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The praetorian prefect of Justinian in Cappadocia, he was lacking any liberal education and culture. For while attending elementary school he learned nothing but the letters [of the alphabet], and these [learned] badly [and] badly written. But as for his physical strength, he had become the most powerful of those we know: for he was very capable of doing whatever was necessary and finding a solution for his difficulties. But having become the basest of all men, he took advantage of his physical strength up to this point, and neither consideration of God nor shame before men ever came [to his mind], but for the sake of gain he endeavoured to cause the ruin of many people and destroy entire cities. Within a short time, at any rate, having acquired great wealth, he flung himself into a debauchery which had no limit. For while plundering the houses of his subjects up to lunchtime, he spent the rest of the day in dissolute physical activities. He was quite unable to control himself, but the food he ate up to the point he ate,[1] and he was always ready to steal money and even more ready to take it out and waste it. This John[2] was harsh, and likewise cruel, with all people, inflicting blows on those he met and plundering all their money without any respect; and for his lawless behavior he rightly and justly paid.

*)iwa/nnhs, o( *kappadoki/as e)/parxos *)ioustinianou=, lo/gwn me\n tw=n e)leuqeri/wn kai\ paidei/as a)nh/koos h)=n. ou) ga\r a)/llo ou)de\n e)s grammatistou= foitw=n e)/maqen o(/ti mh\ gra/mmata, kai\ tau=ta kaka\ kakw=s gra/yai. fu/sews de\ i)sxu/i+ pa/ntwn ge/gone dunatw/tatos w(=n h(mei=s i)/smen: gnw=nai/ te ga\r ta\ de/onta i(kanw/tatos h)=n kai\ lu/sin toi=s a)po/rois eu(rei=n. ponhro/tatos de\ pa/ntwn a)nqrw/pwn gegonw\s th=| te th=s fu/sews duna/mei e)s tou=to e)xrh=to, kai\ ou)/te qeou= lo/gos ou)/te a)nqrw/pwn au)to\n ai)dw/s tis ei)sh/|ei, a)lla\ bi/ous te au)tw=| a)nqrw/pwn pollw=n a)pollu/nai ke/rdous e(/neka kai\ po/leis o(/las kaqelei=n e)pimele\s h)=n. xro/nou gou=n o)li/gou xrh/mata mega/la peribalo/menos e)s kraipa/lhn tina\ e)klela/ktiken o(/ron ou)k e)/xousan: a)/xri me\n e)s to\n tou= a)ri/stou kairo\n lhi+zo/menos ta\s tw=n u(phko/wn ou)si/as, me/qh| de\ to\ loipo\n kai\ sw/matos e)/rgois a)selge/sin h)sxolhme/nos. kate/xein de\ au(to\n ou)damh=| i)/sxuen, a)lla\ ta/ te brw/mata me/xri e)s o(/son h)/sqie kai\ ta\ xrh/mata kle/ptein me\n h)=n e)saei\ e(/toimos, proi/+esqai de\ kai\ dapana=n e(toimo/teros. ou(=tos de\ o( *)iwa/nnhs pa=sin a)nqrw/pois baru\s h)=n o(moi/ws kai\ xalepo/s, plhga/s te toi=s prospi/ptousin e)nteino/menos kai\ ta\ xrh/mata a(paca/panta lo/gw| ou)deni\ lhi+zo/menos, th\n di/khn o)rqw=s kai\ dikai/ws th=s e)s th\n di/khn paranomi/as e)ce/tisen.

Procopius, On the Wars of Justinian 1.24.11-15 (web address 1) and (see n.2 below) 1.25.3 (web address 2); cf. Kaldellis (61-62) and (68), respectively. On John the Cappadocian, see PLRE IIIa s.v. Ioannes(11), alpha 2407, alpha 2906, and epsilon 1471.
[1] Textual corruption in the Suda. The sense is clearer in the original text, reading me/xri e)s to\n e(meto\n, "[he ate] up to the point that he threw up".
[2] 1.25.3 from now on.

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