Variae (12 books)
GELASIUS TO COUNT TEIA
Your Magnificence understands that I am bound by the demands of my priestly office to come before your clemency —...
I have hastened to send Peter, the Church's defensor [legal advocate], to petition my lord, your most excellent son...
[Pope Gelasius I (r. 492-496) writes to Ereleua, the mother of King Theodoric the Great.
It is beyond doubt that Your Magnificence, who has ordered the laws of the Roman emperors to be observed in human...
VARIAE, APPENDIX, LETTER 7
VARIAE, APPENDIX, LETTER 8
VARIAE, APPENDIX, LETTER 9
BOOK ONE OF THE VARIAE
It is well known to Your Magnanimity that a bishop is compelled by the very nature of his office to intercede on...
MAGNUS AURELIUS CASSIODORUS SENATOR
KING THEODERIC TO THE EMPEROR ANASTASIUS.
KING THEODERIC TO THEON, A MAN OF DISTINCTION.
KING THEODERIC TO CASSIODORUS, A MAN OF ILLUSTRIOUS RANK AND A PATRICIAN.
KING THEODERIC TO THE SENATE OF THE CITY OF ROME.
KING THEODERIC TO FLORIANUS, A MAN OF DISTINCTION.
KING THEODERIC TO AGAPITUS, A MAN OF ILLUSTRIOUS RANK AND PREFECT OF THE CITY.
KING THEODERIC TO FELIX, A MAN OF DISTINCTION.
KING THEODERIC TO AMABILIS, AN EXECUTOR.
KING THEODERIC TO EUSTORGIUS, THE VENERABLE BISHOP OF MILAN.
KING THEODERIC TO BOETHIUS, A MAN OF ILLUSTRIOUS RANK AND A PATRICIAN.
KING THEODERIC TO SERVATUS, MILITARY GOVERNOR OF THE RAETIAS.
KING THEODERIC TO EUGENITUS, A MAN OF ILLUSTRIOUS RANK AND MASTER OF OFFICES.
KING THEODERIC TO THE SENATE OF THE CITY OF ROME.
KING THEODERIC TO FAUSTUS, PRAETORIAN PREFECT.
KING THEODERIC TO FESTUS, A MAN OF ILLUSTRIOUS RANK AND A PATRICIAN.
KING THEODERIC TO JULIAN, COUNT OF THE PATRIMONY.
KING THEODERIC TO ALL GOTHS AND ROMANS RESIDING AT DERTONA.
KING THEODERIC TO DOMITIANUS AND WILIA.
KING THEODERIC TO SATURNINUS AND UMBISUS, MEN OF DISTINCTION.
KING THEODERIC TO ALBINUS AND AVIENUS, MEN OF ILLUSTRIOUS RANK AND PATRICIANS.
VARIAE, BOOK 1, LETTER 21
VARIAE, BOOK 1, LETTER 22
VARIAE, BOOK 1, LETTER 23
VARIAE, BOOK 1, LETTER 24
VARIAE, BOOK 1, LETTER 25
VARIAE, BOOK 1, LETTER 26
VARIAE, BOOK 1, LETTER 27
VARIAE, BOOK 1, LETTER 28
VARIAE, BOOK 1, LETTER 29
VARIAE, BOOK 1, LETTER 30
VARIAE, BOOK 1, LETTER 31
VARIAE, BOOK 1, LETTER 32
VARIAE, BOOK 1, LETTER 33
VARIAE, BOOK 1, LETTER 34
VARIAE, BOOK 1, LETTER 35
VARIAE, BOOK 1, LETTER 36
VARIAE, BOOK 1, LETTER 37
VARIAE, BOOK 1, LETTER 38
VARIAE, BOOK 1, LETTER 39
VARIAE, BOOK 1, LETTER 40
VARIAE, BOOK 1, LETTER 41
VARIAE, BOOK 1, LETTER 42
VARIAE, BOOK 1, LETTER 43
VARIAE, BOOK 1, LETTER 44
VARIAE, BOOK 1, LETTER 45
VARIAE, BOOK 1, LETTER 46
KING THEODERIC TO THE EMPEROR
King Theodoric to Felix, Distinguished Man, Ordinary Consul.
KING THEODERIC TO THE SENATE OF THE CITY OF ROME
King Theodoric to Ecdicius, a Man of Honor.
King Theodoric to Faustus, Praetorian Prefect.
King Theodoric to Agapitus, Vir Illustris [Most Illustrious], Patrician.
