Besides this, Justinian found other means of contriving to plunder
his subjects, not en masse and at once, but by degrees and
individually. These methods I will now proceed to describe as well as I
am able. First of all he appointed a new magistrate, who had the right
of conferring upon all those who kept shops the privilege of selling
their wares at whatever price they pleased, on payment of a yearly rent
to the Emperor. The citizens were compelled to make their purchases in
the market, where they paid three times as much as elsewhere; nor,
although he suffered severe loss, was the purchaser allowed to claim
damages from anyone, for part of the profit went to the Emperor, and
part to increase the salary of these officials. Purchasers were equally
cheated by the magistrates' servants, who took part in these
disgraceful transactions, while the shopkeepers, who were allowed to
put themselves beyond reach of the law, inflicted great hardships upon
their customers—not merely by raising their prices many times over,
but by being guilty of unheard-of frauds in regard to their wares.
Afterwards, Justinian instituted several “monopolies,” as they were
called, and sold the liberty of the subject to any who were willing to
undertake this disgraceful traffic, after having settled with them the
price that was to be paid. This done, he allowed those with whom he had
made the bargain to carry out the management of the affair in whatever
way they thought fit. He made these disgraceful arrangements, without
any attempt at concealment, with all the other magistrates, who
plundered their subjects with less apprehension, either themselves or
through their agents, since some part of the profits of the plunder
always fell to the share of the Emperor. Under the pretence that the
former magistrates were insufficient to carry out these arrangements
(although the city prefect had Previously been able to deal with all
criminal charges) he created two new ones. His object in this was, that
he might have at his disposal a larger number of informers, and that he
might the more easily inflict punishment and torture upon the innocent.
One of these was called Praetor of the People, whose nominal duty it
was to deal with thieves; the second was called the Commissioner, whose
function it was to punish all cases of paederasty, buggery,
superstition and heresy. If the Praetor found any articles of value
amongst stolen goods, he handed them over to the Emperor, declaring
that no owner could be found for them, and in this manner Justinian
every day got possession of something of very great value. The
Commissioner, after he had condemned offenders, confiscated what he
pleased out of their estates and bestowed it upon the Emperor, who
thus, in defiance of the law, enriched himself out of the fortunes of
others; for the servants of these magistrates did not even take the
trouble at the commencement of the trial to bring forward accusers or
to produce any witnesses to the offences, but, during the whole of this
period, without intermission, unexamined and unconvicted, the accused
were secretly punished by death and the confiscation of their property
by the Emperor.
Afterwards, this accursed wretch ordered both these magistrates and
the city prefect to deal with all criminal affairs indifferently,
bidding them enter into rivalry to see which of them could destroy the
greatest number of citizens in the shortest time. It is said that, when
one of them asked him which of them should have the decision if anyone
was accused before all three, he replied, “Whichever of you has
anticipated the others.”
He debased the office of Quaestor, which almost all the preceding
Emperors had held in especial regard, so that it was only filled by men
of wisdom and experience, who above all were learned in the law and
free from all suspicion of corruptibility, for it was felt that it
would unavoidably be disastrous to the State if it were to be filled by
men without experience or who were the slaves of avarice. This Emperor
first bestowed it upon Tribonianus, whose character and misdeeds I have
sufficiently described elsewhere. After his death, Justinian seized
part of his estate, although he had left a son and several relatives
who survived him. He then appointed Junilus (a Libyan by birth), a man
who had not so much as a hearsay knowledge of law, for he had not even
studied it in the public schools. Although he had a knowledge of Latin,
he had never had any tuition in Greek, and was unable to speak the
language. Frequently, when he attempted to say a few words in Greek, he
was laughed at by his own servants. He was so mad after filthy lucre,
that he had not the least scruple m publicly selling letters of office
signed by the Emperor, and was never ashamed to stretch out his hand to
those who had to do with him for a stater of gold. For no less than
seven years the State dured the shame and ridicule brought upon it by
this officer.
On the death of Junilus, Justinian elevated to this office
Constantine, who was not unacquainted with law, but was very young and
had never yet taken part in a trial; besides which, he was the most
abandoned thief and braggart in the world. Justinian entertained the
highest regard for him and showed him very great favour, condescending
to make him the chief instrument of his extortion and sole arbiter in
legal decisions. By this means Constantine in a short time amassed
great wealth, but his insolence was outrageous, and his pride led him
to treat everyone with contempt. Even those who were desirous of making
him considerable presents were obliged to intrust them to those who
seemed to be most in his confidence, for no one was permitted to
approach or converse with him, except when he was hurrying to or
returning from the Emperor. Even then he did not slacken his pace, but
walked on hastily, for fear that those who approached him might waste
his time without paying for it. Such was the manner in which Justinian
dealt with the Quaestorship.