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222 THE DECLINE AND FALL [Chap, xl faithful and worthy champion of the church and state ; and gratefully adorned their favourite with the titles of consul and general; but, in the seventh month of his consulship, Vitalian was stabbed with seventeen wounds at the royal banquet ; 7 and Justinian, who inherited the spoil, was accused as the assassin of a spiritual brother, to whom he had recently pledged his faith in the participation of the Christian mysteries. 8 After the fall of his rival, he was promoted, without any claim of military service, to the office of master-general of the Eastern armies, whom it was his duty to lead into the field against the public enemy. But, in the pursuit of fame, Justinian might have lost his present dominion over the age and weakness of his uncle ; and instead of acquiring by Scythian or Persian trophies the applause of his countrymen, 9 the prudent warrior solicited their favour in the churches, the circus, and the senate, of Constanti- nople. The Catholics were attached to the nephew of Justin, who, between the Nestorian and Eutychian heresies, trod the narrow path of inflexible and intolerant orthodoxy. 10 In the first days of the new reign, he prompted and gratified the popu- lar enthusiasm against the memory of the deceased emperor. After a schism of thirty-four years, he reconciled the proud and angry spirit of the Koman pontiff, and spread among the Latins a favourable report of his pious respect for the apostolic see. The thrones of the East were filled with Catholic bishops de- voted to his interest, the clergy and the monks were gained by his liberality, and the people were taught to pray for their future 7 His power, character, and intentions are perfectly explained by the Count de Buat (torn. ix. p. 54-81). He was great-grandson of Aspar, hereditary prince in the Lesser Scythia, and count of the Gothic fcederati of Thrace. The Bessi, whom he could influence, are the minor Goths of Jornandes (c. 51). [For the position of Justinian in Justin's reign see Appendix 10.] 8 Justiniani patricii factione dicitur interfectus fuisse (Victor Tununensis, Chron. in Thesaur. Temp. Scaliger, P. ii. p. 7 [ad ann. 523]). Procopius (Anecdot. c. 7) styles him a tyrant, but acknowledges the aSi<poin(rria, which is well explained by Alemannus. [Cp. Evagrius, iv. 3.] 9 In his earliest youth (plane adolescens) he had passed some time as an host- age with Theodoric. For this curious fact, Alemannus (nd Procop. Anecdot. c. 9, p. 34, of the first edition) quotes a Ms. history of Justinian, by his preceptor Theo- philus. Ludewig (p. 143) wishes to make him a soldier. [Justinian was Master of Soldiers inpraes. in a.d. 521. See the diptych in C. I. L. 5, 8120, 3, where his full name and titles appear : F(lavius) Petrus Sabbat(ius) Justinian(us) v(ir) i(nlustris) com(es) mag. eqq. et p(editum) prses(entalis) et c(onsul) ord(inarius). Comes means comes domesticorum.] 10 The ecclesiastical history of Justinian will be shewn hereafter. See Baronius, a.d. 518-521, and the copious article Justinianus in the index to the viith volume of his annals.