Antonina ( wife of Belisarius ) Antonina ( , c . 484 – after 565 ) was a Byzantine patrikia and wife of the general Belisarius . Her influence of her husband was great . Procopius features her as dominating Belisarius . Family . Procopius records that both the father and the grandfather of Antonina were charioteers . They had performed for audiences in Constantinople and Thessalonica . Procopius fails to mention their names . The unnamed mother of Antonina was an actress . Procopius mentions her in contemptuous terms : " Her mother was one of the prostitutes attached to the theatre . " The term used for " theatre " in the primary source is " thymele " ( ) , equivalent to the term orchestra ( ) . That was a position in the theatre reserved for performers less prestigious than the actors , such as acrobats , dancers , jugglers , etc . The term " thymelic performers " was almost always used in a negative sense . Early life . Procopius alleges that Antonina herself had led a dissolute life , having many children prior to her marriage . She met Theodora during this time , with whom she would become lifelong friends . About Antonina , Procopius said : " This woman , having in her early years lived a lewd sort of a life and having become dissolute in character , not only having consorted much with the cheap sorcerers who surrounded her parents , but also having thus acquired the knowledge of what she needed to know , later became the wedded wife of Belisarius , after having already been the mother of many children . " He names Photius as a son of Antonina . But describes him as a son from a previous marriage , not as an illegitimate . " But the general in supreme command over all was Belisarius , and he had with him many notable men as spearmen and guards . And he was accompanied also by Photius , the son of his wife Antonina by a previous marriage ; he was still a young man wearing his first beard , but possessed the greatest discretion and shewed a strength of character beyond his years . " . . . " There Valentinus , the groom of Photius , the son of Antonina , made a remarkable exhibition of valour . " " For Photius was by nature prone to be vexed if anyone had more influence than he with any person , and in the case of Theodosius and his associates he chanced to have a just cause to be sorely aggrieved , in that he himself , though a son , was made of no account , while Theodosius enjoyed great power and was acquiring great wealth . " Photius is also mentioned by Liberatus of Carthage and John of Ephesus . Ioannina ( or Joannina ) was the only confirmed daughter of Belisarius and Antonina . Procopius mentions : " she [ Theodora ] realized that the girl would be the heiress , since Belisarius had no other offspring " . Another daughter of Antonina is mentioned as wife of Ildiger . Ildiger is always mentioned as son - in - law of Antonina , never as son - in - law of Belisarius . Procopius records : " And the emperor sent another army also to Solomon with Theodoras , the Cappadocian , and Ildiger , who was the son - in - law of Antonina , the wife of Belisarius . " . . . " So the envoys of the barbarians went to Byzantium escorted by Romans , and Ildiger , the son - in - law of Antonina , came to Rome from Libya with not a few horsemen . " Finally , a granddaughter of Antonina is mentioned in the 540s . Which of Antonina ' s children was her parent is unrecorded . She was apparently wooed by Sergius , Praetorian Prefect of Africa . Procopius records " For Sergius was soft and unwarlike and he was very immature both in character and in years , yet he was dominated to an excessive degree by jealousy and a spirit of braggadocio towards all men , effeminate in his way of living and puffing out his cheeks with pride . But since he happened to have become a suitor of the daughter of Antonina , wife of Belisarius , the Empress was quite unwilling to inflict any punishment upon him or to discharge him from his office " . The Greek text reads " " . The term " " translates to " granddaughter " , not daughter . Biography . Procopius portrays Antonina as leading a shameless life , even after marrying Belisarius . He writes " at great length " on her affair with Theodosius , a godson of Belisarius . She was supposedly only restrained by fear of losing the favour of her patron Theodora , wife of Justinian I ( r . 