Letter 4043: King Theodoric to the Senate of the City of Rome.

43. King Theoderic to the Senate of the City of Rome. [1] The celebrated reputation of the City of Rome must none the less be preserved by its own established custom, nor does it admit foreign vices, it which has always prided itself on the uprightness of its morals. For to engage in the fickleness of riots and to court the burning of one's own city is not what a Roman should wish. And therefore among the authors of such a deed the strictness of the laws must be observed, lest the detestable spectacle of a fire should seize the hearts of the common people toward wicked imitation. [2] And so, by the report of the illustrious count Arigern, we have learned, from a complaint of the Jews, that they were assaulted, because a servile boldness had broken out into the slaughter of their masters: and when, in keeping with public discipline, punishment had been cut short upon these men, at once the inflamed strife of the populace led them to think that the synagogue must be burned down in a reckless fire, avenging the faults of men by the destruction of buildings, whereas, if any of the Jews were proved to transgress, he himself ought to have been subjected to the penalty, but it was not just that men should rush together to the foul deeds of riots or hasten to the burning of buildings. [3] But we, to whom, by God's favor, it is a matter of the heart to set right things wrongly committed, so that it may be possible for everyone to come together with peaceable conduct, by the present authority decree that you investigate the case mentioned above with lawful inquiry, and that, upon the few authors of this fire whom you shall be able to find, you cut short punishment with strictness observed: because we do not wish anything detestable to be done, whereby the gravity of Rome ought to be accused. [4] Determining this likewise by equal reasoning, that, if anyone reasonably believes that something supports him against the Jews, let him come to your court to be heard, so that censure may condemn whomever guilt has entangled. For know that this has displeased us vehemently, that the most empty contentions of the peoples should have reached even to the overthrow of buildings, where we wish everything to be beautifully kept in order.

XLIII. SENATUI URBIS ROMAE THEODERICUS REX. [1] Urbis Romanae celebris opinio suo conservanda est nihilominus instituto, nec vitia peregrina capit, quae se semper de morum probitate iactavit. levitates quippe seditionum et ambire propriae civitatis incendium non est velle Romanum. ideoque in auctoribus facti legum est servanda districtio, ne detestabilis aspectus incendii ad imitationem nefandam vulgi pectora comprehendat. [2] Viri illustris itaque comitis Arigerni suggestione comperimus Iudaeorum querela se fuisse pulsatum, quod in dominorum caede proruperit servilis audacia: in quibus cum fuisset pro districtione publica resecatum, statim plebis inflammata contentio synagogam temerario duxerunt incendio concremandam, culpas hominum fabricarum excidio vindicantes, dum, si quis Iudaeorum probaretur excedere, ipse debuisset iniuriae subiacere, non autem iustum fuit ad seditionum foeda concurri aut ad fabricarum incendia festinari. [3] Sed nos, quibus deo propitiante cordi est perperam commissa dirigere, ut cunctis possit placatis moribus convenire, praesenti auctoritate decernimus, ut causam supra memoratam legitima discussione noscatis et in auctoribus paucis quos potueritis huius incendii reperire, habita districtione resecetis: quia nolumus aliquid detestabile fieri, unde Romana gravitas debeat accusari. [4] Illud pari ratione censentes, ut, si aliquid sibi contra Iudaeos rationabiliter quispiam crediderit suffragari, ad vestrum iudicium veniat audiendus, ut quem reatus involverit, censura condemnet. hoc enim nobis vehementer displicuisse cognosce, ut intentiones vanissimae populorum usque ad eversiones pervenerint fabricarum, ubi totum pulchre volumus esse compositum.