The Letters of Cassiodorus Part 73

'Our own amba.s.sadors, and that most excellent person Peter, whom your Piety despatched to us, will both have informed you how earnestly we desire concord with your august Serenity. We now send two more amba.s.sadors charged with the same commission. We certainly with all sincerity plead for peace who have no cause of quarrel with you.

Consider also, oh learned Sovereigns, and consult the archives of your great grandfather[671], that you may see how large a part of their own rights your predecessors were willing to relinquish for the sake of an alliance with our ancestors[672]. Think how fortunate you are in having that friendship willingly offered to you for which they had humbly to sue. Yet, we may say it without arrogance, we know ourselves to be better than those ancestors of ours with whom the treaty was made[673]. We send you on this emba.s.sy a venerable man, made ill.u.s.trious by his priestly office, and conspicuous by the renown of his learning. We pray the Divine goodness to bring our wishes to pa.s.s; and as not even a series of letters can contain all that we have to say, we have given some verbal messages to be conveyed to your sacred ears, that you may not be wearied by the reading of too diffuse a letter.'

[Footnote 671: Zeno (not of course an ancestor in natural relationship, but predecessor in the third degree).]

[Footnote 672: 'Considerate etiam, principes docti, et abavi vestri historica monumenta recolite, quantum decessores vestri studuerint de suo jure relinquere ut eis parentum nostrorum foedera provenirent.']

[Footnote 673: 'Nunc illi vestram gratiam ultro quaerunt, qui suis parentibus meliores se esse cognosc.u.n.t.' Dahn remarks that Theodahad's a.s.serted superiority to Theodoric probably consisted in his philosophical culture.]

23. QUEEN GUDELINA TO THEODORA, AUGUSTA[674].

[Footnote 674: See note on the preceding letter.]

[Sidenote: The same subject.]

'We learn with satisfaction from that most eloquent man Peter, that what has happened in this State is acceptable to you[675]. You show your love of justice when, all suspicion by G.o.d's providence having been wiped away, you desire that there should be lasting agreement between us. Let there then be definite promises on both sides, and lasting concord as the result. We therefore send that venerable man to secure the peace of our most serene husband with yours in the sight of all men. If there be anything in the Emperor's terms so hard that it ought not to be imposed on us, we trust to your wise moderation to mitigate the same, that the love which we have begun to feel towards your kingdom be not chilled by harsh terms of peace.

[Footnote 675: 'Ut per eum disceremus acceptum vobis esse quod in hac republica constat evenisse.' At first sight this seems to refer to the death of Amalasuentha or to the accession of Theodahad. Dahn thinks that those events have been disposed of in previous letters. Perhaps it is a general expression for 'the whole course of recent events in Italy.' Though upon the whole rejecting the story of Theodora's complicity in the death of Amalasuentha, I am bound to admit that this pa.s.sage lends a certain amount of probability to the charge. At the same time, the words in the next sentence, 'per divinam providentiam omni suspicione detersa,' are susceptible of an honourable meaning, even if the death of Amalasuentha be alluded to. 'You and your husband accused us of that crime. Now by G.o.d's providence we have been able to show that we were guiltless of it [that it was done without our privity by the relations of the three Gothic n.o.bles whom she had put to death]. Nothing therefore remains to hinder peace between us.']

'Claim this palm of concord between the two States as your own especial crown, that as the Emperor is renowned for his successful wars, so you may receive the praises of all men for this accomplished peace. Let the bearer of these letters see you often and confidentially. We hope for just, not onerous, conditions of peace, although in truth nothing seems impossible to us if we know that it is asked for by such a glorious person as yourself.'

24. QUEEN GUDELINA TO THE EMPEROR JUSTINIAN[676].

[Footnote 676: Apparently sent at the same time as the two preceding letters.]

[Sidenote: The same subject.]

A short letter of compliments to the Emperor, and earnest desire for the preservation of peace. Peter and 'ille vir venerabilis' are still the messengers.

25. KING THEODAHAD TO THE EMPEROR JUSTINIAN.

[Sidenote: The same subject.]

'The august page written by your Serenity, and brought to us by the venerable presbyter Heraclea.n.u.s, has gleamed upon us, bringing us the grace of your salutation. Oh, what a great benefit for us is this sweet converse with so mighty a prince!

'May we ever hear of your safety, and of the increase of the happiness of your kingdom. We have no other wish but this. According to your desire we have addressed letters to the Pope of the City of Rome[677], telling him to reply to the letter brought by the present messenger with the least possible delay, since anyone who comes from you should be attended to with utmost celerity. We hope for many future opportunities of thus obeying your desires and earning your love in return.'

[Footnote 677: Negotiations were evidently still going on between the Emperor and the Pope, probably with reference to the election of Anthimus, who, though accused of Monophysitism, had been made Patriarch of Constantinople in 535 by Theodora's influence, and whom the Pope apparently refused to recognise. He was afterwards deposed by Pope Agapetus when he visited Constantinople.]

26. KING THEODAHAD TO THE EMPEROR JUSTINIAN.

[Sidenote: A monastery too heavily taxed.]

