The Letters of Cassiodorus Part 17

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 549 " " Rome again taken by Totila.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 550 " " Death of Germa.n.u.s.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 551 " Na.r.s.es Commander of Italian Expedition.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 552 " Writes the Na.r.s.es TEIAS.

(Ind.) 'Complexi- defeats ones in Totila Epistolas near Apostolo- Tadinum.

rum,' and compiles the 'Historia Tripart.i.ta'

(the precise date of these works unknown).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 553 " " Teias Na.r.s.eS, defeated and Governor of slain near Italy under Mons the Emperor.

Lactarius.

The Ostrogoths leave Italy.

Invasion of the Alamannic brethren.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 554 " "

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 555 " " PELAGIUS.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 556 " "

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 557 " "

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 558 " "

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 559 " " Belisarius defeats the Huns under Zabergan.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 560 " " JOHN III.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 561 "

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 562 " Disgrace of Belisarius.

Belisarius restored to favour.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 563 "

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 564 "

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 565 Post JUSTIN II.

Consulatum Basilii XXIV.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 566 Flavius Death of JUSTINUS Belisarius Augustus. and of Justinian.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 567 Years Na.r.s.es LONGINUS, (Ind.) reckoned recalled by Exarch.

Post Justin.

Consulatum Alleged Justini. invitation to the Lombards.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 568 " The Lombards ALBOIN, under Alboin King of the enter Italy. Lombards.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 569 " Milan taken by the Lombards.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 570 "

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 571 " Ticinum taken by the Lombards.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 572 "

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 573 " Composition a.s.sa.s.sination CLEPH, Death of of treatise of Alboin. King of the John III.

'De Lombards.

Orthographia'

in 93rd year of Ca.s.siodorus.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 574 " Death of BENEDICT I.

Cleph.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 575 " Ca.s.siodorus dies in his 95th year (?).

THE

LETTERS OF Ca.s.sIODORUS.

PREFACE[192].

[Footnote 192: Translated in full.]

[Sidenote: Reason for publication: entreaties of friends.]

Learned men, who had become my friends through conversations which we had had together, or benefits which I had bestowed upon them, sought to persuade me to draw together into one work the various utterances which it had been my duty to make, during my tenure of office, for the explanation of different affairs. They desired me to do this, in order that future generations might recognise the painful labours which I had undergone for the public good, and the workings of my own unbribed conscience. I then replied that their very kindness for me might turn out to my disadvantage, since the letters which their good-will found acceptable might to future readers seem insipid. I reminded them also of the words of Horace, warning us of the dangers of hasty publication.

[Sidenote: Difficulty of writing.]

'You see,' said I, 'that all require from me a speedy reply to their pet.i.tions; and do you think that I couch those replies in words which leave me nothing to regret hereafter? Our diction must be somewhat rude when there is no sufficient delay to enable the speaker to choose words which shall rightly express the precise shade of his meaning.

Speech is the common gift of all mankind: it is embellishment (ornatus) alone which distinguishes between the learned and unlearned.

The author is told to keep his writings by him for nine years for reflection; but I have not as many hours, hardly as many moments. As soon as I begin the pet.i.tioner worries me with his clamours, and hurries me too much to prevent my finishing cautiously, even if I have so begun my task. One vexes me past endurance by his interruptions and innuendoes; another torments me with the doleful tale of his miseries; others surround me with the mad shouts of their seditious contentions[193]. In such circ.u.mstances how can you expect elegance of language, when we have scarcely opportunity to put words together in any fashion? Even at night indescribable cares are flitting round our couch[194], while we are hara.s.sed with fear lest the cities should lack their supplies of food--food which the common people insist upon more than anything else, caring more for their bellies than for the gratification of their ears by eloquence. This thought obliges us to wander in imagination through all the Provinces, and ever to enquire after the execution of our orders, since it is not enough to tell our staff what has to be done, but the diligent administrator must see that it is done[195]. Therefore, I pray you, spare us your harmful love. I must decline this persuasion of yours, which will bring me more of danger than of glory.'

[Footnote 193: 'Alii furiosa contentionum seditione circ.u.mdant.' This is probably meant to describe turbulent Goths.]

[Footnote 194: [Greek: ou chre pannuchion eudein boulephoron andra]

(Il. ii. 24).]