527 – 65 ) . She acted as an agent of Theodora in a number of occasions . Vandalic War . Antonina is recorded as following Belisarius on campaign . Procopius alleges that she only did so to maintain her influence on the general . " For in order that the man might not be alone and thus come to himself , and scorning her enchantments might come to think as he ought concerning her , she had taken care to travel all over the world with him . " She is first reported joining her husband in the Vandalic War ( 533 – 4 ) . " In the seventh year of Justinian ' s reign , at about the spring equinox , the emperor commanded the general ' s ship to anchor off the point which is before the royal palace . . . . And after this the general Belisarius and Antonina , his wife , set sail . And there was with them also Procopius , who wrote this history . " During the crossing of the Adriatic Sea the water supplies of the Byzantine navy were contaminated ( spoiled ) . The sole exception was the water supplies of Belisarius ' own ship . Antonina is credited with storring the water in glass jars and placing them in a secure room , preventing contamination . Procopius narrates : " And setting out from Methone they reached the harbour of Zacynthus , where they took in enough water to last them in crossing the Adriatic Sea , and after making all their other preparations , sailed on . But since the wind they had was very gentle and languid , it was only on the sixteenth day that they came to land at a deserted place in Sicily near which Mount Aetna rises . And while they were being delayed in this passage , as has been said , it so happened that the water of the whole fleet was spoiled , except that which Belisarius himself and his table - companions were drinking . For this alone was preserved by the wife of Belisarius in the following manner . She filled with water jars made of glass and constructed a small room with planks in the hold of the ship where it was impossible for the sun to penetrate , and there she sank the jars in sand , and by this means the water remained unaffected . " Her precautions probably prevented the growth of algae . In North Africa , Βelisarius initially situated his forces at " a camp , thirty - five stades distant from Decimum , surrounded it with a stockade which was very well made " . He left there Antonina with the infantry . Procopius reports : " Belisarius left his wife and the barricaded camp to the infantry , and himself set forth with all the horsemen " . The cavalry went on to the Battle of Ad Decimum . Antonina and the infantry joined them the following day . " But on the following day the infantry with the wife of Belisarius came up and we all proceeded together on the road toward Carthage , which we reached in the late evening " . Gothic War . Antonina is next mentioned on a mission for Theodora at Rome , the deposition of Pope Silverius ( March , 537 ) , early in the Gothic War . Procopius only alludes to the event in an unrelated chapter : " But after she [ Antonina ] had made her [ Theodora ] tame and manageable , by rendering services to her in matters of the greatest urgency — having , in the first place , disposed of Silverius in the manner which will be described in the following narrative " . . . " And they say that she first cut out all their tongues , and then cut them up bit by bit , threw the pieces into sacks , and then without ado cast them into the sea , being assisted throughout in this impious business by one of the servants named Eugenius , the same one who performed the unholy deed upon Silverius " . What deed was performed on Silverius is never actually explained . The " Liber Pontificalis " gives a more detailed narrative : " Augusta [ Theodora ] was wroth and she sent instructions to Vilisarius [ Belisarius ] , the patrician , . . . ' Find some occasion to accuse Pope Silverius and depose him from the bishopric or else send him surely and speedily to us ' . . . And certain false witnesses , encouraged by these instructions , came forward and said : ' We have found Pope Silverius sending letters to the king of the Goths ' . . . Then he [ Belisarius ] bade Pope Silverius come to him in the Pincian palace . . . And Silverius went alone with Vigilius into the mausoleum and Antonina , the patrician , was lying upon a couch and Vilisarius [ Belisarius ] , the patrician , was sitting at her feet . And when Antonina , the patrician , saw him she said to him ' Tell us , Lord Pope Silverius , what we have done to you and to the Romans that you should wish to betray us into the hands of the Goths . ' While she was yet speaking John , the subdeacon of the first district , took the pallium from his neck . . . and stripped him from his vestments and put him on a monk ' s robe and led him into hiding . " Later historians have suspected that Silverius was murdered in June 537 , prior to his second trial . Antonina has been suggested as the culprit , but the new Pope Vigilius is also a suspect . Antonina is portrayed completing her mission with " ruthless efficiency " and " breathtaking speed " . Both Liberatus of Carthage and Victor of Tunnuna report that Antonina forced Pope Vigilius , early in his term , to sign a statement of faith in Monophysitism . Said statement was supposedly send to leading monophysite bishops . This statement is not recorded by other sources and the account is considered suspect . Antonina initially stood alongside Belisarius in the Siege of Rome ( 537 – 538 ) . Procopius narrates : " As for Belisarius , he brought upon himself much ridicule on the part of the Romans , for though he had barely escaped from the enemy , he bade them take courage thenceforth and look with contempt upon the barbarians ; for he knew well , he said , that he