'Richer than all other gifts bestowed by your Serenity is this, when you exhort us to do that which will profit for our own salvation and recommend us to the Divine Power. We hear that it has been brought to the knowledge of your Glory that a monastery of G.o.d's servants is too heavily oppressed with tribute, and we point out that this is owing to an inundation which has smitten their land with the curse of barrenness. However, we have given orders to the most eminent Senator[678] to appoint a careful inspector to visit the farm in question, weigh the matter carefully, and make such reasonable reduction as may leave a sufficient profit to the owners of the soil.

We consider that anything which we thus concede to the desire of your Mildness will be to us the most precious of all gains.

[Footnote 678: Ca.s.siodorus.]

[Sidenote: Alleged losses of a convert from Arianism.]

'In the matter of Veranilda, too, about which your Serenity has deigned to admonish me, though it happened long ago under the reign of my relations, I thought it right to make good her loss by my own generosity, that she might not repent her change of religion[679]. For seeing that the Deity suffers many religions, we should not seek to impose one on all our subjects. He who tries to do otherwise flies in the face of the Divine commands. Your Piety, therefore, fittingly invites me to these acts of obedience to G.o.d.'

[Footnote 679: Apparently Veranilda had in the reign of Theodoric become a convert from Arianism to Orthodoxy, and had suffered some pecuniary losses in consequence, which Theodahad now proposes to make up to her. See Dahn, Konige der Germanen iii. 199, _n._ 4.]

27. KING THEODAHAD TO SENATOR[680], PRAEFECTUS PRAETORIO.

[Footnote 680: Ca.s.siodorus.]

[Sidenote: Corn distributions in Liguria and Venetia.]

'In succouring his subjects, the payers of tribute, the King does not seem to give, so much as to restore what he has received. The cultivator of the soil is abandoned to future famine, unless he is helped in the day of his necessity. Therefore let the corn which has been received by the government from industrious Liguria and loyal Venetia, though it has been taken from their fields, be born again to them in our granaries, since it is too outrageous that the cultivator should starve while our barns are full. Therefore let your Ill.u.s.trious Greatness (whose office is said to have been inst.i.tuted for the express purpose of feeding the people from the acc.u.mulated stores of the State[681]) sell to the impoverished Ligurians the third part of the grain warehoused at Ticinum and Dertona, at the rate of 25 modii to the solidus[682]. Similarly distribute the third part of the stores in the warehouses of Tarvisium and Tridentum to the Venetians, at the same rate, that pitying Heaven, seeing men's bounty to one another, may give us fruitful harvests. Take care that this distribution is so managed that our indulgence shall reach those persons chiefly, who are least able to depend on their own resources.'

[Footnote 681: 'Quorum dignitas ad hoc legitur inst.i.tuta, ut de repositis copiis populum saturare possetis.' Probably an allusion to Joseph, whom Ca.s.siodorus celebrates as the first Praefectus Praetorio.]

[Footnote 682: Six bushels for twelve shillings, or sixteen shillings a quarter.]

28. KING THEODAHAD TO SENATOR[683], PRAEFECTUS PRAETORIO.

[Footnote 683: Ca.s.siodorus.]

[Sidenote: Grant of monopolies.]

'The King ought to confirm whatever has been wisely ordered by the Judges, especially those who are known to be above suspicion of bribery.

'Therefore we confirm in their offices[684] the stewards[685], purveyors[686] of wheat, wine, and cheese, the meat sellers, vintners, farmers of the revenue derived from granaries and taverns[687], hay merchants, and general provision dealers[688], who belong to the City of Rome or the royal residence of Ravenna[689]; also those who hold public charges of this description along the river banks of Ticinum or Placentia[690], or in any other places, whom we know to have been appointed by you, whose judgments we willingly embrace and desire to hold fast exactly as if they were our own; nor will we allow the malice of any to prevail against those persons who by your choice have a.s.sumed these public functions. If therefore they acquit themselves to your satisfaction, they shall hold their office for five years without fear of disturbance during that period. On account of the present barrenness of the land you should cause them to fix such prices for the different kinds of grain as shall seem reasonable to your Eminence[691].

[Footnote 684: The sentence is so long that Ca.s.siodorus seems to have forgotten its construction, and these important words are in fact omitted.]

[Footnote 685: 'Arcarios.']

[Footnote 686: 'Prorogatores.']

[Footnote 687: 'Capitularios horreariorum et tabernariorum.']

[Footnote 688: 'Cellaritas.']

[Footnote 689: 'Mansionem Ravennatem.']

[Footnote 690: 'Ripam Ticinensem vel Placentinam.']

[Footnote 691: Here follows, 'Ut hi quibus commissum est exercere singulos apparatus de injusto gravamine non querantur,' which I do not venture to translate, as I am not sure whether it relates to buyers or sellers.]

'As human ambition requires to be checked by fear of punishment, anyone who by pet.i.tioning or canva.s.sing seeks to obtain the place of one of these lawfully appointed purveyors shall be visited with a fine of 30 lbs. of gold[692], to be exacted from him by you. If unable to pay this fine he shall suffer corporal punishment and be noted as infamous. Nothing can be considered safe or stable if men are to be perpetually exposed to the snares of envious compet.i.tors like these.

Your Greatness is to bring this law to the knowledge of all men.'