The Letters of Cassiodorus
man whose praises the whole world should sing, a man only made son by
adoption in arms to the King, yet who exhibited such fidelity to the
Amals that he transferred it even to their heirs, although he was
himself sought for to be crowned[511]. Therefore will his fame live
for ever, so long as the Gothic name endures.
[Footnote 511: 'Exstat gentis Gothicae hujus probitatis exemplum:
Gensemundus ille toto orbe cantabilis, solum armis filius factus,
tanta se Amalis devotione conjunxit ut haeredibus eorum curiosum
exhibuerit famulatum, quamvis ipse peteretur ad regnum.' Dahn (ii. 61
and iii. 309) and Koepke (p. 142) refer this mysterious affair of
Gensemund's renunciation to the interval after the death of Thorismund
(A.D. 416). But this is mere conjecture. See Italy and her Invaders
iii. 8-10.]
'We look for even nobler things from you, because you are allied to us
by race.'
[A singularly obscure, vapid, and ill-written letter. The allusion to
Gensemund seems introduced on purpose to bewilder the reader.]
10. KING ATHALARIC TO THE SENATE OF THE CITY OF ROME.
[On the elevation of Tulum to the Patriciate.]
[Sidenote: The same subject.]
'We are conferring new lustre on your body by the promotion of Tulum.
A man sprung from the noblest stock[512] he early undertook the duties
of attendance in the King's bedchamber[513], a difficult post, where
the knowledge that you share the secret counsels of royalty itself
exposes you to enmity.
[Footnote 512: 'Primum, quod inter nationes eximium est, Gothorum
nobilissima stirpe gloriatur.']
[Footnote 513: 'Statim rudes annos ad sacri cubiculi secreta
portavit.']
'In the dawn of manhood he went forth with our army to the war of
Sirmium [A.D. 504], showed what one of our young nobles bred in peace
could do in war, triumphed over the Huns[514], and gave to slaughter
the Bulgarians, terrible to the whole world. Such warriors do even our
nurseries send forth: thus does the preparation of a courageous heart
supersede the necessity for martial training[515].
[Footnote 514: We do not hear from the other authorities of Huns being
engaged in this war. In 505 Mundo the Hun was in alliance with
Theodoric against the Empire.]
[Footnote 515: 'Tales mittunt nostra cunabula bellatores: sic paratae
sunt manus, ubi exercetur animus.']
'Returned to the Court he became the most intimate counsellor of the
King, who arranged with him all his plans for campaign, and so
admitted him to his most secret thoughts that Tulum could always
anticipate how Theodoric would act in every fresh conjuncture of
events; and it may be said "by offering him counsel he ruled the
King[516]."
[Footnote 516: 'Et ministrando consilium regebat ipse Rectorem.']
'He then distinguished himself in the Gaulish campaign [A.D. 508],
where he was already enrolled among the generals, directing the
campaign by his prudence, and bravely sharing its dangers. In the
fierce fight which was waged at Arles for the possession of the
covered bridge across the Rhone[517], the bravery of our _candidatus_
was everywhere conspicuous, and he received many honourable wounds,
those best and most eloquent champions of a soldier's courage.
[Footnote 517: 'Arelate est civitas supra undas Rhodani constituta,
quae in Orientis prospectum tabulatum pontem per nuncupati fluminis
dorsa transmittit.']
'But a general ought not to be always fighting. I have pleasure in
relating his next success, which was brilliant yet achieved without
bloodshed. When the Frank and Burgundian again fell out, he was sent
to Gaul [A.D. 523] to defend our frontier from hostile incursion. He
then obtained for the Roman Republic, without any trouble, a whole
Province while others were fighting. It was a triumph without a
battle, a palm-branch without toil, a victory without slaughter.
'So great were his services in this campaign that Theodoric considered
that he ought to be rewarded by the possession of large lands in the
district which he had added to our dominions.
'A storm overtook him on his return to Italy: the remembrance of the
vanished danger of that storm is sweet to us now[518]. In the wide,
foaming sea his ship was swallowed up. He had to save himself by
rowing; the sailors perished; he alone with the dear pledge of his
love [one child?] escaped. Theodoric rushed to the shore, and would
have dashed into the waves to save his friend, but had the delight of
receiving him unharmed, saved manifestly by Divine protection for his
present honours.
[Footnote 518: 'Discrimina dum feliciter cedunt, suavissimae memoriae
sensum relinquunt.' Compare Claudian (De Bella Getico 207-8):
'An potius meminisse juvat semperque vicissim
Gaudia praemissi cumulant inopina dolores.']
'Favour then, Conscript Fathers, the ambition of our _candidatus_, and
open for the man of our choice the Hall of Liberty[519]. The race of
Romulus deserves to have such martial colleagues as Tulum.'
[Footnote 519: 'Favete nunc auspiciis candidati, et viris nostris
libertatis atria reserate.']
11. TULUM, ILLUSTRIS AND PATRICIAN, TO THE SENATE OF THE CITY OF ROME.
[Note that Cassiodorus has to provide an elegant oration not only for
his master, but for this Gothic fellow-minister of State. See Dahn's
remarks on the writer of this letter, 'Koenige der Germanen' iii. 273.]
[Sidenote: Tulum's address to the Senate.]
'I pray you to receive favourably the order of the King which makes me
a member of your body.
