The Letters of Cassiodorus
23. GUDELINA TO THEODORA. Same subject 435
24. " " JUSTINIAN. Same subject 436
25. THEODAHAD TO JUSTINIAN. Same subject 436
26. " " " Monastery too heavily taxed 437
27. " " SENATOR. Corn distributions in Liguria and Venetia 438
28. " " " Grant of monopolies 438
29. " " WINUSIAD. Old soldier gets leave to visit baths
of Bormio 440
30. " " HONORIUS. Brazen elephants in the Via Sacra.
Natural history of elephant 442
31. KING WITIGIS TO ALL THE GOTHS. On his elevation 444
32. " " " JUSTINIAN. Overtures for peace 445
33. " " " THE MASTER OF THE OFFICES (at Constantinople).
Sending of embassy 447
34. " " " HIS BISHOPS. Same subject 448
35. " " " THE PRAEFECT OF THESSALONICA. Same subject 448
BOOK XI.
CONTAINING THIRTY-NINE LETTERS WRITTEN BY CASSIODORUS IN HIS OWN NAME
AS PRAEFECTUS PRAETORIO, AND ONE ON BEHALF OF THE ROMAN SENATE.
PREFACE 449
1. TO SENATE. On his promotion to the Praefecture. Praises of
Amalasuentha. Comparison to Placidia. Relations with
the East. Expedition against Franks. League with
Burgundians. Virtues of Amal Kings 452-457
2. " POPE JOHN. Salutations 458
3. " DIVERS BISHOPS. The same 459
4. " AMBROSIUS (HIS DEPUTY). Functions of Praefect's Deputy 460
5. " THE SAME. Grain distributions for Rome 461
6. " JOANNES. Functions of the Cancellarius 462
7. " JUDGES OF THE PROVINCES. Duties of tax-collectors 464
8. EDICT PUBLISHED THROUGH THE PROVINCES. Announcement of
Cassiodorus' principles of administration 465
9. TO JUDGES OF THE PROVINCES. Exhortation to govern in conformity
with Edict 467
10. " BEATUS. Davus invalided to Mons Lactarius. The milk-cure
for consumption 468-469
11. EDICT. Concerning prices to be maintained at Ravenna 469
12. " Concerning prices along the Flaminian Way 470
13. THE SENATE TO EMPEROR JUSTINIAN. Supplications of the
Senate 471
14. TO GAUDIOSUS. Praises of Como. Relief of its inhabitants 474
15. " THE LIGURIANS. Relief of their necessities 475
16. " THE SAME. Oppressions practised on them to be remedied 476
17. " THE PRINCEPS(?). Promotions in Official Staff of Praetorian
Praefect 477
18-35. VARIOUSLY ADDRESSED. [Documents, for the most part very
short ones, relating to these promotions.] 477-480
36. TO ANAT(H)OLIUS. Retirement of a Cornicularius on superannuation
allowance justified on astronomical grounds 480
37. " LUCINUS. Payment of retiring Primiscrinius 482
38. " JOANNES. Praises of paper 483
39. " VITALIAN. Payment of commuted cattle-tax 484
40. INDULGENCE [TO PRISONERS ON SOME GREAT FESTIVAL OF THE
CHURCH, PROBABLY EASTER]. General Amnesty 485
BOOK XII.
CONTAINING TWENTY-EIGHT LETTERS WRITTEN BY CASSIODORUS IN HIS OWN NAME
AS PRAETORIAN PRAEFECT.
1. TO THE VARIOUS CANCELLARII OF THE PROVINCES. General
instructions 487
2. " ALL JUDGES OF THE PROVINCES. General instructions to
Provincial Governors 488
3. " SAJONES ASSIGNED TO THE CANCELLARII. General instructions 489
4. " THE CANONICARIUS OF THE VENETIAE. Praise of _Acinaticium_ 490
5. " VALERIAN. Measures for relief of Lucania and Bruttii 492
6. " ALL SUBORDINATE GOVERNORS OF THE PRAEFECTURE. General
instructions 494
7. " THE TAX-COLLECTOR OF THE VENETIAN PROVINCE. Remission
of taxes on account of invasion by Suevi 495
8. " THE CONSULARIS OF THE PROVINCE OF LIGURIA. Permission
to pay taxes direct to Royal Treasury 495
9. " PASCHASIUS. Claim of an African to succeed to estate of
intestate countryman 496
10. " DIVERS CANCELLARII. Taxes to be punctually enforced 497
11. " PETER, DISTRIBUTOR OF RELISHES. Their due distribution 498
12. " ANASTASIUS. Praise of the cheese and wine of Bruttii 499
13. EDICT. Frauds committed by revenue-officers on Churches 500
14. TO ANASTASIUS. Plea for gentle treatment of citizens of
Rhegium 501
15. " MAXIMUS. Praises of author's birthplace, Scyllacium 503
16. " A REVENUE OFFICER. Payment of Trina Illatio 506
17. " JOHN, SILIQUATARIUS OF RAVENNA. Defence of city 507
18. " CONSTANTIAN. Repair of Flaminian Way 507
19. " MAXIMUS. Bridge of boats across the Tiber 509
20. " THOMAS AND PETER. Sacred vessels mortgaged by Pope
Agapetus to be restored to Papal See 510
21. " DEUSDEDIT. Duties of a Scribe 511
22. " PROVINCIALS OF ISTRIA. Requisition from Province of Istria 513
23. " LAURENTIUS. Same subject 515
24. " TRIBUNES OF THE MARITIME POPULATION. First historical
notice of Venice 515
25. " AMBROSIUS, HIS DEPUTY. Famine in Italy 518
26. " PAULUS. Remission of taxes in consequence of famine 520
27. " DATIUS. Relief of famine-stricken citizens of Ticinum, &c. 521
28. EDICT [ADDRESSED TO LIGURIANS]. Relief of inhabitants 523
ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS.