King Theodoric to Suna, Vir Illustris [Most Illustrious], Count.
VARIAE, BOOK 2, LETTER 8
VARIAE, BOOK 2, LETTER 9
VARIAE, BOOK 2, LETTER 10
VARIAE, BOOK 2, LETTER 11
VARIAE, BOOK 2, LETTER 12
VARIAE, BOOK 2, LETTER 13
VARIAE, BOOK 2, LETTER 14
It is our policy to assess future merit even in youth and to judge a child's prospects by the virtues of the parents...
It is our policy, conscript fathers, to grant rewards to upright character and to kindle men of good promise toward...
We do not wish our generosity to be harmful to anyone -- so that what is given to one person is not charged to...
The venerable authority of ancient laws dictates that a man born a curial [member of the city council, responsible...
We justly detest all crimes, and our merciful hearing condemns everything that is unjust.
Everyone should gladly contribute what they see can serve the public good, since the limbs must feel what affects...
It is deeply unjust for a hardworking man to be cheated of the fruit of his labor, and for one who deserves a reward...
It is right that royal devotion should accommodate itself to those wounded by the blow of fate, because those whom...
It is well established that the Senate set the standard for how people should live -- everything that brings honor...
The voice of pain is always a complaint -- the injured cannot keep silent, and a wounded spirit feeds on outcry.
We take no pleasure in unjust profits, and gains that come at the expense of fairness never reach our conscience.
Just as we willingly grant consent to lawful petitions, we do not approve of our generosity being used to circumvent...
Honest labor deserves its reward, because military service without recognition is military service dishonored.
Although we wish no one under our protection to suffer any burden -- since a ruler's glory lies in the undisturbed...
A personal exemption does not prejudice public law, because a ruler is permitted to be generous, and royal...
Those who have enrolled in military service must devote themselves to public duties.
It pleases us, Senators, when citizens show devotion to public welfare, because when we recognize the praiseworthy...
Justice demands that a praiseworthy ambition be rewarded, and that what is undertaken with good will be supported by...
It is deeply painful that the works of our ancestors should be diminished in our time, when we strive every day to...
Although a relaxed penalty is quite enough to encourage the betrayal of a crime -- and it is no small gift of...
The generosity of our reign should keep pace with our growth, relaxing its gifts in proportion to the state's...
We wish our wealth to be enriched by the treasury of compassion, and we despise profits acquired through the...
If we wish to preserve the marvels heard about from antiquity for the praise of our reign -- since it adds to a...
When the king of the Franks, drawn by the fame of our table, requested a lyre player from us with great urgency, we...
We rejoice in the kinship of your glorious valor -- that you have stirred the Frankish nation, long settled in...
KING THEODERIC TO ALARIC, KING OF THE VISIGOTHS
King Theodoric to Gundobad, King of the Burgundians.
KING THEODERIC TO THE KING OF THE HERULS, TO THE KING OF THE WARNI, TO THE KING OF THE THURINGIANS
King Theodoric to Luduin [Clovis], King of the Franks.
King Theodoric to Importunus, Vir Illustris [Most Illustrious], Patrician.
King Theodoric to the Senate of the City of Rome.
King Theodoric to Januarius, Venerable Bishop of Salona [modern Split, Croatia].
VARIAE, BOOK 3, LETTER 8
VARIAE, BOOK 3, LETTER 9
VARIAE, BOOK 3, LETTER 10
VARIAE, BOOK 3, LETTER 11
VARIAE, BOOK 3, LETTER 12
VARIAE, BOOK 3, LETTER 13
VARIAE, BOOK 3, LETTER 14
When justice is violated, the injury is ours, because we rightly take upon ourselves offenses against things we hold...
A judgment backed by precedent is solid, and there is no room for doubt where proven experience speaks in one's favor.
You should gladly obey Roman custom, to which you have been restored after so long -- for the return is welcome to a...
Those who chose our clemency deserve good things, so that we may prove through their advancement that their decision...
It is right that we should look after the just compensation of those who serve our palace, because public labor...
Among the glorious concerns of the state that we continually review in our thoughts with God's help, close to our...
It is human custom that people enjoy variety more, and even though they possess exceptional things, anything that...
It is fitting that we adorn our court with noble men, so that their wishes may be fulfilled and our retinue may be...
It is a pleasure to entrust responsibilities to proven men, since the judgment of the one who chooses is vindicated...
Our providence does not abandon its purpose -- always attentive to its subjects, it arranges what will benefit them,...
We take pleasure in assigning men of proven moral character to public duties, so that the faithful service of good...
