g which had been
granted to no prefect before that time. But at daybreak, forgetting all
his fears of things divine and human, he would become again a plague to
all the Romans both in public and in private. And he conversed commonly
with sorcerers, and constantly listened to profane oracles which
portended for him the imperial office, so that he was plainly walking on
air and lifted up by his hopes of the royal power. But in his rascality
and the lawlessness of his conduct there was no moderation or abatement.
And there was in him absolutely no regard for God, and even when he went
to a sanctuary to pray and to pass the night, he did not do at all as
the Christians are wont to do, but he clothed himself in a coarse
garment appropriate to a priest of the old faith which they are now
accustomed to call Hellenic, and throughout that whole night mumbled out
some unholy words which he had practised, praying that the mind of the
emperor might be still more under his control, and that he himself might
be free from harm at the hands of all men.

At this time Belisarius, after subjugating Italy, came to Byzantium at
the summons of the emperor with his wife Antonina, in order to march
against the Persians[32]. And while in the eyes of all others he was an
honoured and distinguished person, as was natural, John alone was
hostile to him and worked actively against him, for no other reason than
that he drew the hatred of all to himself, while Belisarius enjoyed an
unequalled popularity. And it was on him that the hope of the Romans
centred as he marched once more against the Persians, leaving his wife
in Byzantium. Now Antonina, the wife of Belisarius, (for she was the
most capable person in the world to contrive the impossible,) purposing
to do a favour to the empress, devised the following plan. John had a
daughter, Euphemia, who had a great reputation for discretion, but a
very young woman and for this reason very susceptible; this girl was
exceedingly loved by her father, for she was his only child. By treating
this young woman kindly for several days Antonina succeeded most
completely in winning her friendship, and she did not refuse to share
her secrets with her. And on one occasion when she was present alone
with her in her room she pretended to lament the fate which was upon
her, saying that although Belisarius had made the Roman empire broader
by a goodly measure than it had been before, and though he had brought
two captiv