By this bold speech Theodora infused her own intrepid spirit into the Imperial party. No longer wavering in their counsels, they resolved to assume the offensive, and thought only of how to strike with most effect at the usurper and the rebels who supported him. The barbarian mercenaries congregated in the Palace still amounted to three or four thousand men, and several reliable officers were at hand to lead them. These troops were divided into two brigades and placed under the command of Belisarius and Mundus the Goth respectively.[1] At the same time Narses, the Chief Eunuch, opened negotiations with the Blue Faction, and by extensive bribery succeeded in detaching a large number of them from their associates. Some dissension in the Hippodrome resulted, voices were raised in favour of Justinian, and Hypatius was no longer the object of unalloyed enthusiasm.[2] And now Belisarius, supported by his colleague, determined to make a direct onslaught on the Cathisma, which was crowded with the improvised guards of the newly constituted emperor.[3] He essayed to pass by the Cochlea, but found the way blocked by the Excubitors, who had adopted a neutral attitude, and decided to be deaf to all orders as long as the fortunes of the rival parties hung in the balance. Seeing that any effort in that direction would be futile, he abandoned the scheme and, somewhat disheartened, returned to consult Justinian. A different plan of attack was
- [Footnote: ("[Greek: kalon entaphion ê tyrannis]"; Isocrates, Archidamus, 44; "[Greek: Basileia]";
Procopius).]
- ↑ Procopius, loc. cit.
- ↑ Jn. Malala, p. 476; Chron. Paschal., loc. cit., etc. Procopius seems to know nothing of the part played by Narses, although he was possibly in the Palace with Belisarius all the time.
- ↑ Two hundred and fifty of the Greens, armed and mailed; Chron. Paschal. and Theophanes, loc. cit.
