e kings and so great an amount of wealth to Byzantium, he
found Justinian ungrateful; and in other respects she slandered the
government as not just. Now Euphemia was overjoyed by these words, for
she too was hostile to the present administration by reason of her fear
of the empress, and she said: "And yet, dearest friend, it is you and
Belisarius who are to blame for this, seeing that, though you have
opportunity, you are not willing to use your power." And Antonina
replied quickly: "It is because we are not able, my daughter, to
undertake revolutions in camp, unless some of those here at home join
with us in the task. Now if your father were willing, we should most
easily organize this project and accomplish whatever God wills." When
Euphemia heard this, she promised eagerly that the suggestion would be
carried out, and departing from there she immediately brought the matter
before her father. And he was pleased by the message (for he inferred
that this undertaking offered him a way to the fulfilment of his
prophecies and to the royal power), and straightway without any
hesitation he assented, and bade his child arrange that on the following
day he himself should come to confer with Antonina and give pledges.
When Antonina learned the mind of John, she wished to lead him as far as
possible astray from the understanding of the truth, so she said that
for the present it was inadvisable that he should meet her, for fear
lest some suspicion should arise strong enough to prevent proceedings;
but she was intending straightway to depart for the East to join
Belisarius. When, therefore, she had quit Byzantium and had reached the
suburb (the one called Rufinianae which was the private possession of
Belisarius), there John should come as if to salute her and to escort
her forth on the journey, and they should confer regarding matters of
state and give and receive their pledges. In saying this she seemed to
John to speak well, and a certain day was appointed to carry out the
plan. And the empress, hearing the whole account from Antonina,
expressed approval of what she had planned, and by her exhortations
raised her enthusiasm to a much higher pitch still.

When the appointed day was at hand, Antonina bade the empress farewell
and departed from the city, and she went to Rufinianae, as if to begin
on the following day her journey to the East; hither too came John at
night in order to carry out the plan which had been agreed upon.