would conquer them decisively . Now the manner in which he had come to know this with certainty will be told in the following narrative . At length , when it was well on in the night , Belisarius , who had been fasting up to this time , was with difficulty compelled by his wife and those of his friends who were present to taste a very little bread . Thus , then , the two armies passed this night . " Later in 537 , Belisarius sent Antonina to Naples , reportedly for her own safety . She did not remain idle . She assisted Procopius , at the time secretary to Belisarius , in raising a fleet . Said fleet was used to transport grain and reinforcements to Rome through the port of Ostia . Procopius narrates : " Belisarius encouraged the Roman populace and then dismissed them ; and Procopius , who wrote this history , he immediately commanded to go to Naples . For a rumour was going about that the emperor had sent an army there . And he [ Belisarius ] commissioned him [ Procopius ] to load as many ships as possible with grain , to gather all the soldiers who at the moment had arrived from Byzantium , or had been left about Naples in charge of horses or for any other purpose whatever — for he had heard that many such were coming to the various places in Campania - - and to withdraw some of the men from the garrisons there , and then to come back with them , convoying the grain to Ostia , where the harbour of the Romans was . . . . So he commanded Martinus and Trajan with a thousand men to go to Tarracina . And with them he sent also his wife Antonina , commanding that she be sent with a few men to Naples , there to await in safety the fortune which would befall the Romans . . . . But Martinus and Trajan passed by night between the camps of the enemy , and after reaching Tarracina sent Antonina with a few men into Campania . . . But as for Procopius , when he reached Campania , he collected not fewer than five hundred soldiers there , loaded a great number of ships with grain , and held them in readiness . And he was joined not long afterwards by Antonina , who immediately assisted him in making arrangements for the fleet . " James Evans suggests that Procopius might have exaggerated his own role , Antonina herself being the envoy responsible for organizing the grain shipment . Antonina is recorded facing the problem of " the fleet of the Isauria ns " arriving at Ostia . Their cargoes had to be transported to Rome . But the oxen that were to pull the barges up the Tiber River were exhausted , " all lay half - dead " . The road on on one side of the Tiber was held by the Goths , the other was too narrow and " altogether unused " . Procopius narrates " Antonina together with the commanders began at daybreak to consider means of transporting the cargoes . . . . They therefore selected the small boats belonging to the larger ships , put a fence of high planks around them on all sides , in order that the men on board might not be exposed to the enemy ' s shots , and embarked archers and sailors on them in numbers suitable for each boat . And after they had loaded the boats with all the freight they could carry , they waited for a favouring wind and set sail toward Rome by the Tiber , and a portion of the army followed them along the right bank of the river to support them . But they left a large number of Isaurians to guard the ships . Now where the course of the river was straight , they found no trouble in sailing , simply raising the sails of the boats ; but where the stream wound about and took a course athwart the wind , and the sails received no impulse from it , the sailors had no slight toil in rowing and forcing the boats against the current . As for the barbarians , they sat in their camps and had no wish to hinder their enemy , either because they were terrified at the danger , or because they thought that the Romans would never by such means succeed in bringing in any provisions , and considered it contrary to their own interest , when a matter of no consequence was involved , to frustrate their hope of the armistice which Belisarius had already promised . Moreover , the Goths who were in Portus , though they could see their enemy constantly sailing by almost near enough to touch , made no move against them , but sat there wondering in amazement at the plan they had hit upon . And when the Romans had made the voyage up the river many times in the same way , and had thus conveyed all the cargoes into the city without interference , the sailors took the ships and withdrew with all speed , for it was already about the time of the winter solstice ; and the rest of the army entered Rome , except , indeed , that Paulus remained in Ostia with some of the Isaurians . " Procopius eldewhere blames her for the death of Constantinus ( Constantine ) in late 537 . " And not long afterwards Belisarius , persuaded by his wife , killed Constantinus also . For at that time fell the affair of Presidius and the daggers , as has been set forth by me in the preceding narrative . For though the man was about to be