Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-09-03

O0SeTUdtt0nS. OLHeT uTLlCLeS III LHIS
series will appear from time to
time in The Star.
BY JAMES WALDO FAWCETT.
Reformers invariably have critics.
In the Vatican Library at Rome there
is priceless manuscript which proves
that President Roosevelt and his
"brain trust" are by no means the
first proponents of new deal" to be
mercilesSly castigated by literary foes.
The so called Secret History" OF
Procopius is the document in ques-
ton, and its theme is the career OF
the Emperor Justinian, ruler OF the
Roman East, SGT to SOS AID.
Secretary to the celebrated Gen.
Belisarius, a Senator and Project OF
Constantinople, the author was a
member of the Inner circle OF the
turbulent and sinful court OF Byzan-
tium for many years, and he wrote OF
what he saw and heard there in the
interests of revenge. His chronicle, OF
course, was not designed to be read
during the lifetime Of his hated
master. Instead, it was suppressed
with particular care-so much so that
its very existence was unknown for
10 long centuries. First printed in
1923, it was not completely translated
into English until 1896.
Dean Milman, referring to its I'M
vanished frankness. considered it the
worst book in all literature" Its de-
scriptions of the orgies staged by the
Empress Theodore, wife of JuStlnian,
are Enthusiastically vile. But as side
light on the age to which it belongs
and on the social, economic and polit-
ical changes of that period, it is an
invaluable source Indeed, in the
opinion of many historians, it is the
principal authority on the epoch OF its
production-itS faults notwithstand-
ing.
Depicts Justinian as Monster.
And it strips Justinian bare of even
the least consequential virtues. The
Emperor is depicted as a monster OF
greed and corruption. But 1t was his
attempt to supplant the older policies
and practices of his predecessors with
new DEAL philosophy which really
won for him the devastating villifica-
ton of his biographer.
He turned everything upside
down" says Procopius. Whatever
had before been forbidden by law, he
now introduced into the government,
while he revoked all established Gus
toms. Existing Offices he abol-
ished, and invented new ones for the
management of public affairs. He did
the same thing to the laws. -. There
remained. while he ruled the Romans.
no sure faith in God, no hope in re-
ligion, no defense in law, no security
in business. no trust in contract"
His endeavor te exploit the rich
for the benefit Of the crown was hotly
resented. He gathered to himself
the private estates of Roman ctti-
zens from all over the empire; some
by accusing their possessors of crimes
of which they were innocent, others
BY juggling their owners words into
the semblance of gift to him.
He had no scruples and did not
even think any excuse necessary, legal
or illegal, for conflScating what did
not belong to him. And when 1t was
his, he was more than ready to squan-
der it in insane display. =. In short,
he neither held on to any money him
self nor let any one else keep any,
as II his reason were not avarice, but
jealousy of those who had riches.
Driving all wealth from the country
Of the Romans in this manner, he
became the cause of universal pow
erty."
Construction enterprises under
taken by the imperial innovator are
roundly abused by Procopius, who de-
scribes them as "senseless building
extravagances." Justinian, the Sem
ator declares contemporary. actually
threw much money into the sea in
the form of moles, as II to master the
eternal roaring of the breakers"
The fiscal policy of the Emperor
especially stirred the wrath Of his
critic. Formerly the money changers
had customarily given 210 obols for
one gold slater, but Justinian and
Theodore. as q scheme for their profit,
ordered that only $50 obols should
be given for slater. In this way
they clipped of one-sixth of each
gold coin possessed by the people"
Had an N. r. A., Too.
Meanwhile novelty in the line of
an N. r. A. experiment bore hardly
on the masses. by licensing monop-
olies Of nearly all kinds Of wares"
writes Procopius, these rulers daily
oppressed the purchasers
AS result of agrarian experiments,
"the most fertile country on earth
became destitute of farmers. To the
Christian owners of these lands, the
affair brought great hardship. for
while their profits from these proper
ties were annihilated, they had to
pay heavy annual taxes upon them
to the Emperor for the rest Of their
lives
The counselors and advisers Of the
Emperor, the author insists, were
greedy rougues who used their offices
to defraud the state "to the limits of
their ambition. Publicly In the
forum and under the management Of
palace officials, the selling of court
decisions and legislative actions was
carried on"
AS for Justinian personally. Pro-
copius builds him monument of
everlasting infamy in the words: "He
was never truthful with any one, but
always guileful In what he said and
did, yet easily hoodwinked by any who
wanted to deceive him. .. He swore
sacred oaths to his people in their
very hearing. Then he would imme-
diately break his agreements and
pledges. The man was lighter in
character than q cloud Of dust. Flat
terry he swallowed whole and his cour-
tiers had no difficulty in persuading
him that he was destined to rise as