promised that he would follow directly as soon as he should have
arranged the matter in hand; but Zaberganes, moved by his hostility to
him, reported to Chosroes that Mebodes did not wish to come at present,
claiming to have some business or other. Chosroes, therefore, moved with
anger, sent one of his attendants commanding Mebodes to go to the
tripod. Now as to what this is I shall explain forthwith. An iron tripod
stands always before the palace; and whenever anyone of the Persians
learns that the king is angry with him, it is not right for such a man
to flee for refuge to a sanctuary nor to go elsewhere, but he must seat
himself by this tripod and await the verdict of the king, while no one
at all dares protect him. There Mebodes sat in pitiable plight for many
days, until he was seized and put to death at the command of Chosroes.
Such was the final outcome of his good deeds to Chosroes.


XXIV


[Jan. 1, 532] At this same time an insurrection broke out unexpectedly
in Byzantium among the populace, and, contrary to expectation, it proved
to be a very serious affair, and ended in great harm to the people and
to the senate, as the following account will shew. In every city the
population has been divided for a long time past into the Blue and the
Green factions; but within comparatively recent times it has come about
that, for the sake of these names and the seats which the rival factions
occupy in watching the games, they spend their money and abandon their
bodies to the most cruel tortures, and even do not think it unworthy to
die a most shameful death. And they fight against their opponents
knowing not for what end they imperil themselves, but knowing well that,
even if they overcome their enemy in the fight, the conclusion of the