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Wen 丨 walking 2B pencil
Editor丨Walking 2B pencil
preface
In Justinian's later years, his frail mind focused on heavenly contemplation and neglected the affairs of the Nether. His subjects were impatient with his life and the long continuation of his rule, and all those who could reflect feared that the moment he died, it could lead to turmoil in the capital and a civil war in the empire. The seven nephews of the childless monarch, sons or grandsons of his siblings, were all educated in aristocratic wealth.
They have served as senior commanders in the provinces and armies, their character is well known, their followers are also zealous, and the jealousy of age delays the announcement of the successor, probably expecting to inherit their uncle's legacy with the same hope. He died in the palace after a reign of thirty-eight years. At midnight, his servants were woken up by a pestering crowd who stormed his door and gained access by identifying themselves as the principal members of the Senate.
These popular representatives announced the great secret of the recent death of the emperor. On his deathbed, he chooses his most beloved and worthy nephew and summons Justin to prevent the chaos of the masses, who have no master as the light returns. Justin, after filling his expression with surprise, sadness and decent modesty, obeyed the mandate of the Senate, at the suggestion of his wife Sophia. He was quickly and quietly taken to the palace.
Justin Jr. becomes the new monarch
The guards saluted their new monarch; The military and religious ceremonies for his coronation were conscientiously completed. By the hands of the appropriate officials, he was given royal clothing, a red bus, a white tunic and a purple robe. A lucky soldier, he was immediately promoted to tribune and wore a military collar around his neck. Four sturdy young men held him high with shields, and he stood straight and accepted the worship of his subjects.
Their choice was sanctified by the blessing of the patriarch, who put the crown on the head of an orthodox prince. The racecourse is already packed with countless people. As soon as the emperor ascended the throne, the voices of the blue and green factions were mixed up by equally loyal cheers. In his address to the Senate and the people, Justin promised to correct the abuses that had disgraced his predecessor's era, demonstrated the motto of a just and benevolent government, and announced that, in the coming January, he would revive the honor and freedom of the Roman consuls in his own name.
In less than three years, his example was imitated and surpassed by Empress Sophia, freeing many impoverished citizens from the weight of debt and usury, an act of kindness most gratitude, for it relieved the most unbearable suffering; But among them, the prince's bounty is the most easily abused by squandering and fraudulent demands. On the seventh day of his reign, Justin received the ambassador of the Avars and decorated the scene to give the barbarian an impression of surprise, reverence and fear.
From the palace gates, the spacious courtyard and long porches lined with the tall insignia and gilded shields of the guards, who displayed their spears and axes with more confidence than they did on the battlefield. Officials who exercise the power of the prince or serve the prince wear the most ornate clothes and are arranged in a hierarchical military and civilian order. When the veil of the sanctuary was lifted, the ambassadors saw the emperor of the East sitting on his throne, under a canopy or dome supported by four pillars, and wearing a winged statue of the goddess of victory.
Succumbed to the servant worship of the Byzantine court, but as soon as they rose from the ground, the head of the embassy, Taguius, showed the freedom and pride of the barbarians. He praised the greatness of the Chagans with his translated tongue, and it was thanks to his mercy that the kingdoms of the south existed, his victorious subjects crossed the frozen rivers of the Scythians, and his land covered the banks of the Danube, countless tents.
Kunymond ascends the throne of Gepida
The late emperor cultivated friendship with the grateful monarch every year with expensive gifts, while the enemies of Rome respected the allies of the Avars. The same caution would instruct Justinian's nephew to emulate his uncle's generosity and buy the blessings of peace from an invincible people who loved and excelled at war. The emperor's answer was no less arrogant and provocative, and his faith came from the Christian God, the ancient glory of Rome, and Justinian's recent victory.
When Alboin served under his father's banner, he met the hostile Prince Gpida in battle and pierced him with his spear. The Lombards appreciated his early bravery and, with unanimous applause, begged his father to allow this valiant young man who had experienced danger on the battlefield to participate in the feast of victory. Alboin, reverent for the institutions of his country, selected forty companions and boldly visited the court of King Turisonde of Gepida, who, according to the laws of hospitality, embraced and entertained the murderers of his son.
Alboin returned triumphantly, and the Lombards, who prided themselves on his fearlessness, had to praise the virtues of their enemies. During this extraordinary visit, he may have met the daughter of Kunymond, who soon ascended to the throne of Gepida. Her name is Rosamund, a title that expresses feminine beauty to which our own history or romance has dedicated to love stories. The Lombard king is engaged to the granddaughter of Clovis.
But the constraints of faith and policy soon succumbed to the hope of having beautiful Rosamund and insulting her family and country. The art of trying to persuade did not succeed. And the impatient lover, by force and intrigue, got the object he wanted. The war was the result of his foresight and solicitation, but the Lombards could not resist the onslaught of the Gepidas for long, and they were supported by the Roman army. As the proposal was defiantly rejected, Alboin was forced to abandon his prey and share in the disgrace he had inflicted on the Kunymond family.
