Letter 4013: King Theodoric to Senarius, Vir Illustris [Most Illustrious], Count of the Private Estates.

XIII. KING THEODERIC TO SENARIUS, MOST ILLUSTRIOUS MAN, COUNT OF THE PRIVATE ESTATES. [1] Rewards ought not to be lacking to those who labor, so that both an entrance to good hope may be opened and the complaint of those who toil may be closed off by a just recompense. And therefore know that our providence, which oversees all the parts of the commonwealth under heaven's favor, has ordained that to Colosseus, an illustrious man dispatched to Sirmian Pannonia on account of his labors and merits, provisions be furnished according to ancient custom, so that, while the necessities have been prepared for the aforesaid man, occasion may be taken away for unjust appropriations. [2] For a fasting army cannot keep discipline, while an armed man always seizes upon what is lacking. Let him have something to buy, lest he be compelled to think about what to carry off. Restrained necessity does not love, nor can that be commanded of the many which the very few are unable to observe.

XIII. SENARIO V. I. COMITI PRIVATARUM THEODERICUS REX. [1] Emolumenta deesse laborantibus non oportet, ut et bonae spei aditus aperiatur et desudantium querela iusta compensatione claudatur. atque ideo providentiam nostram, quae omnes rei publicae partes sub caelesti favore circumspicit, ordinasse cognosce, ut Colosseo illustri viro pro laboribus et meritis ad Sirmiensem Pannoniam destinato iuxta consuetudinem veterem victualia praebeantur, quatenus, dum memorato viro necessaria fuerint praeparata, locus iniustis praesumptionibus abrogetur. [2] Disciplinam siquidem non potest servare ieiunus exercitus, dum quod deest semper praesumit armatus. habeat quod emat, ne cogatur cogitare quod auferat. necessitas moderata non diligit, nec potest imperari multis quod nequeunt custodire paucissimi.