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The Letters of Cassiodorus

Senator Cassiodorus

[Venantius, son of Liberius, was, with many high commendations, made Comes Domesticorum in Letters ii. 15 and 16. See further as to his fall in iii. 36, also iii. 46.] 'Remissness in the collection of the public taxes is a great fault, and no kindness in the end to the taxpayer. For want of a timely caution you probably have to end by selling him up. 'The Count of Sacred Largesses tells us that you were long ago commissioned to get in the _Bina_ and _Terna_ [and have not done so]. Be quick about it, that the collection may be completed according to the registers of the Treasury. If you are not quick, and the Treasury suffers loss, you will have to make it good out of your private property. You have not shown proper respect to our orders, nor a due sense of the obligation of your own promise.' [These 'Bina' and 'Terna' are a mystery; but Dahn[281] thinks they are not a specially Gothic tax, but an inheritance from the fiscal administration of Rome, having probably nothing to do with the Tertiae.] [Footnote 281: iii. 145, _n._ 4.] 9. KING THEODORIC TO THE POSSESSORES, DEFENSORES, AND CURIALES[282] DWELLING AT AESTUNAE[283]. [Footnote 282: Note these three classes; as also in ii. 17.] [Footnote 283: I have not been able to identify this place.] [Sidenote: Marbles for Ravenna.] 'We wish to build new edifices without despoiling the old[284]. But we are informed that in your municipality there are blocks of masonry and columns formerly belonging to some building now lying absolutely useless and unhonoured. If it be so, send these slabs of marble[285] and columns[286] by all means to Ravenna, that they may be again made beautiful and take their place in a building there.' [Footnote 284: 'Moderna sine priorum imminutione desideramus erigere.'] [Footnote 285: 'Platonias.' This, which is the spelling found in Nivellius' edition, seems to be a more correct form than the 'platomas' of Garet. Ducange, who has a long article on the subject, refers the word to the Greek [Greek: platunion].] [Footnote 286: Possibly the columns in S. Apollinare Deutro may have been some of those here mentioned.] 10. KING THEODORIC TO THE ILLUSTRIOUS FESTUS, PATRICIAN. [Sidenote: The same subject.] A similar order, for the transport of marbles from the Pincian Hill to Ravenna, by Catabulenses[287]. 'We have ordered a "subvectus" [assistance from the public postal-service?], that the labourers may set to work at once.' [Footnote 287: 'Catabulenses,' or 'Catabolenses'--freighters, contractors, who effected the transport of heavy goods by means of draught-horses and mules.] 11. KING THEODORIC TO ARGOLICUS, VIR ILLUSTRIS [A.D. 510]. [Sidenote: Argolicus appointed Praefect of the City.] Announces to this young man his nomination to the Praefecture of the City (for the 4th Indiction). Enlarges on the dignity of the office, especially as involving the Presidency of the Senate, and calls upon him by a righteous and sober life to show himself worthy of the choice. Argolicus is a great student [perhaps a literary friend of Cassiodorus], and he is exhorted to keep himself in the right path by musing on the great examples of antiquity. [There is a sort of tone of apology for the appointment of Argolicus, which is perhaps accounted for by the fact, which comes out in the next letter, that his father was a comparatively poor man. See a sharp rebuke of Argolicus for venal procrastination, iv. 29.] 12. KING THEODORIC TO THE SENATE OF THE CITY OF ROME. [Sidenote: The same subject.] Rehearses the usual sentiments about the dignity of the Senate and Theodoric's care in the choice of officials. 'It is easier, if one may say so, for Nature herself to err, than that a Sovereign should make a State unlike to himself.' Recounts the ancestry of Argolicus. The older Senators will remember his eloquent and purely-living grandfather, a man of perfectly orthodox reputation, who filled the offices of Comes Sacrarum Largitionum and Magister Officiorum. His father never stained the dignity of 'Comes Privatarum' by cruelty, and was free from ill-gotten gains in an age when avarice was not accounted a crime[288]. [Footnote 288: Tillemont understands this of the times of Odovacar, vi. 438.] 'We may hope that the son will follow the example of such distinguished ancestors.' 13. KING THEODORIC TO SUNHIVAD, SENATOR. [Sidenote: Sunhivad, Governor of Samnium.] [Notice again the Roman title and Gothic name.] 'You who have ruled your own life in a long career so well should make a good governor of others. I therefore send you to Samnium as Governor, in reply to the complaints which reach me from that Province. Settle according to the law of justice the disputes which have arisen there between the Romans and the Goths.' 