Chrysaphius

Chrysaphius, surnamed Tzumas, was a eunuch at the court of Theodosius II. In the last years of the reign he was the most powerful man in the eastern government. Priscus calls him the spatharius who had the greatest influence with the emperor.^[1] He held the office of chief chamberlain. Through his influence the duties of the spatharius were attached to it. He controlled the government from the fall of the prefect Cyrus and the empress Eudocia, about 443 or 444. His godfather was the heretic Eutyches.^[2]

The plot against Attila

In 448 or 449 Attila’s envoy Edeco came to Constantinople.^[1]^[3] Chrysaphius received him. When Edeco admired the palace, the eunuch told him that he too could have houses with golden roofs and great wealth if he left Scythia and came over to the Romans. At a second dinner, without Edeco’s companion Orestes, he proposed that Edeco kill Attila on his return and come back to live in great wealth among the Romans. Edeco agreed and asked for fifty pounds of gold to win over his men. Chrysaphius laid the plan before the emperor. The emperor approved it with Martialius, the master of the offices.^[4]

Edeco revealed the plot to Attila. The interpreter Bigilas was caught with the gold. He confessed.^[5] Attila sent his secretary Orestes to Constantinople with the purse round his neck. Orestes was to ask the eunuch before the emperor whether he recognised it. Attila also demanded Chrysaphius for punishment.^[6] At the same time the commander Zeno demanded his punishment too. Everyone’s feeling turned against him. The emperor sent the patricians Anatolius and Nomus to Attila, Nomus partly because he was well disposed to Chrysaphius. The eunuch sent gold of his own to soften Attila’s anger.^[7] Attila made peace. He no longer insisted on his punishment.^[8]

Fall

The power of Chrysaphius remained unshaken until a few months before the death of Theodosius in July 450. Then he fell out of favour, and the influence of the emperor’s sister Pulcheria returned.^[9] The first act of the new emperor Marcian was his execution.^[10]^[11] He had favoured the Green faction of the Circus. Marcian patronised the Blues.^[10]

It was whispered that he used his influence to enrich himself. Some scholars hold that in this he was better than his reputation but considerably less than innocent. They add that against the Huns no course was open to him other than a policy of subsidies.^[12] Others hold that he completely swayed the mind of the emperor. They add that the payments of a weak government to buy off the Huns emptied the treasury.^[9]

References

^ a b Priscus; Müller 1851, fr. 7, p. 76
^ Thompson 1948, p. 99–100
^ Thompson 1948, p. 98
^ Priscus; Müller 1851, fr. 7, p. 76–77
^ Priscus; Müller 1851, fr. 8, p. 95
^ Priscus; Müller 1851, fr. 12, p. 96–97
^ Priscus; Müller 1851, fr. 12–13, p. 97
^ Thompson 1948, p. 123
^ a b Bury 1923, p. 235
^ a b Bury 1923, p. 236
^ Thompson 1948, p. 133
^ Thompson 1948, p. 100, 199

Sources

Priscus

Literature

Karl Müller (ed.), Fragmenta Historicorum Graecorum, Bd. IV (darin: Menandri Protectoris fragmenta, griechisch mit lateinischer Übersetzung) (1851)
J. B. Bury, History of the Later Roman Empire from the Death of Theodosius I to the Death of Justinian, vol. I (1923)
E. A. Thompson, A History of Attila and the Huns (1948)