That Justinian was not a man, but a demon in human shape, as I have
already said, may be abundantly proved by considering the enormity of
the evils which he inflicted upon mankind, for the power of the acting
cause is manifested in the excessive atrocity of his actions. I think
that God alone could accurately reckon the number of those who were
destroyed by him, and it would be easier for a man to count the grains
of sand on the sea-shore than the number of his victims. Considering
generally the extent of country which was depopulated by him, I assert
that more than two millions of people perished. He so devastated the
vast tract of Libya that a traveller, during a long journey,
considered it a remarkable thing to meet a single man; and yet there
were eighty thousand Vandals who bore arms, besides women, children
and servants without number. In addition to these, who amongst men
could enumerate the ancient inhabitants who dwelt in the cities,
tilled the land, and traded on the coast, of whom I myself have seen
vast numbers with my own eyes? The natives of Mauretania were even
still more numerous, and they were all exterminated, together with
their wives and children. This country also proved the tomb of numbers
of Roman soldiers and of their auxiliaries from Byzantium. Therefore,
if one were to assert that five millions perished in that country, I
do not feel sure that he would not under-estimate the number. The
reason of this was that Justinian, immediately after the defeat of the
Vandals, did not take measures to strengthen his hold upon the
country, and showed no anxiety to protect his interests by securing
the goodwill of his subjects, but immediately recalled Belisarius on a
charge of aspiring to royal power (which would by no means have suited
him) in order that he might manage the affairs of the country at his
own discretion, and ravage and plunder the whole of Libya. He sent
commissioners to value the province, and imposed new and most harsh
taxes upon the inhabitants. He seized the best and most fertile
estates, and prohibited the Arians from exercising the rites of their
religion. He was dilatory in keeping his army well supplied and in an
effective condition, while in other respects he was a severe martinet,
so that disturbances arose which ended in great loss. He was unable to
abide by what was established, but was by nature prone to throw
everything into a state of confusion and disturbance.
Italy, which was three times larger than Libya, was depopulated far
more than the latter throughout its whole extent, whence a computation
may be made of the number of those who perished there, for I have
already spoken of the origin of the events that took place in Italy.
All his crimes in Africa were repeated in Italy; having despatched
Logothetae to this country also, he immediately overthrew and ruined
everything.
Before the Italian war, the Empire of the Goths extended from the
territory of the Gauls to the boundaries of Dacia, and the city of
Sirmium; but, when the Roman army arrived in Italy, the greater part
of Cisalpine Gaul and of the territory of the Venetians was in the
occupation of the Germans. Sirmium and the adjacent country was in the
hands of the Gepidae. The entire tract of country, however, was
utterly depopulated; war and its attendant evils, disease and famine,
had exterminated the inhabitants. Illyria and the whole of Thrace,
that is to say, the countries between the Ionian Gulf and the suburbs
of Byzantium, including Hellas and the Chersonese, were overrun nearly
every year after the accession of Justinian by the Huns, Slavs and
Antes, who inflicted intolerable sufferings upon the inhabitants. I
believe that, on the occasion of each of these inroads, more than two
hundred thousand Romans were either slain or carried away into
slavery, so that the solitude of Scythia overspread these provinces.
Such were the results of the wars in Libya and Europe. During all this
time, the Saracens also made perpetual inroads upon the Eastern
Romans, from Egypt to the Persian frontiers, and harassed them so
persistently, that those districts gradually became depopulated. I
believe it would be impossible for anyone to estimate correctly the
number of men who perished there.
The Persians under Chosroes thrice invaded the rest of the Roman
territory, destroyed the cities, slew or carried off those whom they
found in the captured towns in each district, and depopulated the
country wherever they attacked it. From the time they entered Colchis,
the losses were divided between themselves, the Lazes, and the Romans,
as up to the present day.
However, neither Persians, Saracens, Huns, Slavs, nor any other
barbarians were themselves able to evacuate Roman territory without
considerable loss, for, in their inroads, and still more in their
sieges and engagements, they often met with numerous reverses which
inflicted equal disasters upon them. Thus not only the Romans, but
almost all the barbarians, felt the bloodthirstiness of Justinian.
Chosroes (as I have stated in the proper place) was certainly a man of
depraved character, but it was Justinian who always took the
initiative in bringing about war with this prince, for he took no care
to adapt his policy to circumstances, but did everything at the wrong
moment. In time of peace or truce, his thoughts were ever craftily
engaged in endeavouring to find pretexts for war against his
neighbours. In war, he lost heart without reason, and, owing to his
meanness, he never made his preparations in good time; and, instead of
devoting his earnest attention to such matters, he busied himself with
the investigation of heavenly phenomena and with curious researches
into the nature of God. Nevertheless, he would not abandon war, being
by nature tyrannical and bloodthirsty, although he was unable to
overcome his enemies, since his meanness prevented him from making the
necessary preparations. Thus, during the reign of this prince, the
whole world was deluged with the blood of nearly all the Romans and
barbarians.
Such were the events that took place, during the wars abroad,
throughout the whole of the Roman Empire; but the disturbances in
Byzantium and every other city caused equal bloodshed; for, since no
regard was had to justice or impartiality in meting out punishment for
offences, each faction being eager to gain the favour of the Emperor,
neither party was able to keep quiet. They alternately abandoned
themselves to the madness of despair or presumptuous vanity, according
as they failed or succeeded in ingratiating themselves with him.
Sometimes they attacked one another _en masse_, sometimes in small
bands, sometimes in single combat, or set ambuscades for each other at
every opportunity. For thirty-two years without intermission they
inflicted horrible cruelties upon one another. They were frequently
put to death by the Praefect of the city, although punishment for
offences fell most heavily upon the Green faction. The punishment of
the Samaritans also, and other so-called heretics, deluged the Roman
Empire with blood. Let it suffice, on the present occasion, to recall
briefly what I have already narrated in greater detail. These
calamities, which afflicted the whole world, took place during the
reign of this demon in the form of a man, for which he himself, when
Emperor, was responsible. I will now proceed to relate the evils he
wrought by some hidden force and demoniacal power.
During his control of the Empire, numerous disasters of various kinds
occurred, which some attributed to the presence and artifices of his
evil genius, while others declared that the Divinity, in detestation
of his works, having turned away in disgust from the Roman Empire, had
given permission to the avenging deities to inflict these misfortunes.
The river Scirtus overflowed Edessa, and brought the most grievous
calamities upon the inhabitants of the district, as I have already
related. The Nile, having overflown its banks as usual, did not
subside at the ordinary time, and caused great suffering among the
people. The Cydnus was swollen, and nearly the whole of Tarsus lay for
several days under water; and it did not subside until it had wrought
irreparable damage to the city.
Several cities were destroyed by earth-quake--Antioch, the chief city
of the East, Seleucia, and Anazarbus, the most famous town in Cilicia.
Who could calculate the numbers of those who were thereby destroyed?
To these cities we may add Ibora, Amasea (the chief city of Pontus),
Polybotus in Phrygia (called Polymede by the Pisidians), Lychnidus in
Epirus, and Corinth, cities which from ancient times had been thickly
populated. All these cities were overthrown at that time by an
earthquake, during which nearly all their inhabitants perished.
Afterwards the plague (which I have spoken of before) began to rage,
and swept away nearly half the survivors. Such were the disasters that
afflicted mankind, from the day when Justinian first commenced to
manage the affairs of the kingdom to the time, and after he had
ascended the Imperial throne.