acquitted , Antonina would not relent until she had punished him for the remark [ against her ] which I have just mentioned . " However Procopius gives a rather different account of events in another passage . Which describes Constantinus executed for theft , insubordination and attempting to assassinate Belisarius . " There was a certain Presidius , a Roman living at Ravenna , and a man of no mean station . This Presidius had given offence to the Goths at the time when Vittigis was about to march against Rome , and so he set out with some few of his domestics ostensibly on a hunting expedition , and went into exile ; he had communicated his plan to no one and took none of his property with him , except indeed that he himself carried two daggers , the scabbards of which happened to be adorned with much gold and precious stones . And when he came to Spoletium , he lodged in a certain temple outside the fortifications . And when Constantinus , who happened to be still tarrying there , heard of this , he sent one of his guards , Maxentiolus , and took away from him both the daggers for no good reason . The man was deeply offended by what had taken place , and set out for Rome with all speed and came to Belisarius , and Constantinus also arrived there not long afterward ; for the Gothic army was already reported to be not far away . Now as long as the affairs of the Romans were critical and in confusion , Presidius remained silent ; but when he saw that the Romans were gaining the upper hand and that the envoys of the Goths had been sent to the emperor , as has been told by me above , he frequently approached Belisarius reporting the injustice and demanding that he assist him in obtaining his rights . And Belisarius reproached Constantinus many times himself , and many times through others , urging him to clear himself of the guilt of an unjust deed and of a dishonouring report . But Constantinus — for it must needs be that evil befall him — always lightly evaded the charge and taunted the wronged man . But on one occasion Presidius met Belisarius riding on horseback in the forum , and he laid hold of the horse ' s bridle , and crying out with a loud voice asked whether the laws of the emperor said that , whenever anyone fleeing from the barbarians comes to them as a suppliant , they should rob him by violence of whatever he may chance to have in his hands . And though many men gathered about and commanded him with threats to let go his hold of the bridle , he did not let go until at last Belisarius promised to give him the daggers . On the following day , therefore , Belisarius called Constantinus and many of the commanders to an apartment in the palace , and after going over what had happened on the previous day urged him even at that late time to restore the daggers . But Constantinus refused to do so ; nay , he would more gladly throw them into the waters of the Tiber than give them to Presidius . And Belisarius , being by now mastered by anger , enquired whether Constantinus did not think that he was subject to his orders . And he agreed to obey him in all other things , for this was the emperor ' s will ; this command , however , which at the present time he was laying upon him , he would never obey . Belisarius then commanded his guards to enter , whereupon Constantinus said : " In order , plainly , to have them kill me . " " By no means , " said Belisarius , " but to have them compel your bodyguard Maxentiolus , who forcibly carried away the daggers for you , to restore to the man what he took from him by violence . " But Constantinus , thinking that he was to die that very instant , wished to do some great deed before he should suffer anything himself . He accordingly drew the dagger which hung by his thigh and suddenly thrust it at the belly of Belisarius . And he in consternation stepped back , and by throwing his arms around Bessas , who was standing near , succeeded in escaping the blow . Then Constantinus , still boiling with anger , made after him ; but Ildiger and Valerian , seeing what was being done , laid hold of his hands , one of the right and the other of the left , and dragged him back . And at this point the guards entered whom Belisarius had summoned a moment before , snatched the dagger of Constantinus from his hand with great violence , and seized him amid a great uproar . At the moment they did him no harm , out of respect , I suppose , to the officers present , but led him away to another room at the command of Belisarius , and at a somewhat later time put him to death . This was the only unholy deed done by Belisarius , and it was in no way worthy of the character of the man ; for he always shewed great gentleness in his treatment of all others . But it had to be , as I have said , that evil should befall Constantinus . " Antonina propably stayed in the Praetorian prefecture of Italy for the period 538 – 540 , but her activities are not recorded . Procopius simply mentions Belisarius and Antonina ' s return to Constantinople in 540 . Belisarius had been recalled to