The Letters of Cassiodorus
is committed our own reputation for _civilitas_. Under a just Quaestor
the mind of an innocent man is at rest: only the wicked become anxious
as to the success of their evil designs; and thus the bad lose their
hope of plunder, while more earnestness is shown in the practice of
virtue. It is his to safeguard the just rights of all men: temperate
in expenditure, lavish in his zeal for justice, incapable of
deception, prompt in succour. He serves that Sovereign mind before
which all bow: through his lips must he speak who has not an equal in
the land.'
5. KING THEODORIC TO THE SAJO MANNILA.
[Sidenote: Abuses of the Cursus Publicus.]
Repeats the injunctions given in Letter iv. 47 against improper use of
the public post-horses, and overloading of the extra horses. The fines
imposed are the same as in that letter [with the addition of a fine of
two ounces of gold (about L6 10s.) for overloading]; the examples from
Natural History are similar. 'The very bird when weighted with a load
flies slowly. Ships though they cannot feel their toils, yet move
tardily when they are filled with cargo. What can the poor quadruped
do when pressed by too great burden? It succumbs.'
But apparently this rule against overloading is not to apply to
Praepositi (Provincial Governors?), since 'reverenda antiquitas' has
given them special rights over the _Cursus Publicus_.
6. KING THEODORIC TO STABULARIUS, COMITIACUS[381].
[Footnote 381: Officer of the Court. See vi. 13.]
7. KING THEODORIC TO JOANNES, VIR CLARISSIMUS, ARCARIUS [TREASURER].
[Sidenote: Default in payments to Treasury made by Thomas. His
property assigned to his son-in-law Joannes.]
'The _Vir Honestus_, Thomas, has long been a defaulter (reliquator) in
respect of the Indictions payable for certain farms which he has held
under the King's house in Apulia[382], and this default has now
reached the sum of 10,000 solidi (L6,000). Repeatedly summoned to pay,
he always procrastinates, and we can get no satisfaction out of him.
The petition of Joannes, who is son-in-law to Thomas, informs us that
he is willing to pay the 10,000 solidi due, if we will make over to
him the said farms, and all the property of his father-in-law. This we
therefore now do, reserving to Thomas the right to pay the debt at any
time before the next Kalends of September, and thus to redeem his
property. Failing such payment, the property is to pass finally into
the hands of Joannes, on his paying the 10,000 solidi to the
Illustrious Count of the Patrimony [possibly Stabularius].
[Footnote 382: 'Thomatem domus nostrae certa praedia suscepisse sed
eum male administrando suscepta usque ad decem millia solidorum de
Indictionibus illa atque illa reliquatorem publicis rationibus
extitisse.' It is not quite clear whether the debt is due as what we
should call rent or as land-tax. Perhaps the debt had accumulated
under both heads.]
'It may be some little consolation to Thomas to reflect that after all
it is his son-in-law who enters into possession of his goods.'
[Dahn ('Koenige der Germanen' iii. 277) remarks on this letter: 'But
even the well-meaning Theodoric takes steps in the interests of
substantial justice which from a juristic point of view it would be
hard to justify.... Evidently here the King, in his consideration of
what was practically just, has decided according to caprice, not
according to right; for the Fiscus could strictly only be repaid its
debt out of the property of the defaulter, and hold the Arcarius
(Joannes) responsible for the balance' (for which Dahn thinks he had
already made himself liable). I do not quite agree with this view. It
seems to me that Thomas was hopelessly bankrupt (the debt was 10,000
solidi, not 1,000, as stated by Dahn), and the Fiscus virtually sells
the bankrupt's estate to his son-in-law, for him to make of it what he
can.]
8. KING THEODORIC TO ANASTASIUS THE CONSULAR.
[Sidenote: Transport of marble from Faenza to Ravenna.]
'We rely upon your Sublimity's zeal and prudence to see that the
required blocks of marble are forwarded from Faventia (Faenza) to
Ravenna, without any extortion from private individuals; so that, on
the one hand, our desire for the adornment of that city may be
gratified, and on the other, there may be no cause for complaint on
the part of our subjects.'
9. KING THEODORIC TO THE POSSESSORES OF FELTRIA.
[Sidenote: New city to be built in district of Trient.]
'We have ordered the erection of a new city in the territory of
Tridentum (Trient). As the work is great and the inhabitants few, we
order you all to assist and build each your appointed length
(pedatura) of wall, for which you will receive suitable pay.'
[This use of the word _pedatura_ is found in Vegetius, 'Epitoma Rei
Militaris' iii. 8, and is illustrated by the centurial stones on the
two great Roman walls in Britain, recording the number of feet
accomplished by each century of soldiers (See 'Archaeologia Aeliana,'
vol. ix. p. 28; paper by Mr. Clayton).]
'None, not even the servants of the royal house (divina domus), are
excepted from this order.'
10. KING THEODORIC TO THE SAJO VERANUS.
11. KING THEODORIC TO THE GEPIDAE, ON THEIR MARCH TO GAUL.
[Sidenote: Payment to Gepidae on their march to Gaul.]
'We desire that our soldiers should always be well paid, and that they
should never become the terror of the country which they are ordered
to defend. Do you therefore, Sajo Veranus, cause the Gepid troops whom
we have ordered to come to the defence of Gaul, to march in all peace
and quietness through Venetia and Liguria.
'You Gepidae shall receive three solidi (L1 16s.) per week; and we
trust that thus supplied you will everywhere buy your provisions, and
not take them by force.
