The sequels of two episodes related in a previous portion of this work may form a fitting conclusion to the present chapter. The first concerns the son of Theodora, who, as an infant, was apprehensively removed from the custody of his mother. In the remote province of Arabia the child grew up to manhood under the tutelage of his father, who watched with interest the career of his former mistress, but without revealing to the youth the secret of his birth. Being on his death-bed, however, he thought it right to communicate to him all the details as to his origin. After his father's decease, therefore, John set out for Constantinople, expecting that his mother would recognize his claims and provide for him accordingly. On his arrival he introduced himself among her servitors, stating plainly who he was, and awaited her pleasure. But Theodora was alarmed lest the knowledge of this amour and its result should come to the ears of Justinian, and determined that all trace of it should be effaced. Hence she received her son in strict privacy, and at once commended him to the attention of certain satellites of hers, who were generally regarded as the authors of unexplained disappearances. What method of suppression was adopted remained uncertain, but, whether alive or dead, nothing further was ever seen of this John.[594]
When Artabanes returned to Constantinople (546) after his signal exploits at Carthage, he was received with great applause, and immediately promoted to the rank of Master of Soldiers at Court. He was much exalted by his good fortune, and especially at the prospect of marrying the Emperor's niece, Prejecta, on whose account he had resigned his independent vicegerency of Africa. With the acquiescence of all parties, the brilliant nuptials were being prepared, when, at the last moment, an unexpected obstacle intervened to shatter his impassioned hopes. A wife of his youthful days, long since repudiated and forgotten, still languished in his native land. In the times of his humble fortune she was indifferent to the relationship, but, learning by report of her husband's eminent success in the Byzantine service, she became eager to enjoy the benefit of his advancement. Abandoning Armenia, therefore, she arrived opportunely in the capital, and became informed of the projected union which would exclude her for ever from his life. She presented herself at the Palace with her sad story, and prayed for an audience of the Empress. Theodora, who always evinced a lively desire to act as the special providence of distressed women,[595] readily granted her admission, and resolved to interfere on her behalf. She did so with her usual effectivity, the imminent marriage was broken off, and the unwilling Artabanes was forced to establish his rejected consort in her conventional position as the head of his household. As for Prejecta, she was shortly consoled with another partner, and became the wife of John, son of the luckless Pompeius, who had perished more than a dozen years before in the Nika rebellion. But Artabanes was so exasperated that he was induced by some malcontents of his own nation to join a conspiracy which had for its object the assassination of Justinian and the elevation of Germanus to the throne.[596] The plot, however, was quickly betrayed, and proved such a complete fiasco, that, after a commission of the Senate had sat on the offenders and passed a nominal sentence, the Emperor lost all interest in the matter.[597] Even Artabanes within a twelvemonth was lifted out of his disgrace and given an active appointment as Master of the Forces in Thrace.[598]
[580] Procopius, Anecd., 1. Except where indicated, nearly the whole of this chapter depends on the first four sections of this work.
[581] On this occasion Constantine, a sub-general, who has been mentioned (pp. 564, 567), remarked: "I should rather have got rid of the woman than of the young man." During the siege of Rome by the Goths this Constantine was summoned before Belisarius on a charge of appropriating some valuable spoils. An altercation ensued, and the offender, concluding rather hastily that he was about to be condemned to death, made a rush at the Master of Soldiers with his drawn sword. He was immediately seized and slaughtered in the antechamber at the command of Belisarius, or, at least, with his acquiescence. This somewhat arbitrary execution was attributed to the vengeance of Antonina, to whom the above remark had been reported; Anecd., 1; De Bel. Goth., ii, 8.
[582] Anecd., 2. Belisarius earnestly exhorts his step-son to co-operate with him, claiming his allegiance as due to him in return for the care he had bestowed on him during his youth. Cf. De Bel. Goth. i, 5.
[583] See p. 550.
[584] Cassiodorus, Var. Ep., x, 20, 23.
[585] Procopius, De Bel. Goth., i, 4, with the elucidation in Anecd., 16, 24. In a letter from Gudelina to Theodora (Cassiod., loc. cit., 20), we find the statement, "Your remarks respecting a certain person have reached our ears with titillating effect (titillatio). Well, I may tell you that we are going to do what will please you." There is no plausible explanation of these sentences except that the two jealous women were plotting against Amalasuntha. Soon after (Ibid., 23) Gudelina again writes: "I am glad you approve of what has lately taken place in this Kingdom"; a palpable allusion to the death of the Queen. The lightest warning from Peter to the shuffling and scared Theodahad would have deterred him from any hostile act against his royal colleague; but he never spoke it, and, when the King affirmed that the murder was perpetrated without his knowledge or consent, it is most probable that he was stating a truth. It may be taken as certain, therefore, that the death-blow of Amalasuntha was aimed from Byzantium.
[586] Jn. Lydus, De Magistr., iii, 64, etc.
[587] On winning the favour of Theodora she received a Court appointment, viz., "Mistress of the Wardrobe," in modern phraseology; Codinus, pp. 108, 125.