participate in a new war against the Sassanid Empire . Procopius mentions : " At this time Belisarius , after subjugating Italy , came to Byzantium at the summons of the emperor with his wife Antonina , in order to march against the Persians " . He also mentions that her lover Theodosius returned with them . " There [ Italy ] she enjoyed to the full both the attentions of her lover and the simplicity of her husband and later on came to Byzantium in company with both of them . " Downfall of the Cappadocian . In Constantinople , Antonina allied with Theodora against John the Cappadocian , the Praetorian prefect of the East . His downfall in 541 seems to have been the result of an ongoing rivalry with both Theodora and Belisarius . John and Theodora competed for influence over Justinian and each brought forth accusations concerning their rival ' s activities . Belisarius had reportedly gained much popular support following his return from the Gothic War and the Cappadocian perceived him as a rival favourite . Procopius narrates the fall of the Cappadocian . " Belisarius enjoyed an unequalled popularity . And it was on him that the hope of the Romans centred as he marched once more against the Persians , leaving his wife in Byzantium . Now Antonina , the wife of Belisarius , ( for she was the most capable person in the world to contrive the impossible ) , purposing to do a favour to the empress , devised the following plan . John had a daughter , Euphemia , who had a great reputation for discretion , but a very young woman and for this reason very susceptible ; this girl was exceedingly loved by her father , for she was his only child . By treating this young woman kindly for several days Antonina succeeded most completely in winning her friendship , and she did not refuse to share her secrets with her . And on one occasion when she was present alone with her in her room she pretended to lament the fate which was upon her , saying that although Belisarius had made the Roman empire broader by a goodly measure than it had been before , and though he had brought two captive kings and so great an amount of wealth to Byzantium , he found Justinian ungrateful ; and in other respects she slandered the government as not just . Now Euphemia was overjoyed by these words , for she too was hostile to the present administration by reason of her fear of the empress , and she said : " And yet , dearest friend , it is you and Belisarius who are to blame for this , seeing that , though you have opportunity , you are not willing to use your power . " And Antonina replied quickly : " It is because we are not able , my daughter , to undertake revolutions in camp , unless some of those here at home join with us in the task . Now if your father were willing , we should most easily organize this project and accomplish whatever God wills . " When Euphemia heard this , she promised eagerly that the suggestion would be carried out , and departing from there she immediately brought the matter before her father . " And he [ John ] was pleased by the message ( for he inferred that this undertaking offered him a way to the fulfilment of his prophecies and to the royal power ) , and straightway without any hesitation he assented , and bade his child arrange that on the following day he himself should come to confer with Antonina and give pledges . When Antonina learned the mind of John , she wished to lead him as far as possible astray from the understanding of the truth , so she said that for the present it was inadvisable that he should meet her , for fear lest some suspicion should arise strong enough to prevent proceedings ; but she was intending straightway to depart for the East to join Belisarius . When , therefore , she had quit Byzantium and had reached the suburb ( the one called Rufinianae which was the private possession of Belisarius ) , there John should come as if to salute her and to escort her forth on the journey , and they should confer regarding matters of state and give and receive their pledges . In saying this she seemed to John to speak well , and a certain day was appointed to carry out the plan . And the empress , hearing the whole account from Antonina , expressed approval of what she had planned , and by her exhortations raised her enthusiasm to a much higher pitch still . When the appointed day was at hand , Antonina bade the empress farewell and departed from the city , and she went to Rufinianae , as if to begin on the following day her journey to the East ; hither too came John at night in order to carry out the plan which had been agreed upon . Meanwhile the empress denounced to her husband the things which were being done by John to secure the tyranny , and she sent Narses , the eunuch , and Marcellus , the commander of the palace guards to Rufinianae with numerous soldiers , in order that they might investigate what was going on , and , if they found John setting about a revolution , that they might kill the man forthwith and return . So these departed for this task . But they say that the