The Ecclesiastical History of Evagrius Scholasticus - Coptic ...

200
EVAGRIUS
27. Concerning a miracle which occurred in Constantinople under
Menas.
28. Concerning the Fifth Synod and what occurred at it.
29. Concerning incorruptibility which Justinian promoted, and
Patriarch Anastasius.
[153] BOOK IV OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY
OF EVAGRIUS OF EPIPHANIA, SCHOLASTICUS AND
EX-PREFECT
1 After Anastasius had, as I have said, passed over to the better estate,
Justin, a Thracian by birth, took on the purple clothing on the ninth day
of the month Panemus, which is called July by the Romans, in the 566th
year of the Era of Antioch; 1 he was proclaimed emperor by the imperial
bodyguards, of which he was also in charge, as he had been appointed
commander of the regiments in the palace. 2 He acquired the monarchical
rule contrary to all expectation, since there were many prominent
members of Anastasius’ family who had achieved great prosperity and
wielded all the power needed to invest themselves with such a great o⁄ce. 3
2 Now Amantius indeed, who was in charge of the imperial bedchamber,
was an especially powerful man. Since it was not lawful for a
man who had been deprived of his genitals to achieve the rule of the
Romans, he wished to invest Theocritus, who was loyal to him, with the
1 Anastasius had died on the night of 9 July 518, and Justin was crowned on the next day.
The dating formula was derived from Malalas (it is preserved in the Slavonic trans. p.120);
the date is correct. For the Era of Antioch, cf. ii n. 130 above.
The best treatment of Justin’s reign is still Vasiliev, Justin.
2 Justin held the post of comes excubitorum, commander of the most important unit
within the palace guard. Evagrius’ language suggests that he believed Justin was magister
o⁄ciorum (cf. iii.29, p. 125:28^9, with n. 94; iii.32, p. 130:23^4 for the phrase), a post held
by Celer, who also played a prominent part in the succession.
3 Anastasius had three nephews, Probus, Hypatius and Patricius, who had all been prominent
during his reign (Procopius, Wars i.11.1, makes a similar comment about the many
distinguished kinsmen who were pushed aside). Hypatius had had the most active military
career (PLRE II. 577^81, s.v. Hypatius 6), but his recent humiliation at the hands of Vitalian
might have harmed his chances; Patricius, the magister militum praesentalis (PLRE II. 840^
2, s.v. Patricius 14), was proclaimed by the scholarii, but he was almost killed by the excubitors
and only rescued by the young Justinian; Probus and Patricius were both known to be
Monophysites, which would have alienated the Constantinopolitan clergy. There is an
account of proceedings in Const. Porph. De Cer. i.93.