖοι, μάλιστα δὲ σύ. ἄχρι μὲν οὖν αὐτὸν ἑώρων ὀρθοῖς καὶ δικαίοις χρώμενον λογισμοῖς καὶ τὴν εὔνοιαν καὶ τὴν πίστιν ἄδολον ὑμῖν τηροῦντα καὶ καθαρὰν τοῖς βασιλεῦσι, δεῖν ἐνόμιζον καὶ αὐτὸς ὡς γνησιωτάτῳ φίλων αὐτῷ προσέχειν, καὶ οὐδὲν ἧττον ἢ φιλότεκνος πατὴρ, ἃ λυσιτελήσειν ἤλπιζον αὐτῷ πρὸς εὐδοξίαν, πράττειν ᾑρούμην. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἄλλων τε πολλῶν λεγόντων ἐπυθόμην καὶ αὐτὸς παρ' ἐμαυτοῦ συνῆκα, ὡς ἄδι 2.129 κα καὶ βίαια καὶ διανοεῖται καὶ πράττειν ἤδη ὥρμηται, τοῦ πολλὰ πεφιληκότος βασιλέως καὶ ἐπὶ μέγα δόξης προαγαγόντος ἀδίκως ἀμειβόμενος τοὺς παῖδας οὐ μόνον τῆς ἀρχῆς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς ζωῆς αὐτῆς ἀποστερῶν, τήν τε γνώμην ἐβδελυξάμην ὡς ὠμοτάτην καὶ ἀγνωμοσύνης οὐδεμίαν ἐλλείπουσαν ὑπερβολὴν, καὶ αὐτὸν οὐ τῶν φίλων ὥσπερ πρότερον, ἀλλὰ τῶν πολεμιωτάτων ἔγνων δεῖν ἡγεῖσθαι. νομίζων δὲ μὴ καὶ σὲ τὰ τοιαῦτα ἀγνοεῖν τῶν πάνυ καιρίων εἶναι, ἥκω ἀπαγγέλλων, ἵν' ἐκ τῶν παρόντων σκεψαμένη οὐ μόνον αὑτὴν καὶ παῖδας διασώσῃς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἄλλην ἅπασαν συγκινδυνεύουσαν ἀρχήν.» ἡ βασιλὶς δὲ ὥσπερ ἐκπεπληγμένη, λόγους, ἔφασκεν, ἀκούειν, οἵους οὐδ' αὐτὸν τὸν κακίας ἐφευρετὴν ἄν ποτε δυνήσεσθαι ᾠήθη περὶ μεγάλου δομεστίκου πείσειν ἐπιχειρήσειν, ὡς κακὸς ἐκεῖνος περὶ αὐτὴν καὶ παισὶν ἐπιβουλεύων βασιλέως καὶ τῆς θαυμαστῆς ἐκείνης φιλίας τοιαύτας χάριτας ἀποδιδούς. τοῦ πατριάρχου δὲ καὶ αὐτοῦ τὰ ἴσα φάσκοντος ἐν ἀρχῇ πεπονθέναι πρὸς τὰ περὶ ἐκείνου εἰρημένα καὶ τοῖς λέγουσιν ἀπιστεῖν, οὐ δὶς καὶ τετράκις τοσούτων, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλαπλασιόνων, ἢ ὅσοι προσεληλύθασιν αὐτῇ, τῶν εἰρηκότων ὄντων. ἔπειτ' ἐπιστήσαντα τὸν νοῦν καὶ τοῖς πραττομένοις ἀκριβῶς προσεσχηκότα, τὴν διαστροφὴν τῆς γνώμης καταμαθεῖν. καὶ πείθεσθαι ἀξιοῦντος καὶ αὐτὴν καὶ μὴ περὶ πράγματος οὕτω τὸν κίνδυνον ὀξὺν ἔχον 2.130 τος διαμέλλειν, ἀλλ' ἤδη περὶ σωτηρίας αὐτῆς τε καὶ τῶν τέκνων σκέπτεσθαι, ἀνεμίμνησκεν ἡ βασιλὶς τῶν πρὸς ἀλλήλους οὔπω χθὲς καὶ πρώην ἐπ' αὐτοῦ γεγενημένων ὅρκων, ἐν οἷς ἄλλα τε εἴρητο τῷ μεγάλῳ δομεστίκῳ, ἔφασκεν, ὅσα σύνισμεν αὐτοὶ, καὶ πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων, ἵνα, ἄν τι κατηγορηθῇ παρά τινος, μὴ ἐρήμην οὕτως ἐκείνου καταψηφίζεσθαι ἡμᾶς, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ δίκην καλέσαντας καὶ τόπον ἀπολογίας παρασχομένους, ἂν μὲν ἀδικῶν ἁλίσκηται καὶ ἐπιορκῶν, δίκας τὰς ἐσχάτας ἀπαιτεῖν· ἂν δὲ μηδὲν προσῇ τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἀληθὲς, τῶν ἐγκλημάτων μὲν ἐκεῖνον ἀπολύεσθαι, τοὺς συκοφάντας δὲ αὐτὸ τοῦθ', ὅπερ εἰσὶν, ἀποδείκνυσθαι, συκοφάντας. νυνὶ δὲ πολλῶν ὄντων τῶν ἀπιστίας καὶ ἐπιορκίας διωκόντων, οὐδένα ὁρᾷν, ὃς ἀντικαταστῆναι πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τῆς δίκης τολμήσει, ὥστ' ἐξελέγχειν ἀδικοῦντα. οὐ μὴν ἀλλ' οὐδὲ νῦν τινα διαῤῥήδην ἐκείνου κατηγορεῖν, ὅτι πράττων κακῶς ὦπται καὶ προδότης περὶ ἐμὲ, ὥστ' ἐκ τῶν λεγομένων καὶ αὐτὴν ἔχειν συνορᾷν, εἰ συκοφαντία τὰ εἰρημένα ἢ ἀληθείας ἔχεταί τινος. ἀλλ' οὕτως ὥσπερ ἐκ συνθήματος πάντες αὐτοῦ καταψηφίζονται τὴν βασιλείας ἁρπαγὴν, μηδὲν πλέον προστιθέντες. οὐ δὴ δίκαιον, οὔτ' ἄλλως εὐπρεπὲς ἐμοὶ, τοῖς παρὰ τῶν πολλῶν πεισθεῖσαν λόγοις, οὐδὲν βέβαιον πρὸς ἀπόδειξιν ἔχουσι τῆς ἀληθείας, πόλεμον πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ἐμφύλιον κινεῖν. οὐ γὰρ τῶν πολλῶν εἷς, ὥστ' αὐτοῦ ῥᾷστα πε 2.131 ριγενέσθαι. ἀλλὰ νῦν μὲν τῶν εἰρημένων δῆλον πρὸς αὐτὸν μηδὲν ποιεῖν, ἀλλὰ