d with a great daemon--a monk saw the
prince of the daemons, instead of Justinian, on the throne--the servants
who watched beheld a face without features, a body walking without a
head, &c., &c. Procopius declares his own and his friends' belief in
these diabolical stories, (c. 12.)]

[Footnote 19: Montesquieu (Considerations sur la Grandeur et la
Decadence des Romains, c. xx.) gives credit to these anecdotes,
as connected, 1. with the weakness of the empire, and, 2. with the
instability of Justinian's laws.]

[Footnote 1911: The Anecdota of Procopius, compared with the former
works of the same author, appear to me the basest and most disgraceful
work in literature. The wars, which he has described in the former
volumes as glorious or necessary, are become unprofitable and wanton
massacres; the buildings which he celebrated, as raised to the
immortal honor of the great emperor, and his admirable queen, either as
magnificent embellishments of the city, or useful fortifications for
the defence of the frontier, are become works of vain prodigality
and useless ostentation. I doubt whether Gibbon has made sufficient
allowance for the "malignity" of the Anecdota; at all events, the
extreme and disgusting profligacy of Theodora's early life rests
entirely on this viratent libel--M.]

I. In the exercise of supreme power, the first act of Justinian was to
divide it with the woman whom he loved, the famous Theodora, [20] whose
strange elevation cannot be applauded as the triumph of female virtue.
Under the reign of Anastasius, the care of the wild beasts maintained by
the green faction at Constantinople was intrusted to Acacius, a native
of the Isle of Cyprus, who, from his employment, was surnamed the master
of the bears. This honorable office was given after his death to another
candidate, notwithstanding the diligence of his widow, who had already
provided a husband and a successor. Acacius had left three daughters,
Comito, [21] Theodora, and Anastasia, the eldest of whom did not then
exceed the age of seven years. On a solemn festival, these helpless
orphans were sent by their distressed and indignant mother, in the garb
of suppliants, into the midst of the theatre: the green faction received
them with contempt, the blues with compassion; and this difference,
which sunk deep into the mind of Theodora, was felt long afterwards in
the administration of the empire. As they improved in age and beauty,
the three sisters were su