The Letters of Cassiodorus Part 19

[Sidenote: Praises of the father of Ca.s.siodorus.]

Extols in high-flown language the merits of the minister who in the early and troublous days of Theodoric's reign conciliated the wavering affections of the suspicious Sicilians[215], governed them so justly that not even they (addicted as they are, according to Cicero, to grumbling) could complain; then displayed equal rect.i.tude in the government of his own native Province of Bruttii and Lucania (hard as it is to be perfectly just in the government of one's own native place); then administered the Praefecture in such a way as to earn the thanks of all Italy, even the taxes not being felt to be burdensome under his rule, because so justly levied; and now, finally, as a reward for all these services, is raised to the distinguished honour of the Patriciate.

[Footnote 215: 'In ipso quippe imperii nostri devotus exordio, c.u.m adhuc fluctuantibus rebus provinciarum corda vagarentur, et negligi rudem dominum novitas ipsa pateretur.']

4. KING THEODORIC TO THE SENATE OF THE CITY OF ROME.

[Introducing Ca.s.siodorus (Senior) on his accession to the honours of the Patriciate.]

[Sidenote: Great deeds of the ancestors of Ca.s.siodorus for three generations.]

Compliments to the Senate, of which Theodoric wishes to increase the dignity by bestowing honours on its most eminent members.

Recital of the services and good qualities of Ca.s.siodorus[216]:

[Footnote 216: Father of Ca.s.siodorus Senator.]

(_a_) as 'Comes Privatarum;'

(_b_) as 'Comes Sacrarum Largitionum;'

(_c_) as Governor of Provinces.

(General reflections on the importance of a governor being himself a virtuous man).

'Having been trained thus to official life under the preceding King [Odovacar] he came with well-earned praises to our palace.'

(_d_) His eminent career as Praetorian Praefect and modest demeanour therein.

Services of previous members of his family. Fame seems to be always at home among the Ca.s.siodori. They are of n.o.ble birth, equally celebrated among orators and warriors, healthy of body, and very tall.

His father, _Ca.s.siodorus_[217], was 'Tribunus et Notarius' under Valentinian III. This last was a great honour, for only men of spotless life were a.s.sociated with the Imperial 'Secretum.' A friendship, founded on likeness, drew him to the side of Aetius, whose labours for the State he shared.

[Footnote 217: Grandfather of Ca.s.siodorus Senator.]

_Emba.s.sy to Attila._ 'With the son of this Aetius, named Carpilio, he was sent on no vain emba.s.sy to Attila, the mighty in arms. He looked undaunted on the man before whom the Empire quailed. Calm in conscious strength, he despised all those terrible wrathful faces that scowled around him. He did not hesitate to meet the full force of the invectives of the madman who fancied himself about to grasp the Empire of the world. He found the King insolent; he left him pacified; and so ably did he argue down all his slanderous pretexts for dispute that though the Hun's interest was to quarrel with the richest Empire in the world, he nevertheless condescended to seek its favour. The firmness of the orator roused the fainting courage of his countrymen, and men felt that Rome could not be p.r.o.nounced defenceless while she was armed with such amba.s.sadors. Thus did he bring back the peace which men had despaired of; and as earnestly as they had prayed for his success, so thankfully did they welcome his return.'

He was offered honours and revenues, but preferred to seek the pleasant retirement of Bruttii in the land which his exertions had freed from the terror of the stranger.

His father, Ca.s.siodorus[218], an 'Ill.u.s.tris,' defended the coasts of Sicily and Bruttii from the Vandals, thus averting from those regions the ruin which afterwards fell upon Rome from the same quarter.

[Footnote 218: Great-grandfather of Ca.s.siodorus Senator.]

In the East, Heliodorus, a cousin of the Ca.s.siodori, has brilliantly discharged the office of Praefect for eighteen years, as Theodoric himself can testify. Thus the family, conspicuous both in the Eastern and Western World, has two eyes with which it shines with equal brilliancy in each Senate.

Ca.s.siodorus is so wealthy that his herds of horses surpa.s.s those of the King, to whom he makes presents of some of them in order to avoid envy. 'Hence it arises that our present candidate [for patrician honours] mounts the armies of the Goths; and having even improved upon his education, generously administers the wealth which he received from his parents.

'Now, Conscript Fathers, welcome and honour the new Patrician, who is so well worthy of a high place among you.'

5. KING THEODORIC TO FLORIa.n.u.s, VIR SPECTABILIS.

[Sidenote: Interest reipublicae ut sit finis litium.]

'Lawsuits must not be dragged on for ever. There must be some possibility of reaching a quiet haven. Wherefore, if the pet.i.tioners have rightly informed us that the controversy as to the farm at Mazenes has been decided in due course of law by Count Annas, and there is no reasonable ground for appeal[219], let that sentence be held final and irreversible. We must sometimes save a litigious man from himself, as a good doctor will not allow a patient to take that which is injurious to him.'

[Footnote 219: 'Nec aliqua probatur appellatione suspensa.']

6. KING THEODORIC TO AGAPITUS, PRAEFECTUS URBIS.

[One of the MSS. reads _Pontifici_, but this is clearly wrong. The language is not at all suitable to be addressed to a Pope, and there was no Pope Agapetus till 535, nine years after the death of Theodoric.]

[Sidenote: Mosaics ordered for Ravenna.]

'I am going to build a great Basilica of Hercules at Ravenna, for I wish my age to match preceding ones in the beauty of its buildings, as it does in the happiness of the lives of my subjects.

'Send me therefore skilful workers in Mosaic' [of which kind of work we have a very good description as follows].

_(Ca.s.siodorus on Mosaic)._

'Send us from your city some of your most skilful marble-workers, who may join together those pieces which have been exquisitely divided, and, connecting together their different veins of colour, may admirably represent the natural appearance[220]. From Art proceeds this gift, which conquers Nature. And thus the discoloured surface of the marble is woven into the loveliest variety of pictures; the value of the work, now as always, being increased by the minute labour which has to be expended on the production of the Beautiful.'

[Footnote 220: 'Et venis colludentibus illigata naturalem faciem laudabiliter mentiantur.']

7. KING THEODORIC TO FELIX, VIR CLARISSIMUS.

This letter will be best understood by a reference to the following pedigree:

N.

| __________________________________________ | | | FELIX = A daughter. NEOTHERIUS PLUTIa.n.u.s [a spendthrift]. [a minor, whose guardian is Venantius].

[Sidenote: The inheritance of Plutia.n.u.s.]

Apparently Felix is accused by Venantius, the guardian of his young brother-in-law Plutia.n.u.s, of having, on behalf of his wife, made an unfair division of the family property (which had been originally given to the father of these lads by Theodoric, as a reward for his services). In doing this he has availed himself of the spendthrift character of Neotherius, the elder brother, who was probably already of age.

Felix is severely blamed, and ordered to hand over what he has fraudulently appropriated to the official, who is charged with the execution of this mandate.

Both are summoned to the 'Comitatus' of the King, that a fair division may there be made between them.

8. KING THEODORIC TO AMABILIS, THE COLLECTOR (EXSECUTOR).

[Sidenote: The prodigality of Neotherius.]

In reference to this same matter of the wasted property of Plutia.n.u.s.