Everything was out of gear; offices were degraded, not even their names being preserved.

In a word, the Empire resembled a queen over boys at play.

But I must pass over the rest, as I hinted at the commencement of this work.
I will now say something about the man who first taught the Emperor to traffic in the administration of justice.

His name was Leo; he was a native of Cilicia, and passionately eager to enrich himself.

He was the most utterly shameless of flatterers, and most apt in ingratiating himself with the ignorant, and with the Emperor, whose folly he made use of in order to ruin his subjects.