14. KING THEODORIC TO THE VENERABLE BISHOP AURIGENES. [Sidenote: Accusations against the servants of a Bishop.] 'You as a Bishop will be especially grieved to hear of any offences against the sanctity of the married state. Julianus complains that his wife has been outraged and his goods wasted by some of your servants [probably slaves]. 'Do you enquire into the matter, and if the complaint appears to be just, deal promptly and severely with the offenders.' [Cf. Dahn, 'Koenige der Germanen' iii. 193, on this letter. He shows that it has been improperly appealed to as proving the immunity of all ecclesiastical persons from a secular tribunal. What Theodoric really intended was to give the Bishop a chance of settling the affair himself, and so to prevent the scandal of its appearing in the secular Courts, which it assuredly would do if the Bishop were apathetic. But one sees how easily this would glide into something like immunity from secular tribunals.] 15. KING THEODORIC TO THEODAHAD, SENATOR[289]. [Footnote 289: This is no doubt the nephew of Theodoric.] [Sidenote: A contumacious person handed over to Theodahad.] 'It is the extreme of insolence in anyone not to execute our "sacred orders." A certain person whom we commanded to attend before the judgment-seat of the Illustrious Sona, has with inveterate cunning withdrawn himself therefrom. We therefore hand him over to you, that your fame may grow by your skilful management of a difficult case like this.' 16. KING THEODORIC TO GEMELLUS, SENATOR (509-510). [Sidenote: Appointment of Gemellus as Governor of Gaul.] 'Having proved your worth by experience we are now going to send you to govern the Provinces of Gaul newly wrested [from Clovis], as Vicar of the Praefects[290]. [Footnote 290: 'Vicarius Praefectorum.' Vicar of what Praefects? Why the plural number? Had Theodoric a titular Praefect _of the Gauls_, to whom this Vicarius was theoretically subject while practically obeying the Praefect of Italy? Or, to prevent bickerings, did he give the 'Praefectus Italiae' and the 'Praefectus Urbis' conjoint authority over the new conquests? There is some mystery here which would be worth explaining.] 'Think what a high opinion we must have formed of you to delegate to you the government of these Provinces, the conquest of which has added so much to our glory, and the good opinion of whose inhabitants we so particularly wish to acquire. Abhor turbulence; do not think of avarice; show yourself in all things such a Governor as "Romanus Princeps" ought to send, and let the Province feel such an improvement in her lot that she may "rejoice to have been conquered."' [This is so like the words put by Sidonius into the mouth of Lyons, after Majorian's conquest of her, that I believe it to be intentionally imitated.] 17. KING THEODORIC TO ALL THE GAULISH PROVINCES (510). [Sidenote: Proclamation to the new Gaulish subjects.] 'Obey the Roman customs. You are now by God's blessing restored to your ancient freedom; put off the barbarian; clothe yourselves with the morals of the toga; unlearn cruelty, that you may not be unworthy to be our subjects. We are sending you Spectabilis Gemellus as Vicarius Praefectorum, a man of tried worth, who we trust will be guilty of no crime, because he knows he would thereby seriously displease us. Obey his commands therefore. Do not dislike the reign of Law because it is new to you, after the aimless seethings of Barbarism (Gentilitas). 'You may now bring out your long-hidden treasures; the rich and the noble will again have a chance of suitable promotion. You may now enjoy what till now you have only heard of--the triumph of Public Right, the most certain solace of human life, the help of the weak, the curb of the strong. You may now understand that men are exalted not by their bodily strength, but by reason.' [Some of these reflections on the past misgovernment of _Gentilitas_ hit the Visigoths, Theodoric's friends, harder than the Franks. If the Gaulish nobles of the south-eastern Provinces (and these were all that Theodoric had conquered) had _long_ been obliged to hide the treasures of their fathers, that surely was the fault rather of Euric and Alaric II than of Clovis. Cf. Dahn, 'Koenige der Germanen' iii. 261-2, on all this correspondence.] 18. KING THEODORIC TO GEMELLUS. [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 furnishing 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, 'Koenige der Germanen' iii. 86 and 113.] 'We are determined to assist the humble, and to repress the violence of the proud. 'The lamentable petition 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 L2,000, besides having the misery of seeing his would-be victim unharmed.