Although your own good judgment should be enough to provide assistance to those assigned to public duty, our...
It is the purpose of royal compassion to cut off the ground for unjust hatreds and to restrain the arrogance of...
The sight of those who have impressed themselves on our hearts through glorious actions is always pleasing to us.
Who does not know that a petitioner's gain is also our own, and that what good rulers can bestow through generous...
The care of the city of Rome is always on our mind.
Although we wish to devote unflagging care to our entire state and, with God's favor, to restore all things to their...
It is a well-known truth that the services of the faithful are not lost on us -- what is given in hard times is...
It pleases us that our hopes for the growth of the sacred order are being fulfilled.
It is our policy to send men proven in strength and moderation to govern and protect you, so that the welfare of the...
Our generosity must stand firm, because a ruler's decision must be unshakeable and cannot be overturned by the...
It is the purpose of our compassion not to deny a hearing to pitiable pleas, especially since it is our custom to...
If your blessedness is called upon in other people's cases to settle quarrels, how much more should a matter be...
Although it is always the wish of our compassion that civil and moderate behavior prevail everywhere, we especially...
Fairness demands that we maintain the ancient custom for those who celebrate public festivals -- especially when it...
Although a multitude of cares presses upon our compassionate mind and our customary diligence turns to the various...
Any burden becomes tolerable when it is distributed fairly, because a shared load is certain not to crush those...
Under a benevolent ruler, subjects do not even need to ask for relief, because the ruler's humanity anticipates...
We delight in living by Roman law among those we seek to defend by arms, and our concern for moral order is no less...
Although the first priority is to restore injured citizens and to show compassion for people above all, our...
Our justice demands that we not allow calumnies against our granted benefits, and that whatever is concealed by...
The wrongdoing of the guilty provides a ruler with the opportunity for glory -- without occasions for fault,...
Tempered severity falls on the side of mercy, and the ruler who softens a deserved punishment with considered...
The provident commands of a ruler should be a cause for joy, since we are offering what you yourselves should have...
The devotion that anticipates a good command is welcome and pleasing to us, and it is rightly well-received when...
An arrangement should be gratefully received when it helps the giver and delights the receiver as circumstances require.
As rare as constancy and honorable purpose are among entertainers, all the more precious it is when praiseworthy...
As we have learned from the spiteful reports of petitioners, a boundary dispute has arisen between the spectabiles...
Your greatness's report has informed us that a water diviner has come to Rome from the regions of Africa, where this...
KING THEODERIC TO HERMINFRID, KING OF THE THURINGIANS
King Theodoric to the King of the Heruli.
KING THEODERIC TO SENARIUS, ILLUSTRIOUS COUNT OF THE PRIVATE ESTATES
King Theodoric to the Senate of the City of Rome.
King Theodoric to the Devoted Count Amabilis.
King Theodoric to Symmachus, Vir Illustris [Most Illustrious], Patrician.
King Theodoric to Senarius, Vir Illustris [Most Illustrious], Count of the Private Estates.
King Theodoric to the Honorati [Leading Citizens], Landowners, and Town Councillors of Forum Livii [modern Forli, in...
King Theodoric to Osuin, Vir Illustris [Most Illustrious], Count.
King Theodoric to John, Vir Spectabilis [Most Respectable], Governor [Consularis] of Campania.
King Theodoric to Senarius, Vir Illustris [Most Illustrious], Count of the Private Estates.
King Theodoric to Marabadus, Vir Illustris [Most Illustrious], Count, and Gemellus, Vir Spectabilis [Most Respectable].
King Theodoric to Senarius, Vir Illustris [Most Illustrious], Count of the Private Estates.
King Theodoric to Gesila, Saio [royal agent/enforcer].
King Theodoric to Benenatus, Vir Spectabilis [Most Respectable].
King Theodoric to the Senate of the City of Rome.
King Theodoric to Ibba, Vir Sublimis [Most Exalted], Dux [Military Commander].
King Theodoric to Anna, Vir Spectabilis [Most Respectable], Count.
King Theodoric to Gemellus, Vir Spectabilis [Most Respectable].
King Theodoric to Geberic, Vir Spectabilis [Most Respectable].
King Theodoric to Gemellus, Vir Spectabilis [Most Respectable].
King Theodoric to Argolicus, Vir Illustris [Most Illustrious], Praefectus Urbis [Prefect of the City of Rome].
King Theodoric to Arigernus, Vir Illustris [Most Illustrious], Count.
