y
dreaded the revenge, or rather the justice, of the veteran general, who
might speedily assemble an army in Thrace to punish the assassins, and
perhaps to enjoy the fruits of their crime. Delay afforded time for rash
communications and honest confessions: Artaban and his accomplices were
condemned by the senate, but the extreme clemency of Justinian detained
them in the gentle confinement of the palace, till he pardoned their
flagitious attempt against his throne and life. If the emperor forgave
his enemies, he must cordially embrace a friend whose victories were
alone remembered, and who was endeared to his prince by the recent
circumstances of their common danger. Belisarius reposed from his toils,
in the high station of general of the East and count of the domestics;
and the older consuls and patricians respectfully yielded the precedency
of rank to the peerless merit of the first of the Romans. [20] The
first of the Romans still submitted to be the slave of his wife; but the
servitude of habit and affection became less disgraceful when the death
of Theodora had removed the baser influence of fear. Joannina, their
daughter, and the sole heiress of their fortunes, was betrothed to
Anastasius, the grandson, or rather the nephew, of the empress, [21]
whose kind interposition forwarded the consummation of their youthful
loves. But the power of Theodora expired, the parents of Joannina
returned, and her honor, perhaps her happiness, were sacrificed to the
revenge of an unfeeling mother, who dissolved the imperfect nuptials
before they had been ratified by the ceremonies of the church. [22]

[Footnote 19: This conspiracy is related by Procopius (Gothic. l.
iii. c. 31, 32) with such freedom and candor, that the liberty of the
Anecdotes gives him nothing to add.]

[Footnote 20: The honors of Belisarius are gladly commemorated by his
secretary, (Procop. Goth. l. iii. c. 35, l. iv. c. 21.) This title is
ill translated, at least in this instance, by praefectus praetorio; and
to a military character, magister militum is more proper and applicable,
(Ducange, Gloss. Graec. p. 1458, 1459.)]

[Footnote 21: Alemannus, (ad Hist. Arcanum, p. 68,) Ducange, (Familiae
Byzant. p. 98,) and Heineccius, (Hist. Juris Civilis, p. 434,) all three
represent Anastasius as the son of the daughter of Theodora; and their
opinion firmly reposes on the unambiguous testimony of Procopius,
(Anecdot. c. 4, 5,--twice repeated.) And yet I will remark, 1.