P. 6, l. 30, for 'Scylletium' read 'Scylletion.'
P. 24, _n._ 1, for 'Uterwerfung' read 'Unterwerfung.'
In the 'Note on the Topography of Squillace' (pp. 68-72), and the map
illustrating it, for 'Scylacium' read 'Scyllacium.' (The line of
Virgil, however, quoted on p. 6, shows that the name was sometimes
spelt with only one 'l.')
Pp. 94 and 96, head line, dele 'the.'
P. 128 (Chronological Table, under heading 'Popes') for 'John III.'
read 'John II.'
P. 146 (last line of text). S. Gaudenzi remarks that the addresses of
the laws in the Code of Justinian forbid us to suppose that Heliodorus
was Praetorian Praefect for eighteen years. He thinks that most likely
the meaning of the words 'in illa republica nobis videntibus
praefecturam bis novenis annis gessit eximie' is that twice in the
space of nine years Heliodorus filled the office of Praefect.
P. 159, Letter 27 of Book I. The date of this letter is probably 509,
as Importunus, who is therein mentioned as Consul, was Consul in that
year.
P. 160, Letter 29 of Book I. S. Gaudenzi points out that a letter has
probably dropped out here, as the title does not fit the contents of
the letter, which seems to have been addressed to a Sajo.
In the titles of I. 14, 26, 34, 35, and II. 5 and 9, for 'Praepositus'
read 'Praetorian Praefect.' The contraction used by the early
amanuenses for Praefecto Praetorio has been misunderstood by their
successors, and consequently many MSS. read 'Praeposito,' and this
reading has been followed by Nivellius. There can be no doubt,
however, that Garet is right in restoring 'Praefecto Praetorio.'
On the other hand, I have been misled by Garet's edition into quoting
the following letters as addressed _Viro Senatori_; I. 38; II. 23, 28,
29, 35; III. 8, 13, 15, 16, 27, 32, 41; IV. 10, 12, 15, 18, 19, 20,
21, 28; V. 21, 24. Here, too, the only MSS. that I have examined read
'Viro Senatori;' but Nivellius preserves what is no doubt the earlier
reading, 'V.S.,' which assuredly stands for 'Viro Spectabili.'
Practically there is no great difference between the two readings, and
the remarks made by me on II. 29, 35, &c., as to Senators with Gothic
names may still stand; for as every Senator was (at least) a
Clarissimus, it is not likely that any person who reached the higher
dignity of a Spectabilis was not also a Senator. (See pp. 90 and 91.)
P. 181, Letter 19 of Book II. Here again, on account of the want of
correspondence between the title and contents of the letter, S.
Gaudenzi suggests that a letter has dropped out.
P. 182, title of Letter 20, for 'Unigilis' read 'Uniligis.'
P. 205, l. 6 from bottom, for 'Praefectum' read 'Praefectorum.'
P. 206, l. 1, for 'Provinces' read 'Provincials.'
P. 224 (marginal note), for 'amphitheatre' read 'walls.' Last line
(text), for 'its' read 'their.'
P. 244, title of Letter 17, for 'Idae' some MSS. read 'Ibbae,' which
is probably the right reading, Ibbas having commanded the Ostrogothic
army in Gaul in 510.
P. 247, dele the last two lines. (The Peter who was Consul in 516 was
an official of the Eastern Empire, the same who came on an embassy to
Theodahad in 535.)
P. 253. l. 9, for '408' read '508.'
P. 255, ll. 9, 14, and in margin, for 'Agapeta' read 'Agapita.'
P. 256, ll. 16, 26, and in margin, for 'Velusian' read 'Volusian.'
P. 256, title of Letter 43. S. Gaudenzi thinks this letter was really
addressed to Argolicus, Praefectus Urbis.
P. 269, l. 20, dele 'possibly Stabularius.'
P. 282, Letter 31 of Book V. (to Decoratus). As Decoratus is described
in V. 3 and 4 as already dead, it is clear that the letters are not
arranged in chronological order.
P. 282, l. 27, for 'upon' read 'before.'
P. 288, l. 25, for 'extortions' read 'extra horses.'
P. 291, l. 6, for 'Anomymus' read 'Anonymus.'
P. 308, l. 7. This is an important passage, as illustrating the nature
of the office which Cassiodorus held as Consiliarius to his father.
P. 333, second marginal note, for 'aguntur' read 'agantur' (twice).
P. 398, title of Letter 15, for '532' read '533-535.'
P. 400, title of Letter 17, for 'between 532 and 534' read 'between
533 and 535.'
P. 450, l. 8. Probably, as suggested by S. Gaudenzi, Felix was
Consiliarius to Cassiodorus.
INTRODUCTION.
CHAPTER I.
LIFE OF CASSIODORUS.
The interest of the life of Cassiodorus is derived from his position
rather than from his character. He was a statesman of considerable
sagacity and of unblemished honour, a well-read scholar, and a devout
Christian; but he was apt to crouch before the possessors of power
however unworthy, and in the whole of his long and eventful life we
never find him playing a part which can be called heroic.
[Sidenote: Position of Cassiodorus on the confines of the Ancient and
the Modern.]
His position, however, which was in more senses than one that of a
borderer between two worlds, gives to the study of his writings an
exceptional value. Born a few years after the overthrow of the Western
Empire, a Roman noble by his ancestry, a rhetorician-philosopher by
his training, he became what we should call the Prime Minister of the