Chalcedon. There was also a certain Arsenius, a native of Palestine,
who had made himself most necessary to the Empress, and, in
consequence of her favour and the great wealth he had amassed, had
attained the rank of a senator, although he was a man of most
abandoned character. He belonged to the Samaritan sect, but, in order
to preserve his authority, he assumed the name of Christian. His
father and brother, who lived in Scythopolis, relying upon his
authority and following his advice, bitterly persecuted the Christians
in that city. Whereupon the citizens rose up against them, and put
them to death most cruelly, which afterwards proved the cause of much
misery to the inhabitants of Palestine. On that occasion neither
Justinian nor the Empress inflicted any punishment upon Arsenius,
although he was the principal cause of all those troubles. They
contented themselves with forbidding him to appear at court, in order
to satisfy the continued complaints that were preferred against him by
the Christians.

This Arsenius, thinking to gratify the Emperor, set out with Paul to
Alexandria to assist him generally, and, above all, to do his utmost
to aid him in securing the favour of the inhabitants; for, during the
time of his exclusion from the palace, he affirmed that he had made
himself thoroughly acquainted with all the doctrines of Christianity.
This displeased Theodora, who pretended to hold a different opinion to
the Emperor in religious matters, as I have already stated.

When they arrived at Alexandria, Paul delivered over the deacon Psoes
to the governor to be put to death, asserting that he was the only
obstacle in the way of the realisation of the Emperor's desires. The
governor, urged on by despatches from the Emperor, which frequently
arrived and were couched in pressing terms, ordered Psoes to be