The Letters of Cassiodorus Part 31

[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 ILl.u.s.tRIOUS 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"

[a.s.sistance 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 ILl.u.s.tRIS [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 Ca.s.siodorus], 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.]

Rehea.r.s.es 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 t.i.tle 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 sanct.i.ty of the married state. Julia.n.u.s 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, 'Konige 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 a.s.suredly 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 Ill.u.s.trious 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 t.i.tular 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 "Roma.n.u.s 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 G.o.d'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 n.o.ble 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 n.o.bles 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, 'Konige der Germanen' iii. 261-2, on all this correspondence.]

18. KING THEODORIC TO GEMELLUS.