What is given to the deserving counts as a gain for both sides, since the very act of giving achieves more when...
King Theodoric to Argolicus, Vir Illustris [Most Illustrious], Praefectus Urbis [Prefect of the City].
King Theodoric to All the Inhabitants of Marseilles.
King Theodoric to Tutizar, Saio [royal agent].
King Theodoric to Duda, Vir Spectabilis [Most Respectable], Count.
King Theodoric to Argolicus, Vir Illustris [Most Illustrious], Praefectus Urbis [Prefect of the City].
King Theodoric to Albinus, Vir Illustris [Most Illustrious], Patrician.
King Theodoric to Aemilianus, Venerable Bishop.
King Theodoric to Duda, Saio [royal agent].
King Theodoric to All the Jews Residing in Genoa.
King Theodoric to Duda, Saio [royal agent].
King Theodoric to the Agents of Albinus, Vir Illustris [Most Illustrious].
King Theodoric to Faustus, Praetorian Prefect.
King Theodoric to Theodagunda, Illustrious Lady.
King Theodoric to Faustus, Praetorian Prefect.
King Theodoric to Theodahad, Vir Illustris [Most Illustrious].
King Theodoric to the Agents of Probinus, Vir Illustris [Most Illustrious].
King Theodoric to John, Archiater [Chief Physician].
King Theodoric to Argolicus, Praefectus Urbis [Prefect of the City].
King Theodoric to the Senate of the City of Rome.
King Theodoric to Antonius, Venerable Bishop of Pola [modern Pula, on the coast of Istria].
King Theodoric to the Counts, Defensores [city advocates], and Town Councillors of the City of Ticinum [modern Pavia].
King Theodoric to Marabadus, Vir Illustris [Most Illustrious].
King Theodoric to Gudisalus, Saio [royal agent].
King Theodoric to Eusebius, Vir Illustris [Most Illustrious].
King Theodoric to All Provincials, Capillati [free Gothic settlers], Defensores [city advocates], and Town...
King Theodoric to Faustus, Praetorian Prefect.
[Q. Aurelius Memmius Symmachus was the leading Roman senator of his generation, father-in-law of Boethius, and a...
KING THEODERIC TO THE KING OF THE WARNI
King Theodoric to the Haesti [a Baltic people].
KING THEODERIC TO HONORATUS, ILLUSTRIOUS QUAESTOR
King Theodoric to the Senate of the City of Rome.
King Theodoric to Mannila, Saio [a Gothic royal agent/enforcement officer].
King Theodoric to the Royal Stablemaster.
King Theodoric to John, Vir Clarissimus [Most Distinguished], Treasurer.
King Theodoric to Anastasius, Governor [Consularis].
King Theodoric to the Landowners of Feltre [Feltria, in the Veneto foothills].
King Theodoric to Veranus, Saio [royal agent].
King Theodoric to the Gepids Dispatched to Gaul.
King Theodoric to Theodahad, Vir Illustris [Most Illustrious].
King Theodoric to Eutropius and Agroecus.
King Theodoric to Severinus, Vir Illustris [Most Illustrious].
King Theodoric to All Landowners Residing in the Province of Savia.
King Theodoric to Abundantius, Praetorian Prefect.
King Theodoric to Abundantius, Praetorian Prefect.
Public utility, just as it serves the preservation of all, must be accomplished by the effort and labor of all --...
A man who carries out his orders effectively earns trust for greater things, because tasks are entrusted without...
We have learned that timber suitable for building warships can be found along both banks of the River Po.
If our judgment had chosen you as a raw recruit, if you had come to the scales of examination as an unknown, we...
Although care must always be taken in choosing a man to present for your approval -- since the judge whose own...
VARIAE, BOOK 5, LETTER 23
VARIAE, BOOK 5, LETTER 24
VARIAE, BOOK 5, LETTER 25
VARIAE, BOOK 5, LETTER 26
VARIAE, BOOK 5, LETTER 27
VARIAE, BOOK 5, LETTER 28
VARIAE, BOOK 5, LETTER 29
VARIAE, BOOK 5, LETTER 30
VARIAE, BOOK 5, LETTER 31
VARIAE, BOOK 5, LETTER 32
VARIAE, BOOK 5, LETTER 33
VARIAE, BOOK 5, LETTER 34
VARIAE, BOOK 5, LETTER 35
VARIAE, BOOK 5, LETTER 36
VARIAE, BOOK 5, LETTER 37
VARIAE, BOOK 5, LETTER 38
VARIAE, BOOK 5, LETTER 39
VARIAE, BOOK 5, LETTER 40
VARIAE, BOOK 5, LETTER 41
VARIAE, BOOK 5, LETTER 42
VARIAE, BOOK 5, LETTER 43
VARIAE, BOOK 5, LETTER 44
FORMULA OF THE CONSULSHIP
Formula of the Patriciate.