[Footnote 195: Quia non sufficit agenda militibus imperare, nisi haec Judicis a.s.siduitas videatur exigere.]

So I pleaded; but they plied me all the more with such arguments as these:

[Sidenote: The Praefecture.]

'All men have known you as Praefect of the Praetorian throne, a dignity which all other public employments wait upon like lacqueys.

For from this high office, ways and means for the army are demanded; from this, without any regard for the difficulty of the times, the food of the people is required; on this, a weight of judicial responsibility is thrown, which would be by itself a heavy burden. Now the law, which has thrown this immense load on the Praefect's office, has, on the other hand, honoured him by putting almost all things under his control. In truth, what interval of leisure could you s.n.a.t.c.h from your public labours, when into your single breast flowed every claim which could be made on behalf of the common good of all?

[Sidenote: The Quaestorship.]

'We must add, moreover, that when you were on frequent occasions charged with the office of the Quaestorship, the leisure which you might have enjoyed was taken from you by your own constant thoughtfulness for the public good; and when you were thus bearing the weight of an honour which was not the highest, your Sovereigns used to lay upon you those duties, properly belonging to other offices, which their own holders were unable to discharge[196]. All these duties you discharged with absolute freedom from corruption, following your father's example in receiving, from those who hoped for your favour, nothing but the obligation to serve them, and bestowing on pet.i.tioners all that they had a right to ask for without traffic or reward.

[Footnote 196: 'Addimus etiam quod frequenter Quaesturae vicibus ingravato otii tempus adimit crebra cogitatio, et velut mediocribus fascibus insudanti, illa tibi de aliis honoribus principes videntur imponere, quae proprii Judices nequeunt explicare.' This is probably the clearest account that is anywhere given of the peculiar and somewhat undefined position held by Ca.s.siodorus during the greater part of the reign of Theodoric.]

[Sidenote: Intimacy with Theodoric.]

'Moreover, men know that the conversations which you were honoured by holding with the King occupied a large portion of your days, greatly to the public welfare[197], so that men of leisure have no right to expect that their requirements shall be met by you, whose day was thus occupied with continuous toil[198]. But in truth this will redound yet more to your glory, if amid so many and such severe labours you succeed in writing that which is worthy to be read. Besides, your work can without wounding their self-love instruct unlettered persons who are not prepared by any consciousness of eloquence for the service of the Republic[199]; and the experience which you have gained by being tossed to and fro on the waves of stormy altercation, they in their more tranquil lot may more fortunately make their own. Again (and here we make an appeal which your loyalty cannot resist), if you allow posterity to be ignorant of the numerous benefits conferred by your King, it is in vain that with benevolent eagerness he so often granted your requests. Do not, we pray, draw back once more into silence and obscurity those who, while you were sounding their eulogies, seemed worthy to receive ill.u.s.trious dignities. For you then professed to describe them with true praises, and to paint their characters with the colours of history[200]. Now if you leave it to posterity to write the panegyric on these men, you take away as it were from those who die an honourable death the funeral oration to which, by the customs of our ancestors, they are ent.i.tled. Besides, in these letters you correct immorality with a ruler's authority; you break the insolence of the transgressor; you restore to the laws their reverence. Do you still hesitate about publishing that which, as you know, satisfies so many needs? Will you conceal, if we may say so, the mirror of your own mind, in which all ages to come may behold your likeness? Often does it happen that a man begets a son unlike himself, but his writings are hardly ever found unequal to his character[201]. The progeny of his own will is his truest child; what is born in the secret recesses of his own heart is that by which posterity will know him best.

[Footnote 197: 'Regum quinetiam gloriosa colloquia pro magna diei parte in bonum public.u.m te occupare noverunt.' It is difficult to translate the expressive term, 'gloriosa colloquia.']

[Footnote 198: 'Ut fastidium sit otiosis exspectare quae tu continuo labore cognosceris sustinere.' I cannot translate this literally.]

[Footnote 199: 'Rudes viros et ad Rempublicam conscia facundia praeparatos.' Surely some negative has dropped out of the latter clause.]

[Footnote 200: 'Tu enim illos a.s.sumpsisti vera laude describere, et quodammodo historico colore depingere.']