to the city as if it had fallen under the hand of an enemy. The
sanctuary of Sophia and the baths of Zeuxippus, and the portion of the
imperial residence from the propylaea as far as the so-called House of
Ares were destroyed by fire, and besides these both the great colonnades
which extended as far as the market place which bears the name of
Constantine, in addition to many houses of wealthy men and a vast amount
of treasure. During this time the emperor and his consort with a few
members of the senate shut themselves up in the palace and remained
quietly there. Now the watch-word which the populace passed around to
one another was Nika[31], and the insurrection has been called by this
name up to the present time.

The praetorian prefect at that time was John the Cappadocian, and
Tribunianus, a Pamphylian by birth, was counsellor to the emperor; this
person the Romans call "quaestor." One of these two men, John, was
entirely without the advantages of a liberal education; for he learned
nothing while attending the elementary school except his letters, and
these, too, poorly enough; but by his natural ability he became the most
powerful man of whom we know. For he was most capable in deciding upon
what was needful and in finding a solution for difficulties. But he
became the basest of all men and employed his natural power to further
his low designs; neither consideration for God nor any shame before man
entered into his mind, but to destroy the lives of many men for the sake
of gain and to wreck whole cities was his constant concern. So within a
short time indeed he had acquired vast sums of money, and he flung
himself completely into the sordid life of a drunken scoundrel; for up
to the time of lunch each day he would plunder the property of his
subjects, and for the rest of the day occupy himself with drinking and
with wanton deeds of lust. And he was utterly unable to control himself,
for he ate food until he vomited, and he was always ready to steal money