Formula of the Praetorian Prefecture.
Formula of the Urban Prefecture.
Formula of the Quaestorship.
Formula of the Master of Offices.
Formula of the Count of the Sacred Largesses.
VARIAE, BOOK 6, LETTER 8
VARIAE, BOOK 6, LETTER 9
VARIAE, BOOK 6, LETTER 10
VARIAE, BOOK 6, LETTER 11
VARIAE, BOOK 6, LETTER 12
VARIAE, BOOK 6, LETTER 13
We would like the Senate's distinguished chamber to be filled by its own natural increase, and for its offspring to...
It is the custom of deputies to obey the will of the judges they represent so completely that they seem to have no...
There is no doubt that the prince's inner circle honors those who serve in it, since essential matters are entrusted...
VARIAE, BOOK 6, FORMULA 17
VARIAE, BOOK 6, FORMULA 18
VARIAE, BOOK 6, FORMULA 19
VARIAE, BOOK 6, FORMULA 20
VARIAE, BOOK 6, FORMULA 21
VARIAE, BOOK 6, FORMULA 22
VARIAE, BOOK 6, FORMULA 23
VARIAE, BOOK 6, FORMULA 24
VARIAE, BOOK 6, FORMULA 25
FORMULA OF THE PROVINCIAL COUNTSHIP
Formula of the Governorship.
Formula for the Count of the Goths in Individual Cities.
Formula for the Duchy of Raetia [the Alpine frontier province].
Formula of the Curator of the Palace.
Formula of the Count of the Aqueducts.
Formula of the Prefecture of the Night Watch of the City of Rome.
VARIAE, BOOK 7, LETTER 8
VARIAE, BOOK 7, LETTER 9
VARIAE, BOOK 7, LETTER 10
VARIAE, BOOK 7, LETTER 11
VARIAE, BOOK 7, LETTER 12
VARIAE, BOOK 7, LETTER 13
If a position should be judged by its labors, and if praiseworthy attention to public business earns favor for the...
It is fitting that the splendor of Rome's buildings should have a skilled guardian, so that the marvelous forest of...
It is generally agreed that things go well wherever a person in authority is present.
It is a glorious service through which Rome is known to be adorned, since a man advances with us in proportion to...
Consider what you are undertaking, and you will understand that there is no room for error.
We have learned from the report of many that the named individual, trained in upright character, is capable of...
We believe it pertains to the credit of your office if we assign you duties suited to your responsibilities, since a...
Although ancient custom has directed that the collection of the bina et terna taxes should fall to your office,...
We have no doubt you are most grateful when reminded to fulfill the duties you have undertaken, because what is...
We grant our benefits to your grace especially if we find you administering your duties with good judgment.
Anyone who holds the military rank of princeps [chief of staff] is adorned with a great prerogative among his...
Solemn custom invites us both to send you the distinction of your office and to maintain the ancient order of those...
The honor of this world is a clear test of the human mind, because freedom of will always reveals itself when a man...
It is useful always to choose one person for the rest to obey, because if the will of many is left undirected, a...
We are confident this will please you: when we send judges for your military unit, you are able to perform your...
There can be no doubt about the loyalty of one chosen to guard a city, because what is entrusted for the security of...
Fairness demands that each person, after completing their term of service, should arrive at the fruit of their...
Since we have many orders to carry out in the city of Rome and it is necessary that part of our palatine staff be...
Every public function should certainly be carried out with faithful action, because everything is vitiated where...
Who could doubt that it is in the public interest for those to whom we have given gifts to suffer no hardship on...
We have no doubt that what is freely given is gratefully received, since what is usually begged for as a favor, we...
To have sought the presence of a just ruler is proof of a good conscience, since only a person confident in the...
No one doubts that people are refreshed by pleasant variety, because great weariness of the mind comes from the...
We wish our subjects, with God's help, to glory in the varied prerogatives of rank.
It is a fact that the taste of good things is pleasing, and the useful pursuit of praise -- sought through...
It might seem unnecessary to specifically request protection from a ruler whose very purpose is to defend everyone.
Eternal is the benefit granted with the favor of posterity, and nothing is more fitting for a king than to serve...
