Pammegethes

Συνέβη δὲ μετὰ χρόνον ἐν τῷ προϊέναι τὸν βασιλέα Θεοδόσιον εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις θεοφανίοις τὸν μάγιστρον Παυλῖνον ἀηδισθέντα ἐκ τοῦ ποδὸς ἀπρόιτον μεῖναι καὶ ἐκκουσσεῦσαι. προσήνεγκε δὲ τῷ αὐτῷ Θεοδοσίῳ βασιλεῖ πένης τις μῆλον Φρυγιατικὸν παμμέγεθες πολὺ εἰς πᾶσαν ὑπερβολήν. καὶ ἐξενίσθη ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ πᾶσα ἡ σύγκλητος αὐτοῦ· καὶ εὐθέως ὁ βασιλεύς, δεδωκὼς τῷ προσαγαγόντι τὸ μῆλον νομίσματα ἑκατὸν πεντήκοντα, ἔπεμψεν αὐτὸ τῇ Αὐγούστῃ Εὐδοκίᾳ· καὶ ἡ Αὐγούστα ἔπεμψεν αὐτὸ Παυλίνῳ τῷ μαγίστρῳ ὡς φίλῳ τοῦ βασιλέως· ὁ δὲ μάγιστρος Παυλῖνος, ἀγνοῶν ὅτι ὁ βασιλεὺς ἔπεμψεν αὐτὸ τῇ Αὐγούστῃ, λαβὼν ἔπεμψεν αὐτὸ τῷ βασιλεῖ Θεοδοσίῳ ὡς εἰσέρχεται εἰς τὸ παλάτιον. καὶ δεξάμενος αὐτὸ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐγνώρισεν αὐτὸ καὶ ἀπέκρυψεν αὐτό· καὶ καλέσας τὴν Αὐγούσταν ἐπηρώτησεν αὐτήν, λέγων· “ποῦ ἐστι τὸ μῆλον, ὃ ἔπεμψά σοι;” ἡ δὲ εἶπεν ὅτι· “ἔφαγον αὐτό.” καὶ ὥρκωσεν αὐτὴν κατὰ τῆς αὐτοῦ σωτηρίας, εἰ ἔφαγεν αὐτὸ ἤ τινι αὐτὸ ἔπεμψεν. καὶ ἐπωμόσατο, ὅτι· “οὐδενὶ αὐτὸ ἔπεμψα,” ἀλλ’ ὅτι αὐτὴ αὐτὸ ἔφαγεν. καὶ ἐκέλευσεν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐνεχθῆναι τὸ μῆλον, καὶ ἔδειξεν αὐτῇ αὐτό. καὶ ἠγανάκτησε κατ’ αὐτῆς, ὑπονοήσας ὅτι ὡς ἐρῶσα τῷ αὐτῷ Παυλίνῳ ἔπεμψεν αὐτῷ τὸ μῆλον καὶ ἠρνήσατο. καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀνεῖλε τὸν αὐτὸν Παυλῖνον ὁ βασιλεὺς Θεοδόσιος· καὶ λυπηθεῖσα ἡ Αὐγούστα Εὐδοκία, ὡς ὑβρισθεῖσα, ἐγνώσθη γὰρ πανταχοῦ, ὅτι δι’ αὐτὴν ἐσφάγη ὁ Παυλῖνος· ἦν γὰρ πάνυ εὔμορφος νεώτερος.
(John Malalas, Chronographia 14.8 = 356-357 Dindorf)

It so happened that, some time later, when the emperor Theodosius was proceeding to the church at Holy Epiphany, the magister Paulinus, who was indisposed because of his foot, remained behind and sent his apologies. A poor man brought to the emperor Theodosius a Phrygian apple of enormous size, so big as to defy description. The emperor and all his senate were amazed. Immediately the emperor gave 150 nomismata to the man who brought the apple, and sent it to the Augusta Eudokia; and the Augusta sent it to the magister Paulinus, since he was a friend of the emperor; but the magister Paulinus, not being aware that it was the emperor who had sent it to the Augusta, took it and sent it to the emperor Theodosius, as he was entering the palace. When the emperor received it, he recognised it and concealed it. He called the Augusta and questioned her, saying, “Where is the apple which I sent you?” She replied, “I ate it”. Then he made her swear the truth by his salvation, whether she had eaten it or had sent it to somebody. She swore, “I have not sent it to anybody, I have eaten it myself”. Then the emperor commanded the apple to be brought in and showed it to her. He became angry with her, suspecting that it was because she was in love with Paulinus that she had sent him the apple and had denied it. For this reason the emperor Theodosius put Paulinus to death. The Augusta Eudokia was offended at the insult she had received, for it was known everywhere that Paulinus had been executed on her account, for he was a very handsome young man. (tr. Elizabeth Jeffreys, Michael Jeffreys & Roger Scott)