whom I once
named to you as the greatest man of the age."

"To be sure," said Cethegus to himself, "and now he will also be the
most magnanimous."

"As soon as the news reached him in the Baths of Nikomedia--whither the
sick man had repaired--he hurried back to Byzantium. He sent for me and
said: 'You know well that it would have been my greatest pleasure to
beat Belisarius thoroughly in the open field; but he who has been my
great and noble rival shall not perish miserably because of these lies.
Come with me. We two--his greatest friend and his greatest enemy--will
together save that impetuous man.' And he demanded an audience of the
Emperor, which was at once granted to the enemy of Belisarius. Then he
said to Justinian: 'It is impossible that Belisarius is a traitor. His
only failing is his blind fidelity to your ingratitude.' But Justinian
was deaf. Then Narses laid his marshal's staff at the Emperor's feet
and said: 'Well, either you will annul the sentence of the judges, and
permit a new inquiry, or you will lose both your generals on one day.
For, on the same day that Belisarius goes into exile, I go too. Then
see to it, who will guard your doors from the Goths, Persians, and
Saracens.' And the Emperor hesitated, and demanded three days' time for
consideration, and meanwhile Narses was to be allowed to look through
the papers in company with me, and to speak to Anicius and all
concerned. I soon perceived from the papers that the worst proof
against Belisarius--for I hoped to be able to explain away the consent
which he had written upon the tablet found in the house of Photius--was
the secret and midnight visits of Anicius, which Belisarius, Antonina,
and Anicius himself, obstinately and unreasonably denied. I then spoke
to Antonina in private. I told her that these visits and their denial
would be the ruin of Belisarius. Then she cried with sparkling eyes:
'Then I alone will be ruined, and Belisarius shall be saved! He really
knew nothing of these visits, for Anicius did not come to him--he came
to me. All the world shall know it--even Belisarius! He may kill me,
but he shall be saved!' And she gave me a little bundle of letters from
Anicius, which, certainly, when laid before the Emperor, would explain
everything, but would also accuse the _Empress_ in a terrible manner.
And how firmly stood Theodora at that time in the esteem of Justinian!
I hastened with these letters to Narses. He read them through and said