emperor got information of what was being done and sent one of John ' s friends to him forbidding him on any condition to meet Antonina secretly . But John ( since it was fated that he should fare ill ) , disregarding the emperor ' s warning , about midnight met Antonina , close by a certain wall behind which she had stationed Narses and Marcellus with their men that they might hear what was said . There , while John with unguarded tongue was assenting to the plans for the attack and binding himself with the most dread oaths , Narses and Marcellus suddenly set upon him . But in the natural confusion which resulted the body - guards of John ( for they stood close by ) came immediately to his side . And one of them smote Marcellus with his sword , not knowing who he was , and thus John was enabled to escape with them , and reached the city with all speed . And if he had had the courage to go straightway before the emperor , I believe that he would have suffered no harm at his hand ; but as it was , he fled for refuge to the sanctuary , and gave the empress opportunity to work her will against him at her pleasure . " Elsewhere he continues : " But in the other account one fact was passed over in silence by me through fear — that Antonina had practised deception upon John and his daughter , not without intent , but after giving them the assurance of countless oaths , than which none is accounted more terrible among Christians , at any rate , that she was not acting with any treacherous purpose towards them . So after she had completed this transaction and felt a much greater confidence in the friendship of the Empress , she sent Theodosius to Ephesus and herself , foreseeing no obstacle , set out for the East . " . . . " There the Empress made an exhibition before all mankind , shewing that she knew how to requite bloody favours with greater and more unholy gifts . For whereas Antonina had recently laid snares for one enemy for her , the Cappadocian , and had betrayed him , she herself delivered over to Antonina a host of men and brought about their destruction without even a charge having been brought against them . " Strained relations . Antonina joined her husband in the Lazic War . But her affair with Theodosius caused a strain in their relations . Her lack of discretion led to a public confrontation . Her relations with Photius had reportedly also deteriorated . Belisarius was able to convince Photius to act as his own agent . " Accordingly the two men swore to each other all the oaths which are the most terrible among the Christians and are in fact so designated by them , that they would never betray each other , even in the presence of dangers threatening their destruction . " Antonina reportedly reached Belisarius shortly following his return from the fortress of Sisauranon . " It was reported to him by someone that she was on the way . Whereupon he , counting all other things as of no importance , led his army back . For it so happened that certain other things too , as related by me previously , had occurred in the army which influenced him to this retreat . This information , however , led him much more quickly to the decision . . . . " For from the first he was so constrained by the misconduct of his wife that he had been quite unwilling to get to a region as distant as possible from Roman territory , in order that he might be able , as soon as he learned that the woman had come from Byzantium , to turn back and to catch and to punish her immediately . " Belisarius arrested Antonina , while Photius was saint to Ephesus against Theodosius . " When Belisarius had reached Roman territory , he found that his wife had arrived from Byzantium . And he kept her under guard in disgrace , and though he many times set about destroying her , his heart was softened , being vanquished , as it seems to me , by a sort of flaming - hot love . But they say that it was also through her magic arts that he was brought under the control of the woman and immediately undone . " At this point , Theodora intervened in the behalf of her ally . She summoned both Belisarius and Antonina back to Constantinople . Then turned her wrath on various " intimates " of Belisarius and Photius . The couple were reconciled on Theodora ' s order , though the empress still had to find the whereabouts of Theodosius . Photius had abducted the youth and hidden him . " And she [ Theodora ] forced Belisarius , quite against his will , to become reconciled with his wife Antonina . She then inflicted sundry servile tortures upon Photius , among others combing his back and his shoulders with many lashes and commanded him to tell where in the world Theodosius and the go - between were . But he , though being racked with torture , determined to hold fast to his oath ; for though he was a sickly person and had in earlier life been dissolute , yet he had been devoted to the care of his body , having experienced neither wanton treatment nor hardship . At any rate , he disclosed not one of the secrets of Belisarius . At a later time , however , everything which hitherto had remained secret came to light . " In other words , Theodora located Theodosius and hid him in the palace . Later offering his as a gift to Antonina , allowing the affair to continue . " And she [ Theodora ] brought Theodosius out of the room of one of the eunuchs and shewed him to her [ Antonina ] . And Antonina was so overjoyed that she at first remained speechless with pleasure , and then she acknowledged that Theodora had done her a great favour , calling her Saviour and Benefactor and Mistress in very truth . And so the Empress detained this Theodosius in the Palace and bestowed upon him luxury and all manner of indulgence , and threatened that she would make him a Roman General after no long time . But a sort of justice forestalled her , for he was seized by an attack of dysentery and removed from the world . " Belisarius fell out of favor in late 542 – 543 , through unrelated causes . In the Summer of 542 , Constantinople was affected by the so - called Plague of Justinian . The emperor Justinian himself caught the plague and there were discussions of an imminent succession . Belisarius and Bouzes , both absent in campaign , reportedly swore to oppose any emperor chosen without their consent . Theodora took offense and had them both recalled at Constantinople to face her judgement . Bouzes was captured uppon his return . He reportedly spend two years and four months ( late 542 - early 545 ) held in an underground chamber , located below the women ' s quarters of the palace . While eventually released , Procopius suggests that Bouzes continued to suffer from a failing eyesight and ill health for the rest of his life . " Such was the experience of Bouzes . As for Belisarius , though he was convicted of none of the charges , the Emperor , at the insistence of the Empress , relieved him of the command which he held and appointed Martinus to be General of the East in his stead , and instructed him to distribute the spearmen and guards of Belisarius and all his servants who were notable men in war to certain of the officers and Palace eunuchs . So these cast lots for them and divided them all up among themselves , arms and all , as each happened to win them . And many of those who had been his friends or had previously served him in some way he forbade to visit Belisarius any longer . And he went about , a sorry and incredible sight , Belisarius a private citizen in Byzantium , practically alone , always pensive and gloomy , and dreading a death by violence . " Procopius credits Antonina with his restoration to favor . Later years . When Belisarius was restored to favor , he reportedly attempted to reclaim the position of magister militum per orientem . But Antonina prevented any reappointment to the eastern front , which brought painful memories to her . " Now Belisarius made the request that he should receive back his proper office and , upon being designated General of the East , should again lead the Roman army against Chosroes and the Medes , but Antonina would have none of it ; for she maintained that she had been insulted by him in those regions , and never would he again set eyes upon them . " . . . " He , however , disregarding all that had happened , and forgetting completely and neglecting the oaths which had been sworn to Photius and his other kinsmen , meekly followed the woman , being extraordinarily smitten with her , though she was already sixty years of age . " This estimation of her age places her birth at c . 484 . Belisarius was sent back to the Gothic War and Antonina followed him . Procopius allows some glimpses as to her movements . She was at Portus in 546 , Croton in late 547 , and Hydruntum in 548 . She was then sent to Constantinople . Her mission was to press on the need for reinforcements for the Gothic War . She arrived to find Theodora had already died . She instead convinced Justinian to recall Belisarius . In the 540s , her daughter Ioannina had married Anastasius . The latter was a grandson of Theodora . In early 549 , Antonina broke up this marriage . Procopius reports : " But when Antonina , after the Empress ' death , came to Byzantium , she purposely forgot the benefits which the Empress recently had conferred upon her , and paying no attention whatever to the fact that if the girl should marry anyone else , her previous record would be that of a prostitute , she spurned the alliance with the offspring of Theodora and forced the child , entirely against her will , to abandon her beloved . And from this act she [ Antonina ] won a great reputation for ingratitude among all mankind , yet when her husband arrived , she had no difficulty in persuading him to share with her in this unholy business . Consequently the man ' s character was openly revealed at that time . " This might be the last reliable mention of Antonina . The Patria of Constantinople , a later source , mentions that Antonina outlived Belisarius . Which would make her still alive in 565 . She reportedly went to live with Vigilantia , sister of Justinian . She supposedly persuaded Vigilantia to build a church dedicated to Procopius of Scythopolis . The same late source gives Antonina the title zoste patrikia . If accurate , she would be the first known holder of this title . A number of later historians have accepted this . But the lack of other evidence on the matter , renders this doubtful . Interpretation . Lynda Garland has noted that our main source for both Antonina and Theodora is Procopius . He served as the secretary and legal adviser of Belisarius from 527 and 540 . He then went on to become a member of the Byzantine Senate . He must have known Antonina " intimately " and his position would allow him to chronicle the activities of both women . In fact , his Secret History seems to have started with Antonina as his main target . The initial chapter mainly features Antonina . Only later chapters start targeting Theodora and Justinian . There are certainly facts underlying Procopius ' account . But the most " extravagant details " of the debaucheries of the women , arguably follow a tradition of " invective " writings against " wicked women " . Antonina ' s talent for intrigue can be seen in her role in the downfalls of Pope Silverius and John the Cappadocian . She succeeded in " making Silverius appear a pro - Gothic traitor " and implicated John " in a conspiracy to gain the throne " . Procopius here reveals his own " inside knowledge of events and personalities " . The background of Antonina can be guessed to match that of Theodora and their friendship might predate their rise to power . Procopius in several chapters argues that Antonina was " skilful in magic " , an account not taken seriously by later historians . James Evans examines what we know of Antonina and what remains uncertain . Antonina ' s mother was probably not an actress , but rather a stripper . We have little or no information on the early life of Antonina . She might have been part of the demimonde involved in the theater of her age . We can not be certain how and when Antonina and Theodora met . Theodora could have initially recruited her as an agent and informer . While their relationship was durable enough , Evans points that it was an " uneven relationship " . We do not know when or how Antonina and Belisarius met . Theodora might have a hand in introducing her friend to " the young guardsman " . The Augusta could then have helped push Belisarius to a command position . Which would explain " the rapid rise " of Belisarius . Antonina certainly served as the intermediary between Belisarius and Theodora in later stages . Antonina was no longer young at the time of her marriage . Though her having several children could be no more than rumour . The best attested child is arguably Photius , who gained a reputation for cruelty when suppressing the Samaritan Revolts ( 550s – 570s ) . Belisarius is portrayed as a devoted husband , Antonina as an unfaithful wife . But she is also portrayed as the " steady supporter and helpmate " of Belisarius . She accompanied her husband in campaigns and had a role in the operations , while also serving as the ruthless agent of Theodora . A less amiable side in the relations of the two women can be seen in the marriage of Ioannina and Anastasius . Theodora clearly envisioned her grandson as the heir to an immense fortune . She was the one to arrange the marriage to the heiress . The marriage probably took place between 542 and 544 , when Belisarius had fallen out of favor . Belisarius and Antonina were clearly in no position to argue . When Antonina kept postponing the marriage , Theodora took the initiative . She arranged for the young couple to start living together , unmarried . The wedding had to be hastened to preserve the reputation of the girl . Evans also calls attention to the relation between Antonina and Theodosius . The " handsome young Thracian " had come under the protection of Belisarius in the early 530s . At least prior to the Vandalic War . He was treated as an adoptive son of Belisarius , though not apparently legally adopted . He would have been the heir of Belisarius is adopted , not Ioannina . The affair " blossomed " in the Vandalic War and continued in the Gothic War . It was apparently common knowledge among the staff of Belisarius . Yet Belisarius was apparently blissfully unaware at first . A slave girl attempted to tell him . But was disbelieved and delivered to Antonina for punishment . Photius is reported resenting Theodosius and disgusted by his mother . Acting as a " rejected child " , if not a devoted stepson . Theodosius himself might have been a little scared of his lover . He reportedly attempted once to escape her and become a monk . Antonina persuaded both Belisarius and Justinian to recall him . When Theodora discovered the whereabouts of the abducted Theodosius and returned him to Antonina , her intentions might not have been altruistic . She could be only repaying a favor , as Procopius viewed the event . But Evans deduces that Theodora used the affair to further bind Antonina to herself .