y her, who would compete amongst themselves to
see which of them might best be able to accommodate his decision to
the cruelty of Theodora. The property of the accused was immediately
confiscated, after he had first been cruelly flogged by her orders
(although he might be descended from an illustrious family), nor had
she any scruples about banishing, or even putting him to death. On the
other hand, if any of her favourites were found guilty of murder or
any other great crime, she pulled to pieces and scoffed at the efforts
of the accusers, and forced them, against their will, to abandon
proceedings. Whenever it pleased her, she turned affairs of the
greatest importance into ridicule, as if they were taking place upon
the stage of the theatre. A certain patrician, of advanced age, and
who had for a long time held office (whose name is known to me,
although I will not disclose it, in order to avoid bringing infinite
disgrace upon him), being unable to recover a large sum of money which
was owing to him from one of Theodora's attendants, applied to her,
intending to press his claim against the debtor, and to beg her to
assist him in obtaining his rights. Having heard of this beforehand,
Theodora ordered her eunuchs to surround the patrician in a body on
his arrival, and to listen to what was said by her, so that they might
reply in a set form of words previously suggested by her. When the
patrician entered her chamber, he prostrated himself at her feet in
the usual manner, and, with tears in his eyes, thus addressed her:

"O sovereign lady! it is hard for a patrician to be in want of money;
for that which in the case of others excites pity and compassion,
becomes, in the case of a person of rank, a calamity and a disgrace.
When any ordinary individual is in great straits, and informs his
creditors, this immediately affords him relief from his trouble; but a
patrician, when unable to pay his creditors, would, in the first
place, be ashamed to own it; and, if he did so, he would never make
them believe it, since the world is firmly convinced that poverty can
never be associated with our class; even if he _should_ persuade them
to believe it, it would be the greatest blow to his dignity and
reputation that could happen. Well, my lady, I owe money to some,
while others owe money to me. Out of respect for my rank, I cannot
cheat my creditors, who are pressing me sorely, whereas my debtors,
not being patricians, have recourse t