The Letters of Cassiodorus Part 32

[Sidenote: Magnus to be restored to his possessions.]

[Probably during his government of Gaul].

'We wish that all who have elected to live under our Clemency should be the better for it.

'The Spectabilis Magnus, spurning the conversation of our enemies [Franks?], and remembering his own origin, has sought re-patriation in the Roman Empire; but during his absence his property has suffered loss. Let him therefore be restored to, and henceforward have unquestioned possession of, all that he can prove to be his own in the way of lands, urban or rural slaves.'

19. KING THEODORIC TO DANIEL [A 'COMMONITORIUM'].

[Sidenote: Monopoly of supply of marble sarcophagi.]

'We wish the servants of our palace to have proper reward for their labours, though we might call on them to render them gratuitously.

Therefore, being much pleased with your skill in preparing and ornamenting marbles, we concede to you the [sole] right of furnis.h.i.+ng the marble chests in which the citizens of Ravenna bury their dead.

'They thus keep them above ground--no small consolation to the survivors, since the souls alone depart from this world's conversation; but they do not altogether lose the bodies which once were dear to them.

'Do not, however, impose upon their sadness; do not let a relative be forced to the alternative of wasting his substance in funeral expenses, or else throwing the body of his dear one into some well. Be moderate in your charges.'

[Odovacar was buried [Greek: en lithine larnaki] (Joann. Ant. fr.

214). The great stone coffins of Honorius and Valentinian will be remembered by every visitor to Ravenna.]

20. KING THEODORIC TO THE SAJO GRIMODA AND TO THE APPARITOR FERROCINCTUS.

[Sidenote: Oppression of Castorius by Faustus.]

[Cf. Dahn, 'Konige der Germanen' iii. 86 and 113.]

'We are determined to a.s.sist the humble, and to repress the violence of the proud.

'The lamentable pet.i.tion of Castorius sets forth that he has been unjustly deprived of his property by the magnificent Praetorian Praefect Faustus. [The same, no doubt, to whom are addressed iii. 55, i. 35, and the immediately succeeding letter (iii. 21).]

'If it be so, let the invader (pervasor) restore to Castorius his property, and hand over, besides, another property of equal value.

'If Faustus have employed any intermediate person in the act of violence, let him be brought to us in chains; and if that well-known author of ill [Faustus] tries any further to injure Castorius, he shall pay 2,000, besides having the misery of seeing his would-be victim unharmed.

'No Powers of any kind, be they Praetorian Praefects or what they may, shall be permitted to trample on the lowly.'

21. KING THEODORIC TO FAUSTUS, VIR ILl.u.s.tRIS.

[Sidenote: Disgrace and temporary exile of Faustus.]

'As all men require change, Faustus is allowed to absent himself from the sacred walls of Rome for four months, which he may spend at his own Penates. The King expects, however, that he will then return to the most famous (opinatissima) City, from which no Roman Senator can long be absent without grief.'

[Coupling this letter with its immediate predecessor it is difficult not to believe that Faustus is sent away in disgrace--notwithstanding the smooth words here used--for the act of injustice therein mentioned.

But why is he only addressed as Vir Ill.u.s.tris, and not also as Praefectus? Perhaps his term of office was expired; perhaps he was even dismissed from it.]

22. KING THEODORIC TO ARTEMIDORUS, VIR ILl.u.s.tRIS.

[Sidenote: An earnest invitation to the King's friend, Artemidorus.]

'We hereby [by these oracles] invite your Greatness to behold us, which we know will be most agreeable to you, in order that you who have now spent a large portion of your life with us may be satisfied by the sweetness of our presence. He who is permitted to share our converse deems it a Divine boon. We believe that you will come gladly, as we shall entertain you with alacrity.'

[Cf. Dahn iii. 283-4. The ending of the letter (Venire te gaudentem credimus, quem alacriter sustinemus) is the common form, and 'sustineo' is a technical word for the King's reception of his subjects: see iii. 28, ad finem.]

23. KING THEODORIC TO COLOSSAEUS, VIR ILl.u.s.tRIS AND COMES (CIR. A.D.

505).

[Sidenote: Appointment of Colossaeus as Governor of Pannonia.]

'We delight to entrust our mandates to persons of approved character.

'We are sending you "with the dignity of the ill.u.s.trious belt" to Pannonia Sirmiensis, an old habitation of the Goths. Let that Province be induced to welcome her old defenders, even as she used gladly to obey our ancestors. Show forth the justice of the Goths, a nation happily situated for praise, since it is theirs to unite the forethought of the Romans and the virtue of the Barbarians. Remove all ill-planted customs[291], and impress upon all your subordinates that we would rather that our Treasury lost a suit than that it gained one wrongfully, rather that we lost money than the taxpayer was driven to suicide.'

[Footnote 291: 'Consuetudines abominanter inolitas.' Fornerius thinks this means 'all extortionate taxes.' Compare the English use of the word 'customs.']

[Cf. Muchar, 'Geschichte der Steiermark' iv. 131.]

24. KING THEODORIC TO ALL THE BARBARIANS AND ROMANS SETTLED IN PANNONIA.

[Cf. Muchar, iv. 132.]

[Sidenote: To the Pannonians, on the appointment of Colossaeus.]

'Intent on the welfare of our subjects we are sending you Colossaeus for Governor. His name means a mighty man; and a mighty man he is, who has given many proofs of his virtue. Now we exhort you with patience and constancy to submit yourselves to his authority. Do not excite that wrath before which our enemies tremble. Acquiesce in the rule of justice in which the whole world rejoices. Why should you, who have now an upright Judge[292], settle your grievances by single combat?

What has man got a tongue for, if the armed hand is to settle all differences? or where can peace be looked for, if there is fighting in a civilised State like ours[293]? Imitate then our Goths, who have learned to practise war abroad, to show peaceable dispositions at home. We want you so to live as you see that our subjects (parentes) have lived and flourished under the Divine blessing.'

[Footnote 292: 'Cur ad monomachiam recurritis, qui venalem judicem non habetis?']

[Footnote 293: 'Aut unde pax quaeritur si sub civilitate pugnetur.']

25. KING THEODORIC TO SIMEON, VIR ILl.u.s.tRIS AND COMES.

[Sidenote: Tax-collecting and iron-mining in Dalmatia.]

'We entrust to you the duty of collecting throughout the Province of Dalmatia the arrears of Siliquatic.u.m for the first, second, and third Indictions [Sept. 1, 506, to Aug. 31, 509]. We do this not only for the sake of gain to our Treasury, but to prevent the demoralisation of our subjects.

'Also by careful mining (cuniculo veritatis) seek out the iron veins in Dalmatia, where the softness of earth is pregnant with the rigour of iron, which is cooked by fire that it may become hard.

'Iron enables us to defend our country, is serviceable for agriculture and for countless arts of human life: yea, iron is master of gold, compelling the rich man, weaponless, to obey the poor man who wields a blade of steel.'