ar
island of Venus. The vague commerce of Theodora, and the most detestable
precautions, preserved her from the danger which she feared; yet once,
and once only, she became a mother. The infant was saved and educated in
Arabia, by his father, who imparted to him on his death-bed, that he
was the son of an empress. Filled with ambitious hopes, the unsuspecting
youth immediately hastened to the palace of Constantinople, and was
admitted to the presence of his mother. As he was never more seen,
even after the decease of Theodora, she deserves the foul imputation
of extinguishing with his life a secret so offensive to her Imperial
virtue. [2611]

[Footnote 20: For the life and manners of the empress Theodora see the
Anecdotes; more especially c. 1--5, 9, 10--15, 16, 17, with the learned
notes of Alemannus--a reference which is always implied.]

[Footnote 21: Comito was afterwards married to Sittas, duke of Armenia,
the father, perhaps, at least she might be the mother, of the empress
Sophia. Two nephews of Theodora may be the sons of Anastasia, (Aleman.
p. 30, 31.)]

[Footnote 22: Her statute was raised at Constantinople, on a porphyry
column. See Procopius, (de Edif. l. i. c. 11,) who gives her portrait
in the Anecdotes, (c. 10.) Aleman. (p. 47) produces one from a Mosaic at
Ravenna, loaded with pearls and jewels, and yet handsome.]

[Footnote 23: A fragment of the Anecdotes, (c. 9,) somewhat too naked,
was suppressed by Alemannus, though extant in the Vatican Ms.; nor has
the defect been supplied in the Paris or Venice editions. La Mothe
le Vayer (tom. viii. p. 155) gave the first hint of this curious and
genuine passage, (Jortin's Remarks, vol. iv. p. 366,) which he had
received from Rome, and it has been since published in the Menagiana
(tom. iii. p. 254--259) with a Latin version.]

[Footnote 24: After the mention of a narrow girdle, (as none could
appear stark naked in the theatre,) Procopius thus proceeds. I have
heard that a learned prelate, now deceased, was fond of quoting this
passage in conversation.]

[Footnote 25: Theodora surpassed the Crispa of Ausonius, (Epigram
lxxi.,) who imitated the capitalis luxus of the females of Nola. See
Quintilian Institut. viii. 6, and Torrentius ad Horat. Sermon. l. i.
sat. 2, v. 101. At a memorable supper, thirty slaves waited round the
table ten young men feasted with Theodora. Her charity was universal. Et
lassata viris, necdum satiata, recessit.]

[Footnote 26: She