The Letters of Cassiodorus
'Do you therefore, by your fair administration, make it easy for
strangers to enter. Do not grasp at more than the lawful dues; for the
greedy hand closes a harbour, and extortion is as much dreaded by
mariners as adverse winds. Receive then for this Indiction the
_Comitiva Portus_; enjoy the pleasures of the office, and lay it down
with increased reputation.'
10. FORMULA OF THE TRIBUNUS VOLUPTATUM.
[Sidenote: Tribunus Voluptatum.]
[Minister of public amusements, the Roman equivalent to our 'Lord
Chamberlain' in that part of his office which relates to the control
of theatres.]
'Though the wandering life of the stage-player seems as if it might
run to any excess of licence, Antiquity has wisely provided that even
it should be under some sort of discipline. Thus respectability
governs those who are not respectable, and people who are themselves
ignorant of the path of virtue are nevertheless obliged to live under
some sort of rule. Your place, in fact, is like that of a guardian; as
he looks after the tender years of his ward, so you bridle the
passionate pleasures of your theatrical subjects.
'Therefore, for this Indiction, we appoint you Tribune of [the
people's] Pleasures. See that order is observed at the public
spectacles: they are not really popular without this. Keep your own
high character for purity in dealing with these men and women of
damaged reputation, that men may say, "Even in promoting the pleasures
of the people he showed his virtuous disposition."
'It is our hope that through this frivolous employment you may pass to
more serious dignities.'
11. FORMULA OF THE DEFENSOR OF ANY CITY.
[Sidenote: Defensor cujuslibet Civitatis.]
[Observe that the Defensor has power to fix prices, in addition to his
original function of protecting the commonalty from oppression.]
'The number of his clients makes it necessary for the representative
of a whole city to be especially wary in his conduct.
'At the request of your fellow-citizens we appoint you, for this
Indiction, Defensor of such and such a city. Take care that there be
nothing venal in your conduct. Fix the prices for the citizens
according to the goodness or badness of the seasons, and remember to
pay yourself what you have prescribed to others. A good Defensor
allows his citizens neither to be oppressed by the laws nor harassed
by the dearness of provisions.'
12. FORMULA OF THE CURATOR OF A CITY.
[Sidenote: Curator Civitatis.]
[The Defensor and Curator had evidently almost equivalent powers, but
with some slight difference of dignity. They cannot both have existed
in the same city. It would be interesting to know what decided the
question whether a city should have a Defensor or a Curator.]
This formula differs very little from the preceding, except that the
new officer is told 'wisely to govern the ranks of the Curia.' Stress
is again laid on the regulation of prices: 'Cause moderate prices to
be adhered to by those whom it concerns. Let not merchandise be in the
sole power of the sellers, but let an agreeable equability be observed
in all things. This is the most enriching kind of popularity, which is
derived from maintaining moderation in prices[474]. You shall have the
same salary (consuetudines) which your predecessors had in the same
place.'
[Footnote 474: 'Opulentissima siquidem et hinc gratia civium
colligitur, si pretia sub moderatione serventur.']
13. FORMULA OF THE COUNT OF ROME.
[Sidenote: Comitiva Romana.]
'If even bolts and bars cannot secure a house from robbery, much more
do the precious things left in the streets and open spaces of Rome
require protection. I refer to that most abundant population of
statues, to that mighty herd of horses [in stone and metal] which
adorn our City. It is true that if there were any reverence in human
nature, it, and not the watchman, ought to be the sufficient guardian
of the beauty of Rome[475]. But what shall we say of the marbles,
precious both by material and workmanship, which many a hand longs, if
it has opportunity, to pick out of their settings? Who when entrusted
with such a charge can be negligent? who venal? We entrust to you
therefore for this Indiction the dignity of the Comitiva Romana, with
all its rights and just emoluments. Watch for all such evil-doers as
we have described. Rightly does the public grief[476] punish those who
mar the beauty of the ancients with amputation of limbs, inflicting on
them that which they have made our monuments to suffer. Do you and
your staff and the soldiers at your disposal watch especially by
night; in the day the City guards itself. At night the theft looks
tempting; but the rascal who tries it is easily caught if the guardian
approaches him unperceived. Nor are the statues absolutely dumb; the
ringing sound which they give forth under the blows of the thief seems
to admonish their drowsy guardian. Let us see you then diligent in
this business, that whereas we now bestow upon you a toilsome dignity,
we may hereafter confer an honour without care.'
[Footnote 475: 'Si esset humanis rebus ulla consideratio Romanam
pulchritudinem non vigiliae sed sola deberet reverentia custodire.']
[Footnote 476: 'Quia juste tales persequitur publicus dolor.']
14. FORMULA OF THE COUNT OF RAVENNA.
[Sidenote: Comitiva Ravennatis.]
'High is your honour, to be the means of taking away all slowness from
the execution of our orders. Who knows not what a quantity of ships
you can muster at the least hint from us! Scarcely is the ink dry on
the _evectio_ [permission to use the public post] prepared by some
palace dignitary, when already with the utmost speed it is by you
being carried into effect. Do not exact too much service from
merchants[477], nor yet from corrupt motives let them off too easily.
Be very careful in your judicial capacity, and especially when trying
the causes of the poor, to whom a small error in your judgment may be
far more disastrous than to the rich.'
