I must not, however, omit to mention the manner in which Justinian treated the soldiers. He appointed commissioners4, called Logothetae,17 with directions to squeeze as much money as they could out of them, a twelfth part of the sum thus obtained being assured to them. The following was their mode of operation every year. It was an established custom that the soldiers should not all have the same pay. Those who were young, and had just joined, received less than those who had undergone hardships in the field and were already half-way up the list; while the veterans, whose term of service was all but over, received a more considerable sum, that they might have sufficient to live upon as private individuals, and, after their death, might be able to leave a small inheritance by way of consolation5 to their families. Thus, in course of time, the soldiers gradually rose in rank, according as their comrades died or retired6 from the service, and their pay from the public funds was regulated in accordance with their seniority. But these commissioners would not allow the names of those who had died or fallen in battle to be struck out, or the vacancies7 to be filled, until a long interval8 had elapsed. The result was, that the army was short of men, and the survivors9, after the death of the veterans, were kept in a position far inferior to their merits, and received less pay than they ought to have done, while in the meantime the commissioners handed over to Justinian the money they thus purloined10 from the soldiers. In addition, they harassed11 the soldiers with several other kinds of injustices12, by way of recompense for the dangers they had undergone in the field; they were taunted13 with the name of Greeks, as if Greece could never produce a brave soldier; others were cashiered, as not having been ordered by the Emperor to serve, although they showed their commissions, the genuineness of which the Logothetae did not hesitate to call in question; others, again, were disbanded for having absented themselves a short time from their quarters. Afterwards, some of the Palace Guards were sent into every part of the Empire to take an exact inventory14 of the soldiers who were or were not fit for service. Some were deprived of their belts, as being useless and too old, and for the future were obliged to solicit15 alms from the charitable in the open market-place—a sad and melancholy16 spectacle to all beholders. The rest were reduced to such a state of terror that, in order to avoid similar treatment, they offered large sums of money to buy themselves out, so that the soldiers, being thus rendered destitute17 and in many ways enfeebled, conceived an utter aversion to the service.
This endangered the authority of the Romans, especially in Italy. Alexander, who was sent thither18 as commissioner3, unhesitatingly reproached the soldiers for this. He also exacted large sums of money from the Italians, under the pretence19 of punishing them for their negotiations20 with Theoderic and the Goths. The soldiers were not the only persons who were reduced to poverty and privation by the commissioners; but those who had accompanied the generals in different capacities and had formerly21 enjoyed a high reputation, found themselves in great distress22, as they had no means of procuring23 the ordinary necessaries. Since I am speaking of the soldiers, I will give a few additional details. Preceding Emperors had, for a very long time past, carefully posted upon all the frontiers of the Empire a large military force to protect its boundaries, and particularly, in the Eastern provinces, in order to repel24 the inroads of the Persians and Saracens, they had established garrisons called “frontier troops.” Justinian at first treated these troops with such shameful25 neglect that their pay was four, or even five years in arrear26; and, when peace was concluded between Rome and Persia, these unhappy individuals, who expected to enjoy the advantages of peace, were obliged to make a present to the treasury27 of the money due to them; and the Emperor finally disbanded them most unjustly. Thus the frontiers of the Roman Empire remained ungarrisoned, and the troops had nothing to subsist28 upon except the benevolence29 of the charitable.
There was a certain body of soldiers, about 3,500 in number, called “Scholares,” who had been originally appointed as an imperial palace-guard, and received a larger pay from the imperial treasury than the rest of the army. They were first chosen according to merit from the Armenians; but, from the reign30 of Zeno, anyone, however cowardly and unwarlike, was allowed to enter this body. In course of time, even slaves, on payment of a sum of money, were admitted to their ranks. When Justin succeeded to the throne, Justinian enrolled31 a large number on payment of considerable sums of money. When the list was filled up, he added about 2,000 more who were called “Supernumeraries,” but disbanded them, when he himself came to the throne, without any reimbursement32. In regard to these “Scholares,” he invented the following plan: Whenever it was probable that an expedition would be despatched to Italy, Libya, or Persia, he ordered them to make ready to take part in the campaign, although he knew that they were utterly33 unfit for war; and they, being afraid of this, surrendered their salaries to the Emperor. This was a frequent occurrence. When Peter was “Master of Offices,” he daily harassed them with monstrous34 thefts. This man, although he was of a mild and by no means overbearing disposition35, was the greatest thief in the world and an absolute slave to sordid36 avarice37. He it was who (as I have related) contrived38 the murder of Amalasunta, the daughter of Theodoric.
There are in the imperial household other officers of much higher rank, who, having purchased their positions for a larger sum, receive better pay in proportion. These are called “Domestics” and “Protectors.” They have always been exempt39 from military service, and are only reckoned members of the palace on account of their dignity and rank. Some of them are constantly in Byzantium, while others have long been established in Galatia or other provinces. Justinian frightened these in the same manner into abandoning their salaries to him. In conclusion, it was the custom that, every five years, the Emperor should present each of the soldiers with a fixed40 sum in gold. Accordingly, every five years, commissioners were despatched to all parts of the Empire, to bestow41 five staters of gold upon every soldier as a gift from the Emperor. This had long been an established and inviolable practice. But, from the day that Justinian assumed the management of affairs, he did nothing of the kind, and showed no intention of doing so during the thirty-two years of his reign, so that the custom was almost completely forgotten.
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1
promotion
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| n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传 | |
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2
garrisons
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| 守备部队，卫戍部队( garrison的名词复数 ) | |
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3
commissioner
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| n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员 | |
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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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consolation
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| n.安慰，慰问 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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vacancies
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| n.空房间( vacancy的名词复数 )；空虚；空白；空缺 | |
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8
interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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survivors
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| 幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 ) | |
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10
purloined
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| v.偷窃( purloin的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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11
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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12
injustices
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| 不公平( injustice的名词复数 )； 非正义； 待…不公正； 冤枉 | |
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13
taunted
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| 嘲讽( taunt的过去式和过去分词 )； 嘲弄； 辱骂； 奚落 | |
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14
inventory
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| n.详细目录，存货清单 | |
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15
solicit
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| vi.勾引；乞求；vt.请求，乞求；招揽(生意) | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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destitute
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| adj.缺乏的；穷困的 | |
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18
thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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pretence
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| n.假装，作假；借口，口实；虚伪；虚饰 | |
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20
negotiations
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| 协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过 | |
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21
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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23
procuring
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的现在分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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24
repel
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| v.击退，抵制，拒绝，排斥 | |
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shameful
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| adj.可耻的，不道德的 | |
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arrear
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| n.欠款 | |
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27
treasury
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| n.宝库；国库，金库；文库 | |
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28
subsist
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| vi.生存，存在，供养 | |
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29
benevolence
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| n.慈悲，捐助 | |
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30
reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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31
enrolled
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| adj.入学登记了的v.[亦作enrol]( enroll的过去式和过去分词 )；登记，招收，使入伍（或入会、入学等），参加，成为成员；记入名册；卷起，包起 | |
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reimbursement
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| n.偿还，退还 | |
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33
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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34
monstrous
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| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
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35
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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36
sordid
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| adj.肮脏的，不干净的，卑鄙的，暗淡的 | |
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avarice
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| n.贪婪；贪心 | |
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38
contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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39
exempt
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| adj.免除的；v.使免除；n.免税者，被免除义务者 | |
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40
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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41
bestow
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| v.把…赠与，把…授予；花费 | |
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