imposing a tax burden so high it doesn't matter whether it's evenly spread or not."
Theodora waved her hand.
"But let's not get into that. There's no point in it. My husband's tax policy stems from the same source as his religious policy. Both are bad—and he knows it—but both are required by his fixed obsession to reintegrate the barbarian West into the Roman Empire. That's all he sees. Even Persia barely exists on his horizon. The Malwa are utterly irrelevant."
Bishop Cassian spoke.
"There's no hope, then, of Justinian putting a stop to the persecution of Monophysites?"
Theodora shook her head.
"None. He doesn't encourage it, mind. But he resolutely looks the other way and refuses to answer any complaints sent in by provincial petitioners. All that matters to him is the approval of orthodoxy. Their blessing on his coming invasion of the western Mediterranean."
Antonina spoke, harshly.
"I assume, if he's listening
Theodora waved her hand.
"But let's not get into that. There's no point in it. My husband's tax policy stems from the same source as his religious policy. Both are bad—and he knows it—but both are required by his fixed obsession to reintegrate the barbarian West into the Roman Empire. That's all he sees. Even Persia barely exists on his horizon. The Malwa are utterly irrelevant."
Bishop Cassian spoke.
"There's no hope, then, of Justinian putting a stop to the persecution of Monophysites?"
Theodora shook her head.
"None. He doesn't encourage it, mind. But he resolutely looks the other way and refuses to answer any complaints sent in by provincial petitioners. All that matters to him is the approval of orthodoxy. Their blessing on his coming invasion of the western Mediterranean."
Antonina spoke, harshly.
"I assume, if he's listening