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.

[May, 541] Thus, then, from being prefect he became a private citizen,
and rising from that sanctuary he was conveyed to another, which is