The Secret History · Chapter
XXVI: How He Spoiled the Beauty of the Cities and Plundered the Poor explained
This chapter details how Emperor Justinian systematically ruined the cities of the Roman Empire, particularly Constantinople, by debasing the legal profession, cutting subsidies to physicians and teachers, diverting municipal funds to the i
What happens
This chapter details how Emperor Justinian systematically ruined the cities of the Roman Empire, particularly Constantinople, by debasing the legal profession, cutting subsidies to physicians and teachers, diverting municipal funds to the imperial treasury, and ending public spectacles and consular distributions. It describes his monopolies on essential goods, the adulteration of bread, neglect of public infrastructure like aqueducts, and the impoverishment of the poor, beggars, and diseased. Specific examples include Alexander the Scissors' actions in Italy and Greece, and Governor Hephaestus's oppressive monopoly and grain theft in Alexandria, all approved by Justinian.
Themes in this chapter
Corruption and Tyranny
Justinian's arbitrary seizure of municipal funds, imposition of monopolies, and approval of oppressive governors like Alexander and Hephaestus exemplify tyrannical corruption.
Suffering of the Common People
The chapter details the impoverishment of lawyers, physicians, teachers, the poor, beggars, and the diseased through loss of subsidies, high bread prices, adulterated food, and neglect of public works.
Injustice and Lawlessness
Justinian's debasement of the legal profession and false charges against the wealthy, along with Hephaestus's illegal monopolies and grain theft, highlight systemic injustice.
Abuse of Power
The emperor's misuse of imperial authority to enrich himself and his favorites at the expense of citizens, including the diversion of charitable grain doles, demonstrates abuse of power.
Characters to notice
- Justinian
Emperor who debased lawyers, cut subsidies, transferred municipal taxes, ended spectacles, imposed monopolies, adulterated bread, neglected aqueducts, and approved oppressive measures by Alexander and Hephaestus.
- Theodora
Mentioned as the wife who was born, bred, and educated in theaters, hippodromes, and circuses, which were later discontinued by Justinian.
- Alexander the Scissors
Official who deprived the Roman poor of grain distributions in Italy, stationed soldiers at Thermopylae funded by Greek cities, and diverted public revenues, earning Justinian's favor.
- Hephaestus
Governor of Alexandria who imposed a monopoly on all wares, controlled grain supply, fixed prices, and diverted the Diocletian grain dole to the imperial treasury, causing great suffering.
- Theodoric
Mentioned as the ruler who permitted the Roman palace guard to remain and distributed grain to the poor near St. Peter's, a practice later ended by Alexander.
- Diocletian
Former emperor who ordered yearly grain distributions to the poor in Alexandria, later revoked by Hephaestus.
Key passages
“First he determined to debase the standing of the lawyers. He deprived them of all court fees, by which they had formerly lived in comfort and elegance; and in consequence they lost caste and significance.”
Justinian first targeted lawyers by eliminating their court fees, which had been their livelihood, causing them to lose status and importance.
Describes the initial step in ruining the legal profession.
“Furthermore, he caused physicians and teachers of the liberal arts to be deprived of the necessities of life. For he stopped all their living subsidies, which former emperors had paid men of these professions from the public treasury.”
He also cut off the state subsidies that previous emperors had provided to physicians and teachers, leaving them without basic necessities.
Highlights the removal of support for essential public service professionals.
“Also all of the taxes which the municipalities had devoted to public use or entertainments, he transferred arbitrarily to the imperial treasury.”
He arbitrarily redirected all municipal taxes meant for public works and entertainment into his own imperial treasury.
Shows the centralization of funds at the expense of local communities.
“From the time Justinian came to power, these distributions were not made at the customary time; for sometimes a Consul remained in office for year after year, till finally people wearied of hoping for a new one, even in their dreams.”
After Justinian's accession, consular distributions ceased to be timely, with consuls serving multiple years, so people gave up hope of ever seeing a new one.
Describes the end of regular consular charity.
“He put a bitter and perpetual tax on the sale of bread, which the day laborers, the poor and the infirm could not help buying. From this source he demanded three centenaries a year, with the result that the bakers filled their loaves with shells and dust; for the Emperor had no scruples against profiting meanly from even this unholy adulteration.”
He imposed a permanent tax on bread, essential for the poorest, demanding three centenaries annually, which led bakers to adulterate loaves with shells and dust, and the emperor had no qualms about profiting from this fraud.
Illustrates the exploitation of basic necessities and the resulting corruption.
“One of the municipal aqueducts, which furnished not a small share of the city water, collapsed; but the rulers disregarded the matter and refused to repair it, though the constant crowds who had to use the wells were fairly stifling, and all the baths were shut down.”
When a major aqueduct collapsed, the authorities ignored it, refusing repairs, causing overcrowding at wells and closure of all public baths.
Shows neglect of critical infrastructure affecting daily life.
