The Secret History · Chapter
XXIV: Unjust Treatment of the Soldiers, and How Justinian Tricked the “Students” Out of Their Pay by Threatening to Send Them to War explained
Justinian systematically defrauds and impoverishes the Roman military through corrupt schemes: selling commissions, creating supernumerary units only to disband them without refund, threatening the Student Corps with active duty to extort t
What happens
Justinian systematically defrauds and impoverishes the Roman military through corrupt schemes: selling commissions, creating supernumerary units only to disband them without refund, threatening the Student Corps with active duty to extort their pay, and appointing paymasters who pocket a portion of the soldiers' wages while denying promotions and bonuses. He also sends commissioners to purge aged or disabled soldiers, leaving them destitute, and neglects the border troops, whose pay is years overdue and who are ultimately discharged without compensation. The chapter details the ruinous effect on military morale and the empire's defenses.
Themes in this chapter
Corruption and Tyranny
Justinian's systematic extortion of soldiers through fraudulent commissions, paymaster schemes, and threats of active duty exemplifies the corruption at the heart of his rule.
Injustice and Lawlessness
Soldiers are denied rightful pay, promotions, and bonuses; the elderly and disabled are stripped of their livelihood and left to beg, while the law requiring quinquennial bonuses is ignored for 32 years.
Suffering of the Common People
Common soldiers and staff officers are reduced to poverty and famine, while veterans are forced to beg in the Forum, highlighting the human cost of Justinian's policies.
Characters to notice
- Justinian
Schemes to defraud soldiers by selling commissions, creating and disbanding Supernumeraries, threatening the Student Corps, and withholding bonuses for 32 years.
- Peter Barsyames
As Master of Offices, he daily extorts money from the Student Corps with unheard-of thefts; also implicated in the murder of Amasalontha.
- Justin
Under his reign, Justinian began selling commissions in the Scholarian guard.
- Alexander the Scissors
Sent as paymaster to Italy, he reproaches soldiers for poor morale while extorting money from Italians for their dealings with Theodoric and the Goths.
- Zeno
His reign marked the point when the Scholarian guard became open to any cowardly or poor soldier.
- Theodoric
Mentioned in connection with the Italians' negotiations that Alexander uses as pretext to extort money.
Key passages
“Now when Justin came to the throne, this Justinian distributed the honor among a large number upon their paying him a considerable price for it. And when he saw there was no further possible vacancy, he enrolled two thousand more, whom he called Supernumeraries. When he himself took over the throne, he immediately disbanded the Supernumeraries, without giving them back any of the money they had paid him.”
Justinian sold commissions in the Scholarian guard under Emperor Justin, then created two thousand extra positions called Supernumeraries; after becoming emperor, he disbanded them and kept their payments.
Illustrates Justinian's fraudulent scheme to profit from military appointments.
“Whenever an army was about to be sent against Libya, Italy, or the Persians, he ordered them to pack for service with the regulars, though he knew well they were utterly unfit for the campaign. And they, trembling at the possibility of active service, surrendered their pay for the period of the war.”
Justinian threatened the Student Corps with deployment to dangerous campaigns, knowing they were unfit, so they forfeited their pay to avoid service.
Shows how Justinian extorted money from the Student Corps through intimidation.
“Yet from the time that this man managed the State, he never once did this, nor had any idea of doing it, though he reigned for thirty-two years: so that the very custom was finally forgotten by everyone.”
Justinian never gave the quinquennial bonus to soldiers during his entire 32-year reign, causing the tradition to be completely abandoned.
Highlights Justinian's neglect of a longstanding legal obligation to the military.
