The Letters of Cassiodorus Part 33

26. KING THEODORIC TO OSUN, VIR ILl.u.s.tRIS AND COUNT.

[Sidenote: Simeon's journey to Dalmatia.]

Commands him to provide all the necessaries for the journey of 'Clarissimus' Simeon, setting off for Dalmatia on the aforesaid mission to collect Siliquatic.u.m and develop the iron mines.

[Why is Simeon not called Ill.u.s.tris, as in the previous letter? This seems to show that the t.i.tles 'Clarissimus' and 'Ill.u.s.tris' were not always used with technical exactness, as they would have been under Diocletian.]

27. KING THEODORIC TO JOANNES, SENATOR, CONSULAR OF CAMPANIA.

[Sidenote: Promises protection against the Praetorian Praefect.]

'You have not complained to us in vain that the Praetorian Praefect [perhaps again Faustus] is venting a private grudge against you under colour of the discharge of his public duty. We will wall you round with our protection. Go now and discharge the duties of Consular of Campania with the like devotion as your predecessors, and with this reflection: "If the King prevents my superior the Praetorian Praefect from doing me harm, with what unfailing rigour will he visit me if I do wrong."'

28. KING THEODORIC TO Ca.s.sIODORUS, VIR ILl.u.s.tRIS AND PATRICIAN[294].

[Footnote 294: Father of the writer.]

[Sidenote: An invitation to Ca.s.siodorus Senior to come to Court.]

'For your glorious services, and your incorruptible administration, which has given deep peace to the nation, we reward you by summoning you to Court.

'Having endeavoured to check _another_ [probably alluding to the disgrace of Faustus], we have bestowed our praises on you, as all the Palace knows. Come then, come eagerly, as he should do whom his Sovereign is going to entertain[295].'

[Footnote 295: There is an obscure sentence in this letter: 'Hinc omnibus factus notior, quia multi te positum in potestate nesciunt.'

Possibly the meaning is that the elder Ca.s.siodorus used his power so little for his own private aggrandis.e.m.e.nt, that many people did not even know that he possessed it.]

29. KING THEODORIC TO ARGOLICUS, ILl.u.s.tRIS AND PRAEFECT OF THE CITY.

[Sidenote: Permission to Paulinus to repair certain granaries at Rome.]

'The King should sow his gifts broadcast, as the sower his seeds--not put them all into one hole.

'The Patrician Paulinus represents to us that such and such granaries are falling into ruin and are of no use to anyone, and asks to be allowed to repair them and transmit them to his heirs. We consent to this, if you are of opinion that they are not wanted for the public, and if there is no corn in them belonging to our Treasury.

'It is especially fitting that all ruined buildings should be repaired in Rome. In Rome, praised beyond all other cities by the world's mouth, there should be nothing sordid or mediocre[296].'

[Footnote 296: This letter is well ill.u.s.trated by an inscription of the time of Severus Alexander, found at Great Chesters in Northumberland, and recording the repair of 'horreum vetustate conlabsum.' The words of Ca.s.siodorus are 'horrea longi temporis vetustate destructa.']

30. KING THEODORIC TO ARGOLICUS, ILl.u.s.tRIS AND PRAEFECTUS URBIS.

[Sidenote: Repair of the Cloacae of Rome.]

'We are ever vigilant for the repair and beautification of Rome.

'Let your Sublimity know that we have directed John to repair the Cloacae of the City, those splendid works which strike astonishment into the hearts of all beholders. There you see rivers as it were shut in by concave mountains, flowing down through mighty rafters[297] (?).

There you see men steering their ships with the utmost possible care, lest they should suffer shipwreck. Hence may the greatness of Rome be inferred. What other city can compare with her in her heights when even her depths are so incomparable?

[Footnote 297: 'Per ingentia ligna decurrere.' Fornerius proposes to read 'stagna.']

'See therefore, O Praefect, that John as a public officer receives his proper salary.'

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

[Sidenote: Commission issued to John to check ruin of aqueducts and temples in Rome.]

'Our care is for the whole Republic, "in which, by the favour of G.o.d, we are striving to bring back all things to their former state;" but especially for the City of Rome. We hear that great depredations are being committed on public property there.

'(1) It is said that the water of the aqueducts (formae) is being diverted to turn mills and water gardens--a thing which would not be suffered even in the country districts. Even in redressing this wrong we must be observant of law; and therefore if it should be found that those who are doing this can plead thirty years' prescription, they must be bought off, but the misuser must cease. If the diversion is of less ancient date[298], it must of course be at once stopped without compensation.

[Footnote 298: 'Si vero aliquid moderna praesumptione tentatum est.'

(Again 'modernus.')]

'(2) Slaves a.s.signed by the forethought of previous rulers to the service of the formae have pa.s.sed under the sway of private masters.

'(3) Great weights of bra.s.s and lead (the latter very easy to steal, from its softness) have been stripped off from the public buildings.

Now Ionos, King of Thessaly, is said to have first discovered lead, and Midas, King of Phrygia, bra.s.s. How grievous that we should be handed down to posterity as neglecting two metals which they were immortalised by discovering!

'(4) Temples and other public buildings, which at the request of many we have repaired, are handed over without a thought to spoliation and ruin.

'We have appointed the Spectabilis John to enquire into and set straight all these matters. _You_ ought to have brought the matter before us yourselves: at least, now, support him with the necessary "solatia."'

[See preceding letter as to the commission entrusted to John, Theodoric's Clerk of the Works in Rome.]

32. KING THEODORIC TO GEMELLUS, SENATOR. A.D. 511.

[Appointed Governor of the Gaulish Province in Letter iii. 16.]

[Sidenote: Remission of taxes to citizens of Arles.]

'The men of Arles, who were reduced to penury in the glorious siege which they endured on our behalf, are freed from the obligation of taxes for the fourth Indiction [Sept. 1, 510, to Aug. 31, 511]. We ask for these payments from men at peace, not from men besieged. How can one claim taxes from the lord of a field when one knows he has not been able to cultivate it? They have already rendered a most precious tribute in their fidelity to us. After this year, however, the taxes will be collected as usual.'

33. KING THEODORIC TO ARGOLICUS, ILl.u.s.tRIS, PRAEFECT OF THE CITY.

[Sidenote: Promotion of Armentarius and Superbus to post of Referendi Curiae.]

Armentarius (Clarissimus) and his son Superbus are to receive the privilege of _Referendi Curiae_[299]. Thus will the profession of the law be, as is most fitting, adorned with the honours of the Senate.

[Footnote 299: Possibly Referendi is the same as Referendarii. See Var. vi. 17.]

Praises of Rhetoric. The man who has swayed the judges by his eloquence is sure to have a favouring audience in the Senate.