That Justinian was not a man, but a demon2 in human shape, as I have already said, may be abundantly proved by considering the enormity of the evils which he inflicted3 upon mankind, for the power of the acting5 cause is manifested in the excessive atrocity6 of his actions. I think that God alone could accurately7 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 devastated8 the vast tract9 of Libya that a traveller, during a long journey, considered it a remarkable10 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 enumerate11 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 exterminated12, together with their wives and children. This country also proved the tomb of numbers of Roman soldiers and of their auxiliaries13 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 goodwill14 of his subjects, but immediately recalled Belisarius on a charge of aspiring15 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 discretion16, and ravage17 and plunder18 the whole of Libya. He sent commissioners19 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 rites20 of their religion. He was dilatory21 in keeping his army well supplied and in an effective condition, while in other respects he was a severe martinet22, so that disturbances23 arose which ended in great loss. He was unable to abide25 by what was established, but was by nature prone26 to throw everything into a state of confusion and disturbance24.
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 overthrew27 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 utterly28 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 Gulf29 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 slain30 or carried away into slavery, so that the solitude31 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 harassed32 them so persistently33, 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, slew34 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 evacuate35 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 truce36, his thoughts were ever craftily37 engaged in endeavouring to find pretexts38 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 investigation39 of heavenly phenomena40 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 reign41 of this prince, the whole world was deluged42 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 impartiality43 in meting44 out punishment for offences, each faction45 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 presumptuous46 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 briefly47 what I have already narrated48 in greater detail. These calamities49, which afflicted50 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 wrought51 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 artifices52 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 avenging53 deities54 to inflict4 these misfortunes. The river Scirtus overflowed55 Edessa, and brought the most grievous calamities upon the inhabitants of the district, as I have already related. The Nile, having overflown56 its banks as usual, did not subside57 at the ordinary time, and caused great suffering among the people. The Cydnus was swollen58, 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 thereby59 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 overthrown60 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 survivors61. 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 ascended62 the Imperial throne.
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1
barbarians
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| n.野蛮人( barbarian的名词复数 )；外国人；粗野的人；无教养的人 | |
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demon
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| n.魔鬼，恶魔 | |
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inflicted
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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inflict
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| vt.(on)把…强加给，使遭受，使承担 | |
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acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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atrocity
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| n.残暴，暴行 | |
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accurately
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| adv.准确地，精确地 | |
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8
devastated
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| v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的 | |
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tract
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| n.传单，小册子，大片(土地或森林) | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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enumerate
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| v.列举，计算，枚举，数 | |
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exterminated
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| v.消灭，根绝( exterminate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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13
auxiliaries
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| n.助动词 ( auxiliary的名词复数 )；辅助工，辅助人员 | |
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goodwill
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| n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉 | |
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aspiring
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| adj.有志气的；有抱负的；高耸的v.渴望；追求 | |
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discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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ravage
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| vt.使...荒废，破坏...；n.破坏，掠夺，荒废 | |
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18
plunder
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| vt.劫掠财物，掠夺；n.劫掠物，赃物；劫掠 | |
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19
commissioners
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| n.专员( commissioner的名词复数 )；长官；委员；政府部门的长官 | |
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rites
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| 仪式，典礼( rite的名词复数 ) | |
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dilatory
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| adj.迟缓的，不慌不忙的 | |
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martinet
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| n.要求严格服从纪律的人 | |
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23
disturbances
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| n.骚乱( disturbance的名词复数 )；打扰；困扰；障碍 | |
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disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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25
abide
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| vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受 | |
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prone
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| adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的 | |
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overthrew
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| overthrow的过去式 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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gulf
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| n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂 | |
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30
slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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31
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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32
harassed
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| adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词 | |
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33
persistently
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| ad.坚持地；固执地 | |
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34
slew
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| v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多 | |
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35
evacuate
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| v.遣送；搬空；抽出；排泄；大(小)便 | |
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36
truce
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| n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束 | |
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craftily
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| 狡猾地，狡诈地 | |
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38
pretexts
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| n.借口，托辞( pretext的名词复数 ) | |
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39
investigation
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| n.调查，调查研究 | |
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phenomena
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| n.现象 | |
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41
reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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42
deluged
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| v.使淹没( deluge的过去式和过去分词 )；淹没；被洪水般涌来的事物所淹没；穷于应付 | |
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43
impartiality
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| n. 公平, 无私, 不偏 | |
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44
meting
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| v.（对某人）施以，给予（处罚等）( mete的现在分词 ) | |
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45
faction
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| n.宗派，小集团；派别；派系斗争 | |
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46
presumptuous
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| adj.胆大妄为的，放肆的，冒昧的，冒失的 | |
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47
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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48
narrated
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| v.故事( narrate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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49
calamities
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| n.灾祸，灾难( calamity的名词复数 )；不幸之事 | |
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50
afflicted
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| 使受痛苦，折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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51
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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52
artifices
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| n.灵巧( artifice的名词复数 )；诡计；巧妙办法；虚伪行为 | |
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53
avenging
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| adj.报仇的，复仇的v.为…复仇，报…之仇( avenge的现在分词 )；为…报复 | |
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54
deities
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| n.神，女神( deity的名词复数 )；神祗；神灵；神明 | |
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55
overflowed
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| 溢出的 | |
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56
overflown
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| v.溢出，淹没( overflow的过去分词 )；充满；挤满了人；扩展出界，过度延伸 | |
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57
subside
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| vi.平静，平息；下沉，塌陷，沉降 | |
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58
swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 | |
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60
overthrown
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| adj. 打翻的，推倒的，倾覆的 动词overthrow的过去分词 | |
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61
survivors
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| 幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 ) | |
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62
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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