.
Now as long as the former Empress was alive, Justinian was unable to
find a way to make Theodora his wedded wife. In this one matter she
opposed him as in nothing else: for the lady abhorred vice, being a
rustic and of barbarian descent, as I have shown. She was never able to
do any real good, because of her continued ignorance of the affairs of
state. She dropped her original name, for fear people would think it
ridiculous, and adopted the name of Euphemia when she came to the
palace. But finally her death removed this obstacle to Justinian's
desire.
Justin, doting and utterly senile, was now the laughing stock of his
subjects; he was disregarded by everyone because of his inability to
oversee state affairs; but Justinian they all served with considerable
awe. His hand was in everything, and his passion for turmoil created
universal consternation.
It was then that he undertook to complete his marriage with Theodora.
But as it was impossible for a man of senatorial rank to make a
courtesan his wife, this being forbidden by ancient law, he made the
Emperor nullify this ordinance by creating a new one, permitting him to
wed Theodora, and consequently making it possible for anyone else to
marry a courtesan.
Immediately after this he seized the power of the Emperor, veiling his
usurpation with a transparent pretext: for he was proclaimed colleague
of his uncle as Emperor of the Romans by the questionable legality of an
election inspired by terror.
So Justinian and Theodora ascended the imperial throne three days before
Easter, a time, indeed, when even making visits or greeting one's
friends is forbidden. And not many days later Justin died of an illness,
after a reign of nine years. Justinian was now sole .monarch, together,
of course, with Theodora.
Thus it was that Theodora, though born and brought up as I have related,
rose to royal dignity over all obstacles. For no thought of shame came
to Justinian in marrying her, though he might have taken his pick of the
noblest born, most highly educated, most modest, carefully nurtured,
virtuous and beautiful virgins of all the ladies in the whole Roman
Empire: a maiden, as they say, with upstanding breasts. Instead, he
preferred to make his own :what, had been common to all men, alike,
careless of all her revealed history, took in wedlock a woman who was
not only guilty of every other contamination but boasted of her many
abortions.
I need hardly mention any other proof of the character of this man: for
all the perversity of his soul was completely displayed in this union;
which alone was ample interpreter, witness, and historian of his
shamelessness. For when a man once disregards the disgrace of his
actions and is willing to brave the contempt of society, no path of
lawlessness is thereafter taboo to him; but with unflinching countenance
he advances, easily and without a scruple, to acts of the deepest
infamy.
However, not a single member of even the Senate, seeing this disgrace
befalling the State, dared to complain or forbid the event; but all of
them bowed down before her as if she were a goddess. Nor was there a
priest who showed any resentment, but all hastened to greet her as
Highness. And the populace who had seen her before on the stage,
directly raised its hands to proclaim itself her slave in fact and in
name. Nor did any soldier grumble at being ordered to risk the perils of
war for the benefit of Theodora: nor was there any man on earth who
ventured to oppose her.
Confronted with this disgrace, they all yielded, I suppose, to
necessity, for it was as if Fate were giving proof of its power to
control mortal affairs as malignantly as it pleases: showing that its
decrees need not always be according to reason or human propriety. Thus
does Destiny sometimes raise mortals suddenly to lofty heights in
defiance of reason, in challenge to all out cries of injustice; but
admits no obstacle, urging on his favorites to the appointed goal
without let or hindrance. But as this is the will of God, so let it
befall and be written.
Now Theodora was fair of face and of a very graceful, though small,
person; her complexion was moderately colorful, if somewhat pale; and
her eyes were dazzling and vivacious. All eternity would not be long
enough to allow one to tell her escapades while she was on the stage,
but the few details I have mentioned above should be sufficient to
demonstrate the woman's character to future generations.
What she and her husband did together must now be briefly described: for
neither did anything without the consent of the other. For some time it
was generally supposed they were totally different in mind and action;
but later it was revealed that their apparent disagreement had been
arranged so that their subjects might not unanimously revolt against
them, but instead be divided in opinion.
Thus they split the Christians into two parties, each pretending to take
the part of one side, thus confusing both, as I shall soon show; and
then they ruined both political factions. Theodora feigned to support
the Blues with all her power, encouraging them to take the offensive
against the opposing party and perform the most outrageous deeds of
violence; while Justinian, affecting to be vexed and secretly jealous of
her, also pretended he could not openly oppose her orders. And thus
they gave the impression often that they were acting in opposition. Then
he would rule that the Blues must be punished for their crimes, and she
would angrily complain that against her will she was defeated by her
husband. However, the Blue partisans, as I have said, seemed cautious,
for they did not violate their neighbors as much as they might have
done.
And in legal disputes each of the two would pretend to favor one of the
litigants, and compel the man with the worse case to win: and so they
robbed both disputants of most of the property at issue.
In the same way, the Emperor, taking many persons into his intimacy,
gave them offices by power of which they could defraud the State to the
limits of their ambition. And as soon as they had collected enough
plunder, they would fall out of favor with Theodora, and straightway be
ruined. At first he would affect great sympathy in their behalf, but
soon he would somehow lose his confidence in them, and an air of doubt
would darken his zeal in their behalf. Then Theodora would use them
shamefully, while he, unconscious as it were of what was being done to
them, confiscated their properties and boldly enjoyed their wealth. By
such well-planned hypocrisies they confused the public and, pretending
to be at variance with each other, were able to establish a firm and
mutual tyranny.
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