ress Theodora had
reached the term of her life. However, he was quite unable to recover
any of his former dignities, but he continued to hold the priestly
honour against his will; and yet the vision had often come to the man
that he would arrive at royalty. For the divine power is accustomed to
tempt those whose minds are not solidly grounded by nature, by holding
before their vision, on great and lofty hopes, that which is counted
splendid among men. At any rate the marvel-mongers were always
predicting to this John many such imaginary things, and especially that
he was bound to be clothed in the garment of Augustus. Now there was a
certain priest in Byzantium, Augustus by name, who guarded the treasures
of the temple of Sophia. So when John had been shorn and declared worthy
of the priestly dignity by force, inasmuch as he had no garment becoming
a priest, he had been compelled by those who were in charge of this
business to put on the cloak and the tunic of this Augustus who was near
by, and in this, I suppose, his prophecy reached its fulfilment.

FOOTNOTES:

[1]

That is, the Saracens subject to the Romans and those subject to the
Persians.

[2]

Cf. Book I. xxii. 4.

[3]

The Huns placed a part of their force in the rear of the defenders of
the pass, which lies between the sea and the mountains, sending them
around by the same path, probably, as that used by Xerxes when he
destroyed Leonidas and his three hundred Spartans; see _Herod_. vii.
216-218.

[4]

"Secretary of secrets."

[5]

Cf. Book I. xxii. 4.

[6]

Cf. Book II. i. 13; iii. 47.

[7]

Cf. Book I. xxii. 4.

[8]

Cf. Book II. xxi. 30-32.

[9]

This term was applied to the "Blue Faction" in Byzantium and elsewhere.

[10]

Cf. Book I. xxii. 4.

[11]

Nine MS. lines are missing at this point.

[12]

Cf. Book II. x. 24.

[13]

Cf. Book I. xii. 4 ff.

[14]

Cf. Book I. viii. 21-22.

[15]

Cf. chap. v. 31.

[16]

_I.e._ "groin."

[17]

Modern Galata.

[18]

The official dress.

[19]

Vesta.

[20]

Cf. section 9 above.

[21]

Cf. Book II. xii. 31-34.

[22]

Latin _agger_, "mound."

[23]

"Three Towers."

[24]

Cf. Book I. xii. 5 ff.

[25]

Book II. xix. 23.

[26]

Procopius seems to have confused two separate and distinct rivers.

[27]

Cf. Book II. xv. 11.

[28]

Latin _clausura_, "a narrow shut-in road."

* * * * *

INDEX