COMMENTARY

III. Lydus's disastrous old age.

III. Up to this point, everything certainly went according to his wishes; but it seems a change in his circumstances occurred after the year 518, the year in which the Emperor original: Augustus Anastasius died. This was perhaps due to the death or retirement from public life of his patrons, or because he caused some slight offense to powerful men, or because, under Justinian, the entire Prefecture The office of the Praetorian Prefect, the highest administrative department in the Empire. was undermined and shaken by a convergence of disasters and the poor administration of certain individuals.

Thus, he correctly maintained his course of official duties under these Praetorian Prefects: Marinus the Syrian in the year 519; Appion the Egyptian in 520; Demosthenes in 521 (whom he praises in Book III, chapter 42, page 226); Theodorus and Archelaus in 524; Mena in 528; Atarbius in 529; Julian and John the Cappadocian in 530; Phocas and Bassus in 533; John the Cappadocian again in 534; Theodotus in 541; as well as Peter Barsames, Flavius Cyrus, Areobindus, Gabriel, Diomedes, Hephaestus, and many others. This frequent turnover occurred because Justinian—as often happens when the treasury is exhausted—sought a remedy in the constant changing of Prefects, a remedy which should have instead been found in moderation and thrift.

As his age progressed, Lydus also attained the rank of Augustalis original: Augustalitas. In the Byzantine bureaucracy, this was a high-ranking position within the secretarial staff. and even eventually reached the post of Cornicularius original: Corniculum. The Cornicularius was the highest-ranking official among the clerical and secretarial staff of the Prefecture.. This was a rank for those serving in the bureaus original: scriniis that was both the most prestigious and, while the Prefecture was still flourishing, the most profitable. For it was granted for a period of one year, for the mi— The text breaks off here at the end of the page.