It is a glorious petition that seeks a dispensation from youth -- when one professes to receive from character the...
We have often learned that the saiones [royal enforcers] whom we believed we were granting out of compassion have...
It is well established that military service is conducted well when it is entrusted to men of proven character,...
There seems to be something grand in the promise of anyone who wishes to possess public property.
Although we all live from the utility of our land and everyone expects fair profit from it, you complain that the...
The establishment of divine law provided the beginning of human law, since the commandments found in the Two Tablets...
Although the freedom to sell one's property should rest with the owner, since true ownership means having the power...
Athalaric, King of the Goths, to the Emperor Justin.
KING ATHALARIC TO THE SENATE OF THE CITY OF ROME
If a foreign heir had received the empire, you might well have wondered whether a successor would love those whom...
King Athalaric to the Romans of Italy and Dalmatia.
King Athalaric to the Goths Settled Throughout Italy.
King Athalaric to Liberius, Praetorian Prefect of the Gauls.
King Athalaric to All Provincials Settled Throughout the Gauls.
VARIAE, BOOK 8, LETTER 8
VARIAE, BOOK 8, LETTER 9
VARIAE, BOOK 8, LETTER 10
VARIAE, BOOK 8, LETTER 11
VARIAE, BOOK 8, LETTER 12
VARIAE, BOOK 8, LETTER 13
Receive, conscript fathers, the appointment that marks the beginning of our reign.
We are most grateful that you have accepted our grandfather of glorious memory's judgment in the election of a bishop.
It is customary for those approaching court offices to be weighed by long examination, lest the royal judgment seem...
The candidate before you, conscript fathers, possesses such an abundance of merits that we fear he will be thought...
It is clearly a profession of justice to appoint learned jurists as judges, because a man who knows what is fair can...
Although your assembly always radiates with its native splendor, conscript fathers, it is made brighter whenever it...
It is an endorsement of one's merits to be chosen after a corrupt predecessor has been removed, since the excesses...
Although you have frequently been praised in honors of your own and in the distinction of your brother, nevertheless...
If a man who has obtained a single royal appointment deserves your favor, conscript fathers, how much more must the...
Although a king's munificence should shine daily like the sun and he should constantly do something to display...
We owe all the more to God the greater the gifts we receive beyond other mortals.
It is most fitting to protect what belongs to others when we ourselves are bound to confer our own gifts.
We have learned that a long-standing dispute has arisen between your cities over the boundaries of your territories...
The strong must not be allowed to devour the weak, nor should power be confused with right.
It has come to our attention that you have been conducting yourself in a manner unworthy of the trust we placed in you.
We wish you to know that the welfare of your city is always in our thoughts.
The administration of justice is the highest calling of government, for without it no kingdom can endure.
It is a matter of deep concern to us that the liberal arts -- which have always been the glory of Rome -- should...
We write to you again on the matter of Roman education, because the subject deserves our sustained attention.
We return to this subject a third time because nothing we have written matters more for the future of our kingdom.
Athalaric, King of the Goths, to Hilderic, King of the Vandals.
EDICT OF KING ATHALARIC
King Athalaric to Bergantinus, Vir Illustris [Most Illustrious], Count of the Patrimony.
King Athalaric to Abundantius, Praetorian Prefect.
King Athalaric to Bishops and Local Notables.
King Athalaric to the Chief Secretary [Primiscrinius].
King Athalaric to Reparatus, Prefect of the City [of Rome].
VARIAE, BOOK 9, LETTER 8
VARIAE, BOOK 9, LETTER 9
VARIAE, BOOK 9, LETTER 10
VARIAE, BOOK 9, LETTER 11
VARIAE, BOOK 9, LETTER 12
VARIAE, BOOK 9, LETTER 13
The provincials of Sicily have informed us in a petition that your authority has been doing certain things that...
If ancient emperors strove to devise laws so that their subjects might enjoy delightful peace, it is far nobler to...
It is a welcome thing to publicize what will benefit everyone, so that what might have been a private wish becomes a...
If ancient emperors adorned Rome's walls for the joy of its people -- so that those uniquely distinguished citizens...
Ancient wisdom providently decreed that the public should be admonished by general edicts, through which every...
Blameworthy excesses often provide the occasion for praiseworthy commands, and in a wonderful way the workings of...
When we provide you to our provinces by annual appointment, with God's help, and there is no shortage of courts...
We have rightly referred cases concerning your children to yourselves, since you who have an interest in the...
Human conduct would wander in confusion if crime had no terrors and virtue no rewards.