[Footnote 477: 'Negociatorum operas consuetas nec nimias exigas, nec
venalitate derelinquas.' Apparently then a certain amount of forced
labour could be claimed from the owners of merchant-vessels by the
Count of Ravenna.]
15. FORMULA ADDRESSED TO THE PRAEFECT OF THE CITY ON THE APPOINTMENT
OF AN ARCHITECT.
[Sidenote: Architectus Publicorum.]
'It is desirable that the necessary repairs to this forest of walls
and population of statues which make up Rome should be in the hands of
a learned man who will make the new work harmonise with the old.
Therefore for this Indiction we desire your Greatness to appoint A B
Architect of the City of Rome. Let him read the books of the ancients;
but he will find more in this City than in his books. Statues of men,
showing the muscles swelling with effort, the nerves in tension, the
whole man looking as if he had grown rather than been cast in metal.
Statues of horses, full of fire, with the curved nostril, with rounded
tightly-knit limbs, with ears laid back--you would think the creature
longed for the race, though you know that the metal moves not. This
art of statuary the Etruscans are said to have practised first in
Italy; posterity has embraced it, and given to the City an artificial
population almost equal to its natural one. The ancients speak of the
wonders of the world [here enumerated and described], but this one of
the City of Rome surpasses them all. It had need to be a learned man
who is charged with the care of upholding all these works; else, in
his despair, he will deem himself the man of stone, and the statues
about him the truly living men.'
16. FORMULA OF THE COUNT OF THE ISLANDS OF CURRITANA AND CELSINA.
[Sidenote: Comitiva Insulae Curritanae et Celsinae.]
[Celsina, from the place in which it is mentioned in the 'Itinerary'
of Antonine (516), was probably one of the Lipari Islands. Curritana
must have been near it but is not further identified.]
'The presence of a ruler is necessary; and it is not desirable that
men should live without discipline, according to their own wills. We
therefore appoint you Judge of these two islands. For it is right that
someone should go to the habitations of these men, who are shut out
from converse with the rest of their kind, and settle their
differences by fair reason.
'Oh ye inhabitants of these islands, ye now know whom our Piety has
set over you, and we shall expect you to obey him.'
17. FORMULA CONCERNING THE PRESIDENT OF THE LIME-KILNS.
[Sidenote: Praepositus Calcis.]
'It is a glorious labour to serve the City of Rome. It cannot be
doubted that lime (coctilis calx), which is snow-white and lighter
than sponge, is useful for the mightiest buildings. In proportion as
it is itself disintegrated by the application of fire does it lend
strength to walls; a dissolvable rock, a stony softness, a sandy
pebble, which burns the best when it is most abundantly watered,
without which neither stones are fixed nor the minute particles of
sand hardened.
'Therefore we set you, well known for your industry, over the burning
and distribution of lime, that there may be plenty of it both for
public and private works, and that thereby people may be put in good
heart for building. Do this well, and you shall be promoted to greater
things.'
18. FORMULA CONCERNING ARMOURERS.
[Sidenote: Armorum Factores.]
'Good arms are of the utmost importance to a community. By means of
them man, the frailest of creatures, is made stronger than monstrous
beasts. Phoroneus is said to have first invented them, and brought
them to Juno to consecrate them by her divinity.
'For this Indiction we set you over the soldiers and workmen in our
armouries. Do not presume in our absence to pass bad workmanship. We
shall find out by diligent search all that you do, and in such a
matter as this consider no mistake venial.'
19. FORMULA ADDRESSED TO THE PRAETORIAN PRAEFECT CONCERNING THE
ARMOURERS.
[Sidenote: Ad Praefectum Praetorio de Armorum Factoribus.]
Announces to the Praefects the appointment conferred in the preceding
letter, and repeats that to supply inferior arms to soldiers is an act
of treason. The workmen are to receive their just _consuetudines_
[wages].
20 and 21. FORMULA AS TO THE COLLECTION OF BINA AND TERNA:
(1) _If collected by the Judge himself;_
(2) _If collected by his Officium._
[Sidenote: Binorum et Ternorum: (xx.) si per Judicem aguntur; (xxi.)
si per Officium aguntur.]
These _Bina_ and _Terna_, as stated in the note to iii. 8, are a
mystery. All that can be positively stated about them is that they
were a kind of land-tax, collected from the cultivators (possessores),
and that they had to be brought into the Treasury by the first of
March in each year. Under the first formula the Judex himself, under
the second two _Scriniarii_ superintend the collection, reporting to
the Count of Sacred Largesses. As in the previous letter (iii. 8), the
Judex is reminded that if there is any deficiency he will have to make
it good himself. Cf. Manso, 'Geschichte des Ostgothischen Reiches'
388; and Sartorius, 'Regierung der Ostgothen' 207 and 347.
22. FORMULA OF EXHORTATION ADDRESSED TO THE TWO SCRINIARII REFERRED TO
IN FORMULA 21.
[Sidenote: Commonitorium illi et illi Scriniariis.]
'Your day of promotion is come. Proceed to such and such a Province,
in order that you may assist the Judex and his staff in collecting the
_Bina_ and _Terna_, before the first of March, and may forward them
without delay to the Count of Sacred Largesses. Let there be no
extortion from the cultivator, no dishonest surrender of our rights.'
23. FORMULA OF THE VICARIUS OF PORTUS.
[Sidenote: Vicarius Portus.]
'Great prudence is necessary in your office, since discords easily