'We generally give the soldiers their pay in kind, but in this case,
for obvious reasons, we think it better to pay them in money, and let
them buy for themselves.
'If their waggons are becoming shaky with the long journey, or their
beasts of burden weary, let them exchange for sound waggons and fresh
beasts with the inhabitants of the country, but on such terms that the
latter shall not regret the transaction.'
[Does this payment of three solidi mean per head? That would be an
enormously high rate of pay. Sartorius (p. 289) feels the difficulty
so strongly that he suggests that this was the pay given to the whole
troop, whose number was not large; but 'multitudo' seems hostile to
this hypothesis[383]. Possibly the high cost of provisions in the
Alpine mountain-country may help to explain this unheard-of rate of
pay to common soldiers.]
[Footnote 383: 'Ut multitudinem Gepidarum quam fecimus ad Gallias
custodiae causa properare, per Venetiam atque Liguriam sub omni facias
moderatione transire.']
12. KING THEODORIC TO THEODAHAD, VIR ILLUSTRIS [NEPHEW OF THE KING].
[Sidenote: Avarice and injustice of Theodahad.]
'If all are bound to seek justice and to avoid ignoble gains, most
especially are they thus bound who pride themselves on their close
relationship to us.
'The heirs of the Illustrious Argolicus [probably the Praefect of
Rome] and the Clarissimus Amandianus complain that the estate[384] of
Palentia, which we generously gave them to console them for the loss
of the Casa Arbitana, has been by your servants, for no cause,
unbecomingly invaded; and thus you, who should have shown an example
of glorious moderation, have caused the scandal of high-handed
spoliation. Wherefore, if this be true, let your Greatness at once
restore what has been taken away; and if you consider that you have
any claims on the land, come and assert them in our Comitatus. Even
success yonder is injurious to your fame; but here, after full trial
of the case and hearing of witnesses, no one will believe that any
injustice has been done if your cause should triumph.'
[Footnote 384: 'Massa;' cf. the American 'block.']
[The republication of this letter at the close of his official life
shows what was Cassiodorus' opinion of Theodahad, though he had served
under him.]
13. KING THEODORIC TO EUTROPIUS AND ACRETIUS.
[Sidenote: Commissariat.]
'We rely upon you to collect the prescribed rations and deliver them
to the soldiers. It is most important that they should be regularly
supplied, and that there should be no excuse for pillage, so hard to
check when once an army has begun to practise it.'
14. KING THEODORIC TO SEVERI(A)NUS[385], VIR ILLUSTRIS (514-515).
[Footnote 385: In the next letter the same official is called
Severinus.]
[Sidenote: Financial abuses in Suavia.]
'We send you to redress the long-standing grievances of the
Possessores of the Province of Suavia, to which we have not yet been
able to apply a remedy.
'(1) It appears that some of the chief Possessores are actually making
a profit out of the taxes, imposing heavy burdens on their poorer
neighbours and not honestly accounting for the receipts to us. See
that this is put right, that the land-tax (assis[386] publicus) is
fairly and equitably reimposed according to the ability of each
Possessor, and that those who have been oppressing their neighbours
heal the wounds which they have made.
[Footnote 386: Cassiodorus uses the rare nominative form 'assis.']
'(2) See also that a strict account is rendered by all Defensores,
Curiales, and Possessores of any receipts on behalf of the public
Treasury. If a Possessor can show that he paid his tax (tributarius
solidus) for the now expired eighth Indiction (A.D. 514-515), and the
money has not reached our Treasury, find out the defaulter and punish
his crime.
'(3) Similarly with sums disbursed by one of the clerks of our
Treasury[387], for the relief of the Province, which have not reached
their destination.
[Footnote 387: 'Tabularius a cubiculo nostro.']
'(4) Men who were formerly Barbarians[388], who have married Roman
wives and acquired property in land, are to be compelled to pay their
Indictions and other taxes to the public Treasury just like any other
Provincials.
[Footnote 388: 'Antiqui Barbari qui Romanis mulieribus elegerint
nuptiali foedere sociari, quolibet titulo praedia quaesiverint, fiscum
possessi cespitis persolvere, ac super indictitiis oneribus parere
cogantur.']
'(5) Judges are to visit each town (municipium) once in the year, and
are not entitled to claim from such towns more than three days'
maintenance. Our ancestors wished that the circuits of the Judges
should be a benefit, not a burden, to the Provincials.
'(6) It is alleged that some of the servants of the Count of the Goths
and of the Vice-dominus (?) have levied black-mail on some of the
Provincials. Property so taken must be at once restored and the
offenders punished.
'(7) Enter all your proceedings under this commission in official
registers (polyptycha), both for your own protection and for the sake
of future reference, to prevent the recurrence of similar abuses.'
[A long and interesting letter, but with some obscure passages.]
15. KING THEODORIC TO ALL THE POSSESSORES IN SUAVIA.
[Sidenote: On the same subject.]
'Although our Comitatus is always ready to redress the grievances of
our subjects, yet, on account of the length of the journey from your
Province hither, we have thought good to send the Illustrious and
Magnificent Severinus to you to enquire into your complaints on the
spot. He is a man fully imbued with our own principles of government,
and he has seen how greatly we have at heart the administration of
justice. We therefore doubt not that he will soon put right whatever
has been done wrong in your Province; and we have published our
"oracles" [the previous letter, containing Severinus' patent of
appointment], that all may know upon what principles he is to act, and