Istanbul

11. How the defender of the faith ruined his subjectsAs soon as Justinian came into power he turned everything upside down. Whatever had been...

Now Theodora was fair of face and of a very graceful, though small, person; her complexion was moderately colorful, if somewhat pale; and her...

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...

Justinian, unexpectedly restored to health, straightway undertook to put Theodotus to death as a poisoner and a magician. But since he had no proof...

Later, she followed Hecebolus, a Tyrian who had been made governor of Pentapolis, serving him in the basest of ways; but finally she quarreled...

On the field of pleasure she was never defeated. Often she would go picnicking with ten young men or more, in the flower of...

When this woman saw the populace assembled in the amphitheater, she placed laurel wreaths on her daughters’ heads and in their hands, and sent...

How could anyone put Justinian’s ways into words? These and many even worse vices were disclosed in him as in no other mortal nature...

Domitian’s wife was of free birth and otherwise noble; and neither had she herself ever done wrong to anybody, nor had she assented in...

As soon as he took over the rule from his uncle, his measure was to spend the public money without restraint, now that he...