'I have ever favoured the dignity of the Senate, as if with a
prescience that I should one day hold it. When I shared the counsels
of Theodoric, that chief of Kings, of glorious memory, I often by my
intercessions obtained for members of your body Consulships,
Patriciates, Praefectures; and now, behold, I am similarly honoured
myself. Reflect, I pray, that by my accepting it, the genius of the
Patriciate is exalted, since none of my fellow-countrymen will hold
cheaply that rank in you which he sees honoured in me. Live in
security, by the blessing of God; enjoy your prosperity with your
children; and strive, now as always, to show forth the true Roman type
of character. I shall defend those with whom I am now associated.'
12. KING ATHALARIC TO ARATOR, VIR ILLUSTRIS.
[Bestowing on him the rank of Comes Domesticorum.]
[I have altered the order of subjects in this letter, to make it
correspond with that of time. There cannot be much doubt that Arator's
_pomposa legatio_ from Dalmatia was his first introduction to the
Court of Theodoric, and preceded his employment as Advocatus.]
[Sidenote: Arator made Count of the Domestics.]
'By raising Tulum to the Patriciate we have provided for the military
strength of the State. Now must we see to it that she is equally
adorned by the glory of letters, and for this purpose we raise you,
still in the prime of life, to the rank of _Comes Domesticorum_. By
your example it was seen that eloquence could be acquired elsewhere
than at Rome, since in your own Province [probably Dalmatia] your
father, who was an extremely learned man, taught you to excel in this
art: a happy lot for you, who obtained from your father's love that
accomplishment which most youths have to acquire with terror from a
master.
'That I may say something here of a very _recherche_ character[520], I
may mention that, according to some, letters were first invented by
Mercury, who watched the flight of cranes by the Strymon, and turned
the shapes assumed by their flying squadron into forms expressive of
the various sounds of the human voice.
[Footnote 520: 'Ut aliquid studiose exquisitum dicere videamur.']
'You were sent upon a stately embassy[521] by the Provincials of
Dalmatia to our grandfather; and there, not in commonplace words but
with a torrent of eloquence, you so set forth their needs and the
measures which would be for the advantage of the public, that
Theodoric, a man of cautious temperament, listened to your flow of
words without weariness, and all men desired still to listen, when you
ceased speaking.
[Footnote 521: 'Juvat repetere pomposam legationem.']
'[Since then] you have filled the office of Advocate in our Court. You
might have been a trier of causes (Cognitor): you have preferred to be
a pleader, though to all your advocacy you have brought so fair and
judicial a mind that your eloquence and your zeal for your client have
never exceeded the bounds of truth.'
13. KING ATHALARIC TO AMBROSIUS.
[Conferring on him the Quaestorship.]
[This Ambrosius, son of Faustinus, is apparently the same to whom
Ennodius addressed his 'Paraenesis Didascalica,' containing some
important notices of Festus, Symmachus, Boethius, Cethegus, and their
contemporaries. (In Migne's 'Patrologia' lxiii. 250.)]
[Sidenote: Ambrosius appointed Quaestor.]
'A steady gradation of honours secures good servants for the State.
You have already served with credit the office of Count of the Private
Largesses. And you have also filled satisfactorily the place of a high
official who was dismissed in disgrace[522]. We now therefore promote
you to the office of Quaestor, and expect you to be the Pliny to the
new Trajan. Let your eloquent tongue adorn all that we have to say,
and be fearless in suggesting to us all that is for the welfare of the
State. A good Sovereign always allows his ministers to speak to him on
behalf of justice, while it is the sure mark of a tyrant to refuse to
listen to the voice of the ancient maxims of law. Remember that
celebrated saying of Trajan to an orator: "Plead, if I am a good
ruler, for the Republic and me; if I am a bad one, for the Republic
against me[523]." But remember, that if we are thus severe upon
ourselves we are equally strict with regard to you, and expect you to
follow the example of your noble ancestors, and to abstain from
everything like an infraction of the laws. We confer upon you the
insignia of the Quaestorship for this fifth Indiction' [Sept. 1,
526--Sept. 1, 527].
[Footnote 522: 'Gratiam quoque loci alterius invenisti. Dictationibus
enim probaris adhibitus, cum sit offensionibus alter expulsus: et ita
suspensum honorem tuum sustinebat ingenium, ut Palatio non sineres
decesse Judicem, cujus ad tempus abrogatam cognovimus dignitatem.' I
do not think we can say from this what the office temporarily filled
by Arator was.]
[Footnote 523: 'Sume dicationem, si bonus fuero, pro Republica et me:
si malus, pro Republica in me.']
14. KING ATHALARIC TO THE SENATE OF THE CITY OF ROME.
[On the elevation of Ambrosius to the Quaestorship].
[Sidenote: The same subject.]
'As a kind of door to our royal favour do we appoint Ambrosius to be
our Quaestor. You know his merits of old: but, to speak only of recent
matters[524], we may remind you that when your hearts were wrung with
grief for the death of our glorious grandfather, it was by his mouth
that we assured you of our determination to continue to you the
blessings of good government.
[Footnote 524: 'Quando et moderna quae loquimur.' (Notice again
_moderna_.)]
'The presence of Ambrosius is full of dignity, and has a soothing
influence which the words of his speech do but confirm[525]. It is
unfortunate for an orator to have eloquence for his only gift, and to
have to obliterate by his oration the unfavourable effect produced on
the multitude by his appearance.
[Footnote 525: So the contemporary poet Maximian, speaking of his own
past successes as an orator, and a good-looking one, says:
'Nec minor his aderat sublimis gratia formae
Quae vel si decent cetera, muta placet.'
Elegiae i. 17-18.]
'We consider it not necessary to praise his eloquence. Of course a
Quaestor is eloquent. While some have the government of a Province