When open brawls are aggravated by private injuries, a non-fatal or decisive blow can only produce a brief truce, allowing the losing combatant to sharpen his weapons and meet new encounters. Finding that Alboin's power could not satisfy his love, ambition and revenge, he condescended to plead with the Chagans for their powerful assistance, and the arguments he adopted expressed the art and policy of the barbarians.
The time of Charlemagne
The Dacian Empire of the Chagans prospered for more than 230 years, the slaves of the Avars were not as lucky as their Lombard companions, and their generosity attracted a brave enemy whose freedom was at odds with the cold and deliberate tyranny. Part of the spoils of the war brought Alboin's camp more wealth than the barbarians could easily calculate. The beautiful Rosamund is persuaded or forced to recognize the rights of her victorious lover.
The destruction of a powerful kingdom established Alboin's reputation. In the time of Charlemagne, Bavarians, Saxons and other Germanic-speaking tribes were still repeating the praises of the Lombard kings for their heroic virtues, valor, generosity and wealth. But his ambitions were not yet satisfied, and the conquerors of Gepida shifted their gaze from the Danube to the banks of the Po and Taber rivers.
Fifteen years have passed, and since his subjects, allies of Narces, visited Italy with a pleasant climate, mountains, rivers, roads, their memories are familiar, their reports of success, perhaps the scenery of their trophies, have lit the flame of competition and enterprising among the new generation. Alboin's spirit and eloquence inspired their hopes, and he spoke to their senses by producing at a royal feast the most beautiful and exquisite fruits naturally grown in the garden of the world.
As soon as he raised the banner, the native power of the Lombards was multiplied by the adventurous youth of Germanic and Scythians. The strong peasants of Norikum and Pannonia restored the barbarian manners. Bulgarian, Sarmatian and Bavarian names can be clearly found in the Italian provinces. Among the Saxons, old allies of the Lombards, 20,000 warriors, with their wives and children, accepted Alboin's invitation.
The Lombards and their allies were united by a common attachment to a chief who excelled in all the virtues and vices of a barbaric hero. Alboin's vigilance provided the expedition with ample ammunition for offensive and defensive weapons. If Narces were enemies of the Lombards, they might have failed, and experienced warriors, partners in his Gothic victories, would have reluctantly encountered enemies they feared and respected.
Plan to rule Italy
But the weakness of the Byzantine court was subject to the cause of the barbarians. For the destruction of Italy, the emperor once listened to the complaints of his subjects. During his fifteen-year provincial rule, he accumulated more gold and silver treasures than he had private possessions. His government was oppressive or unpopular, and general grievances were freely expressed by Roman representatives. Before Justinian's throne, they boldly declared that their Gothic slavery was more tolerable than the tyranny of Greek eunuchs.
Unless their tyrants are immediately eradicated, they will consider their own happiness when choosing their masters. The fear of rebellion was born by voices of jealousy and slander, which had recently triumphed over the exploits of Belisarius. The new bishop Longinus appointed the conqueror to succeed Italy, and his vile motives for being recalled were exposed in the insulting order of Empress Sophia.
When Justinian's nephew ascended the throne, he proclaimed a new era of happiness and glory. The second Justin chronicle is full of shame abroad and suffering at home. In the West, the Roman Empire suffered from the loss of Italy, the desolation of Africa, and the conquests of the Persians. In the capital and in the provinces, injustice is widespread, the rich tremble for property, the poor tremble for security, ordinary local officials are ignorant or mercenary, occasional remedies appear arbitrary and violent, and the people's grievances cannot be resolved.
No longer suppressed by the glorious name of the legislator and conqueror. The idea that all the disasters of his time were attributed to the prince may be dismissed by historians as serious facts or beneficial prejudices. One would frankly suspect that Justin's feelings were pure and benevolent, and that he could have held his office without complaint if his mind had not been damaged by illness, which deprived the emperor of his right to use his power. Lock him up in the palace and know nothing about the complaints of the people and the sins of the government. The late realization of his powerlessness led him to decide to lay down the weight of the crown.
epilogue
Among Tiberius' virtues, his beauty might have won him Sophia's favor, and Justin's widow was convinced that she should maintain her position and influence under a second, younger husband. If the ambitious candidate is tempted by flattery and disguise, he is no longer capable of delivering on her expectations or his own commitments. The factions of the arena somewhat impatiently demanded the name of their new empress, and both the people and Sophia were surprised by the announcement of Anastasia, the secret but legitimate wife of Emperor Tiberius.
Anything that alleviated Sophia's disappointment, the honor of royalty, the palatial palace, the numerous families, bestowed by the piety and generosity of his adopted son, on solemn occasions he attended and consulted the widow of his benefactor, but her ambition defied the vain appearance of a royal family, and the respectful title of mother only angered rather than calmed the wrath of a wounded woman. When she accepts and reciprocates this fair expression of respect and trust with a polite smile, a secret alliance is established between the Queen Mother and her nemesis, and Germanus' son Justinian is used as an instrument of her revenge.
After Justin's death, his name was mentioned by a tumultuous faction. He submissively offered to sacrifice his head with sixty thousand pounds of treasure, which could be interpreted as evidence of guilt, or at least fear. Justinian was pardoned and commanded the eastern army. The Persian monarch fled in his arms; The cheers that accompanied his victory declared that he was well deserved.