The Secret History of the Court of Justinian

he wife of Belisarius, whom I have spoken of in my previous writings, was

the daughter and grand-daughter of chariot-drivers, men who had prac-

tised their art in the circus at Byzantium and at Thessalonica. Her mother

was one of the prostitutes of the theatre. She herself at first lived a lewd life,

giving herself up to unbridled debauchery; besides this, she devoted herself

to the study of the drugs which had long been used in her family, and learned

the properties of those which were essential for carrying out her plans. At

last she was betrothed and married to Belisarius, although she had already

borne many children.

She formed adulterous connections as soon as she was married, but took

pains to conceal the fact, by making use of familiar artifices, not out of any

respect for her husband (for she never felt any shame at any crime what-

ever, and hoodwinked him by enchantments), but because she dreaded the

vengeance of the Empress; for Theodora was very bitter against her, and had

already shown her teeth. But, after she had made Theodora her humble

friend by helping her when in the greatest difficulties, first of all by mak-

ing away with Silverius, as shall be told hereafter, and afterwards by ruining

John of Cappadocia, as I have already described, she became less timid, and, scorning all concealment, shrank from no kind of wickedness.

There was a Thracian youth, named Theodosius, in the household of Belis-

arius, who by descent was of the Eunomian faith. On the eve of his depar-

ture for Libya, Belisarius held the youth over the font, received him into his

arms after baptism, and thenceforth made him a member of his household,

with the consent of his wife, according to the Christian rite of adoption.

Antonina therefore received Theodosius as a son consecrated by religion,

and in consequence loved him, paid him especial attention, and obtained

complete dominion over him. Afterwards, during this voyage, she became

madly enamoured of him, and, being beside herself with passion, cast away

all fear of everything human or divine, together with all traces of modesty,

and enjoyed him at first in secret, afterwards even in the presence of her ser-

vants and handmaidens; for she was by this time so mad with lust, that she

disregarded everything that stood in the way of her passion.

Once, when they were at Carthage, Belisarius caught her in the act, but per-

mitted himself to be deceived by his wife. He found them both together in

an underground chamber, and was furiously enraged at the sight; but she

showed no sign of fear or a desire to avoid him, and said, "I came to this

place with this youth, to hide the most precious part of our plunder, that

the Emperor might not come to know of it." This she said by way of an ex-

cuse, and he, pretending to be convinced, let it pass, although he saw that

the belt which held Theodosius's drawers over his private parts was undone;

for he was so overpowered by his love for the creature that he preferred not

to believe his own eyes. However, Antonina's debauchery went on from

bad to worse, till it reached a shameful pitch. All who beheld it were silent,

except one slave woman, named Macedonia, who, when Belisarius was at

Syracuse after the conquest of Sicily, first made her master swear the most

solemn oaths that he never would betray her to her mistress, and then told

him the whole story, bringing as her witnesses two boys who attended on

Antonina's bed-chamber.

When Belisarius heard this, he told some of his guards to make away with