Consider, Senators, what we think of you -- that we choose for the highest dignities men of your own stock whom we...
If our will had found you still obscure or unhonored, we would rejoice in the discovery but rightly hesitate about...
We have crowned with our benefits the man already rich in virtues, wealthy in character, and full of great honors --...
Amalasuintha, Queen of the Goths, to the Emperor Justinian.
KING THEODAHAD TO THE EMPEROR JUSTINIAN
Queen Amalasuntha to the Senate of the City of Rome.
King Theodahad to the Senate of the City of Rome.
King Theodahad to Theodosius, His Agent.
King Theodahad to Patricius, Vir Illustris [Most Illustrious], Quaestor.
VARIAE, BOOK 10, LETTER 7
VARIAE, BOOK 10, LETTER 8
VARIAE, BOOK 10, LETTER 9
VARIAE, BOOK 10, LETTER 10
VARIAE, BOOK 10, LETTER 11
VARIAE, BOOK 10, LETTER 12
VARIAE, BOOK 10, LETTER 13
Although it is natural for you to love your rulers with a pure heart and to act in such obedience that you may keep...
Our desire is fulfilled whenever we have the opportunity to send a salutary letter to your piety, because the man...
Our devotion, conscript fathers, is a most imperious thing -- since we are conquered by our own will, we who are...
Learn, citizens, with what firmness your prince has loved you: tried by harsh circumstances, he has refused to let...
The remedy we have devised for you, conscript fathers, with a devoted heart, we will not allow to be turned against...
We give thanks to God, to whom the peace of kings is always welcome, that you have declared our accession most...
I received Your Piety's letter with the gratitude that always accompanies something long desired, and I was honored...
You must appreciate, wisest of Augustas, how eagerly I wish to seek your favor — which my lord husband also desires...
You will recall, wisest of Emperors, that both through our ambassadors and through the very eloquent Peter, whom...
When I received your ambassador, the most eloquent Peter — a man who, more honorably even than his official...
When the most learned Peter arrived, the love of Your Serenity so filled me that I felt I was seeing you in person,...
Through the venerable priest Heracleanus, an imperial letter from Your Serenity has illuminated us, generously...
I understand that your Serenity's favor is richer than any gift, since you urge me to do things that can only...
A man who rushes to relieve taxpayers does not give away expenses — he repays them.
It befits royal justice to uphold what has been properly arranged by officials acting in good faith — especially...
Your distinguished nobility and your great record of loyal service persuaded me to entrust you with governing in...
Your report informs me that on the Via Sacra [the Sacred Way, Rome's ceremonial boulevard] — which antiquity...
Although every advancement must be attributed to the gifts of God, and nothing good exists unless it is recognized...
Most merciful Emperor, how deeply I desire the sweetness of your favor can be understood from this alone: that after...
In sending our ambassadors to the most serene Emperor, it was fitting to dispatch greetings to Your Magnitude...
If we owe honor even to priests we have never met, how much more to those we have known and revered with affection!
With God's blessing, I have dispatched our ambassadors to the most serene Emperor, and through them it was necessary...
Senator [Cassiodorus], Praetorian Prefect, to the Senate of the City of Rome.
SENATOR, PRAETORIAN PREFECT, TO POPE JOHN, MOST BLESSED FATHER
Senator [Cassiodorus], Praetorian Prefect, to Various Bishops.
Senator [Cassiodorus], Praetorian Prefect, to Ambrosius, Vir Illustris, Acting Prefect.
[In this personal preface, Cassiodorus introduces the final two books of the Variae -- letters written in his own...
Senator [Cassiodorus], Praetorian Prefect, to John, Chancellor.
What is demanded through annual obligation is most justly required, since what is paid under general law is...
It was the custom of earlier ages to decree new laws, adding whatever seemed to have been overlooked for succeeding...
Knowing that those who had been diminished by past abuses might struggle to believe otherwise, since the human mind...
When our sovereign lords' clemency turned its thoughts to the health of their servant Danus — for it is their desire...
The prices of food supplies should follow the logic of the season, so that neither cheapness is sought when prices...
If the idle populations of individual cities are kept in check by fair pricing, how much more should relief be...
It seems an entirely honorable and necessary undertaking to petition a pious Emperor for the security of the Roman...
Since the city of Comum [Como] is visited by many routes, its landowners report that they are so exhausted by the...
A royal gift that has been obtained should bring joy to all, so that you may be encouraged to do better when you see...
It is my duty to energetically raise up those whom royal compassion has resolved to relieve — for where the lords'...
