from Sardis a Syrian sausage-seller, named
Bargus, who, with native address, had insinuated himself into his good
graces and obtained a subordinate command in the army. The prying
omniscience of Eutropius discovered that, years before, this same Bargus
had been forbidden to enter Constantinople for some misdemeanor, and by
means of this knowledge he gained an ascendency over the Syrian, and
compelled him to accuse his benefactor, Timasius, of a treasonable
conspiracy, supporting the charge by forgeries. The accused was tried,
condemned, and banished to the Lybian oasis, a punishment equivalent to
death; he was never heard of more. Eutropius, foreseeing that the
continued existence of Bargus might at some time compromise himself,
suborned his wife to lodge very serious charges against her husband, in
consequence of which he was put to death. Whether Eutropius then got rid
of the wife we are not informed.

Among the adherents of Eutropius, who were equally numerous and
insincere, two were of especial importance--Osius, who had risen from
the post of a cook to be count of the sacred largesses, and finally
master of the offices, and Leo, a soldier, corpulent and good-humored,
who was known by the sobriquet of Ajax, a man of great body and little
mind, fond of boasting, fond of eating, fond of drinking, and fond of
women.

On the other hand, Eutropius had many enemies, and enemies in two
different quarters. Romans of the stamp of Timasius and Aurelian were
naturally opposed to the supremacy of an emasculated chamberlain; while,
as we shall see subsequently, the German element in the empire,
represented by Gainas, was also inimical. It seems certain that a
serious confederacy was formed in the year 397, aiming at the overthrow
of Eutropius. Though this is not stated by any writer, it seems an
inevitable conclusion from the law which was passed in the autumn of
that year, assessing the penalty of death to anyone who had conspired
"with soldiers or private persons, including barbarians," against the
lives "of _illustres_ who belong to our consistory or assist at our
counsels," or other senators, such a conspiracy being considered
equivalent to treason. Intent was to be regarded as equivalent to crime,
and not only did the individual concerned incur capital punishment, but
his descendants were visited with disfranchisement.

It is generally recognized that this law was an express palladium for
chamberlains; but surely it must