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chap. XL] OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE 221 nionarchs had never been instructed in the knowledge of the alphabet. But the genius of Justin was far inferior to that of the Gothic king ; the experience of a soldier had not qualified him for the government of an empire ; *" and, though personally brave, the consciousness of his own weakness was naturally attended with doubt, distrust, and political apprehension. But the official business of the state was diligently and faithfully transacted by the quaestor Proclus : 5 and the aged emperor adopted the talents and ambition of his nephew Justinian, an aspiring youth, whom his uncle had drawn from the rustic solitude of Dacia, and educated at Constantinople, as the heir of his private fortune, and at length of the Eastern empire. Since the eunuch Amantius had been defrauded of his Adoption money, it became necessary to deprive him of his life. The succession task was easily accomplished by the charge of a real or fictitious ian. a.d. conspiracy ; and the judges were informed, as an accumulation of guilt, that he was secretly addicted to the Manichaean heresy. 6 Aniantius lost his head; three of his companions, the first domestics of the palace, were punished either with death or exile ; and their unfortunate candidate for the purple was cast into a deep dungeon, overwhelmed with stones, and ignomini- ously thrown, without burial, into the sea. The ruin of Vitalian was a work of more difficulty and danger. That Gothic chief had rendered himself popular by the civil war which he boldly waged against Anastasius for the defence of the orthodox faith, and, after the conclusion of an advantageous treaty, he still re- mained in the neighbourhood of Constantinople at the head of a formidable and victorious army of Barbarians. By the frail security of oaths, he was tempted to relinquish this advantage- ous situation, and to trust his person within the walls of a city whose inhabitants, particularly the blue faction, were artfully incensed against him by the remembrance even of his pious hostilities. The emperor and his nephew embraced him as the 4a [Cp. John Lydus, de Mag. 3, e. 51, av^p 8e ^» airpay^uv kcu jurjSej/ airws irapa 5 His virtues are praised by Proeopius (Persic. 1. i. c. 11). The qusestor Proclus was the friend of Justinian, and the enemy of every other adoption. 6 Manichsean signifies Eutychian. Hear the furious acclamations of Constanti- nople and Tyre, the former no more than six dayB after the decease of Anastasius. They produced, the latter applauded, the eunuch's death (Baronius, a.d. 518, P. ii. No. 15. Fleury, Hist. Eccl6s., torn. vii. p. 200, 205, from the Councils, torn. v. p. 182, 207).