If on this day we find the saving remedy of redemption, if the heavenly gift opens the hope of salvation, it is...
The welcome ceremony of promotions should be embraced, for it releases those who have earned their rest through long...
Formula: Concerning the Cornicularius [Chief Clerk] Who Is Advanced.
For a long time now, carrying out your duties effectively, you have earned the favorable judgment of many.
I do not allow the merits of faithful servants to be deferred, so that the ambitions of all may be encouraged toward...
Formula: Concerning the Secretary of the Records.
Formula: Concerning the Charge of Correspondence.
Formula: Concerning the Secretary of Military Affairs.
It is fitting that I promptly grant the promotions that the constant labor of service deserves.
Formula: Concerning the Sixth Scholar [Palace Guard].
Who would not consider Johannes deserving of promotion?
Formula: Concerning the Commentariensis [Prison Warden/Record Keeper].
Formula: Concerning the Regendarius [Filing Clerk].
It is fitting that the fruit of their labors should follow the desires of the faithful, and that a higher rank...
It is fitting that those who have completed their military oaths should receive the rewards of victory — for long...
The integrity of the judge is present in military appointments, because he gladly fulfills what he knows is justly owed.
The duty of giving compels a man to act without delay, because one who is prompted by innate generosity is driven...
Your petition will be held on file by the office until I can, when opportunity permits, obtain the consent of those...
If the Olympic charioteer seizes his prize after his labors, if the disreputable spectacle of beast-fighting quickly...
The man who devised laborious duties and offices of great diligence also reasonably established fixed terms for them...
The wisdom of antiquity rightly provided that those who serve the public interest should receive the just rewards of...
Antiquity, that regulator of all things, carefully provided that since many people required the services of our...
The enormous population of Rome makes it clear that even provisions brought from distant regions could barely...
Although the very title of "judge" seems dedicated to justice, and I am commanded to walk in the footsteps of equity...
Senator, Praetorian Prefect, to the Chancellors of the Individual Provinces.
SENATOR, PRAETORIAN PREFECT, TO ALL PROVINCIAL JUDGES
Senator, Praetorian Prefect, to All Saiones [Gothic Royal Agents] Assigned to the Chancellors.
Senator [Cassiodorus], Praetorian Prefect, to the Tax Collector of Venetia.
Senator [Cassiodorus], Praetorian Prefect, to the Chancellors of the Individual Provinces.
Senator [Cassiodorus], Praetorian Prefect, to All Those Administering Offices Under the Prefecture.
Under the clemency of a good ruler, nothing is left to the mercy of chance — for those who have resolved to govern...
It seems a novel kind of bargain when those who ask gain something and those who provide suffer no loss.
It is an act of mercy to bind a foreign people to the state through public benefits — and to extend to newcomers,...
Arrears in public accounts should be compared to an illness — they weigh you down and debilitate, unless they are...
The man appointed to distribute the Emperor's generosity must be of proven conscience, so that no stain of greed may...
While I was dining with the lord of the realm [the king] at a formal banquet and the delicacies of various provinces...
The generosity bestowed by our sovereigns must be preserved with the united effort of all, since what they have been...
The citizens of Rhegium, at the farthest tip of Bruttium — whom the violent force of the sea long ago separated from...
Scyllaceum [Squillace, on the coast of Calabria], the first city of the Bruttii — which Troy's destroyer Ulysses is...
The season reminds us that it perpetually accommodates human affairs, reconciling even harsh realities through the...
The fortification of cities is the sure hope of all, since in peacetime foreign peoples learn from it what they...
The royal progress, just as it brings danger to the negligent, so it confers distinction on those who work...
You can detect a royal arrival from the very frequency of the travelers preceding it, for a great event must always...
You will recall with me, most faithful men, that when the holy Agapitus, Pope of Rome, was being sent on a royal...
The office of the notary is the security of all, since the rights of everyone are protected by his diligence.
Public expenditures, which fluctuate with the changing circumstances of the times, can be stabilized if the...
A judge's deliberation must assign proven men to public business, so that what is difficult to obtain in a time of...
By a previous order, we directed that Istria should send its produce of wine, oil, and grain -- with which the...
Those who observe changes in the usual order of things are often troubled, because what runs counter to custom...
We have chosen you for this task because you combine energy with good judgment -- a rare combination and one that...
The cooperation between the church and the civil administration is one of the foundations of good government in our...
There are times when a ruler must speak not to individuals but to all his people at once, and this is such a time.