interview for which she
passionately sued. It told strongly against both her and Belisarius
when spies of the Empress bore witness that they had seen young Anicius
steal by night into the house of Belisarius for weeks together. And it
shocked the judges that Anicius himself, Antonina and Belisarius,
continued obstinately to deny their guilt, although it was so fully
proved. Immediately after the arrest I was sent for by my master, to
tell Antonina that he had been most painfully surprised to find that
Belisarius was _really_ at the head of the conspiracy; and at the same
time to say that he had found not alone letters of hatred in the
cistern belonging to Anicius. As I said these words, which I did not
understand, the beautiful wife of Belisarius fell fainting to the
ground.--We left Byzantium before Belisarius was sentenced; but Photius
and most of the others were already condemned to death as we set sail
with the imperial fleet for Epidamnus, where my master's tribunes and
mercenaries, and the imperial forces originally intended for the
Persian wars, were awaiting us. For my master had been honoured with
the newly-created dignity of Magister Militum per Italium, and the
command of the 'first army.' The 'second army' was to be brought after
us by Prince Areobindos, when he had accomplished the easy task of
overpowering the small Gothic garrisons in the towns of Epirus and the
islands with a force five times their number."

"What is said will be the punishment of Belisarius?" asked Lucius
Licinius. "I could never have believed that that man----"

"The judge will certainly condemn him to death, for his guilt is clear.
But people speculate as to whether the Emperor's anger or his former
affection for the general will get the victory. Most of them think that
the Emperor will change the sentence of death into one of banishment
and loss of sight. My master says that Belisarius's senseless denial of
his guilt does him great harm. And he is also without the assistance of
his wise friend Procopius, who is absent in Asia. Cethegus managed the
embarkation of the troops to Epidamnus with such secrecy that the
stupid Goths, who, besides, reckoned upon the armistice, were
completely taken by surprise; and while the crews were sleeping on
shore, the scantily-guarded Gothic fleet was taken and destroyed. But
hark! here comes my master; he alone has such a proud step?"

From Licinius Cethegus now learned that not only had he obtaine