Letter 9014: The provincials of Sicily have informed us in a petition that your authority has been doing certain things that...

14. KING ATHALARIC TO GILDILA, MAN OF SUBLIME RANK, COUNT OF THE CITY OF SYRACUSE. [1] It has been declared to us by the report of the provincials of Sicily that certain things are done by your authority whereby their fortunes appear to be afflicted. We took this the more lightly because they themselves were unwilling that the past be avenged. For what an adversary concedes is established to be doubtful, and he cannot lawfully be struck down whom the complainant prefers to pardon. But that we may abolish unjust suspicions in the case of future occurrences, we decree that the following matters be observed continuously by the present command, so that neither may these men fear anything for the future, nor may you, through ignorance, fall into the things which are alleged. [2] In the first place, monies are said to have been extorted from various provincials for the repair of the walls, while nevertheless no promised construction has arisen from it. If this is established to have been committed, then either let the walls be built from it for their protection, or let each man recover what is proved to have been improperly taken from him. For it is exceedingly absurd to promise fortifications and to give the citizens accursed devastations. [3] They also assert that you lay claim, under the title of escheat, to the estates of certain deceased persons, without any discrimination of justice, in the name of the treasury, when this seems to have been entrusted to you only with regard to foreigners, for whom no heir, whether testamentary or legitimate, is found. For it is a wicked thing that what is commanded by us should be claimed by you in our name through injury. [4] Moreover, they groan that they are burdened in every way by summonses, so that, in being brought to judgment, they appear to lose almost as much as those condemned are scarcely proved to sustain in losses. For the summons of a judge ought to be the hope of justice, not a penalty. For he himself is rendered justly suspect, before whose hearing grievances are felt. Wherefore we determine that, if our decrees summon the accused, the executor receive only so much profit as our glorious lord grandfather established, by an expressed amount, that the saiones ought to receive for the honors of persons. For the profit ought to come with measure: for if it exceeds the measure of fairness, it will not retain the force of its own name. [5] But if a summons is appointed by your command, only in those cases and persons where the edicts have willed you to be involved, let the executor receive the middle portion which he could have taken from the royal precepts; for it cannot accord with justice that as much be granted at your direct order as is offered out of reverence for our command. [6] But if anyone shall prove a violator of this most wholesome ordinance, we command that what was taken away be restored fourfold, so that what is lost through the indulgence of greed may be avenged through the harshness of the penalty. But the edicts of our glorious lord grandfather, or all the precepts which he directed to Sicily for the admonishing of the morals of all men, we wish to be kept with such great obedience that whoever, stirred by brutish impulses, shall attempt to break through the safeguard of these commands, may be held guilty of sacrilege. [7] You are said to call to your tribunal the suits of two Romans, even against their will: if you recognize that these things have been done, do not presume upon them further, lest, while you wish improperly to seek jurisdiction, you should appear rather to find a charge against yourself. For you, who among other men prefer that these rules be established to be followed by you, ought first to be mindful of the edict: otherwise the whole authority of deciding is taken from you, if that rule is in no way kept by you. [8] Let the power of their administrations be preserved unimpaired to the ordinary judges. Let the lawful retinue accompany their magistrates. Be not stung by envy of those observances. The praise of the Goths is civility preserved. All renown flows together to you, if the litigant is rare in your sight. Defend the laws by arms; allow the Romans to litigate in the peace of the laws. [9] They report that you seize the merchandise conveyed by ships and, in the eagerness of hateful greed, fix narrow prices upon the goods alone: which is not believed to be far from suspicion, even if it be not faulty in the action itself. Wherefore, if you hasten, as is fitting, to avoid a rumor of this kind, let the bishop of the city and the people stand as witnesses to your conscience. Let that be pleasing to all which it is necessary should pertain to the fortunes of all. Prices ought to be fixed by common deliberation, for there is no delight of trade which is commanded upon the unwilling. [10] Therefore we have believed that your Sublimity ought to be admonished by the present commands, because we do not wish those whom we love to transgress, nor do we suffer anything sinister to be said about such men, through whom we think the morals of others may be set right.

XIIII. GILDILAE VIRO SUBLIMI COMITI SYRACUSANAE CIVITATIS, ATHALARICUS REX. [1] Provincialium Siculorum nobis est suggestione declaratum quaedam a tua potestate fieri, unde eorum fortunae videantur affligi. quod ideo leviter accepimus, quia ipsi vindicari praeterita noluerunt. constat enim esse dubium, quod concedit adversarius: et percelli non potest iure, cui mavult querelosus ignoscere. sed ut suspiciones iniquas futuris casibus abrogemus, observanda iugiter praesenti iussione decernimus, ut nec isti aliquid de futuro metuant nec tu per ignorantiam quae dicuntur incurras. [2] Prima fronte pro reparatione murorum pecuniae diversis provincialibus dicuntur extortae, cum tamen nulla exinde surrexerit promissa constructio. hoc si constat ammissum, aut muri exinde pro eorum munimine construantur aut unusquisque recipiat quod ei probatur incompetenter ereptum. nimis enim absurdum est spondere munitiones et dare civibus execrabiles vastitates. [3] Quorundam etiam substantias mortuorum sine aliqua discretione iustitiae fisci nomine caduci te perhibent titulo vindicare, cum tibi hoc tantum de peregrinis videatur esse commissum, quibus nullus heres aut testamentarius aut legitimus invenitur. nefas est enim, ut, quod a nobis praecipitur, a te nostro nomine per iniuriam vindicetur. [4] Praeterea conventionibus se gravari omnimodis ingemiscunt, ut ad iudicium deducendi paene tanta videantur amittere, quanta vix probantur addicti dispendia sustinere. vocatio enim iudicis spes iustitiae debet esse, non multa. nam ipse iuste suspectus redditur, ante cuius audientiam gravamina sentiuntur. unde censemus, ut, si nostra conveniunt decreta pulsatos, tantum commodi percipiat exsecutor, quantum gloriosus domnus avus noster pro honoribus personarum debere saiones accipere expressa quantitate constituit. commodum enim debet esse cum modo: nam si mensuram aequalitatis excesserit, vim sui nominis non habebit. [5] Si vero tua iussione conventio destinatur dumtaxat in illis causis atque personis, ubi te misceri edicta voluerunt, mediam portionem exsecutor accipiat, quam de praeceptis regiis sumere potuisset, quia non potest convenire iustitiae, ut tantum a te directo tribuatur, quantum pro reverentia nostrae iussionis offertur. [6] Si quis autem saluberrimi constituti temerator extiterit, in quadruplum iubemus ablata restitui, ut, quod delectatione cupiditatis ammittitur, asperitate dispendii vindicetur. Edicta vero gloriosi domni avi nostri vel universa praecepta, quae ad Siciliam pro commonendis universorum moribus destinavit, sub tanta volumus oboedientia custodiri, ut sacrilegii reus habeatur, quisquis beluinis motibus excitatus munimen temptaverit irrumpere iussionum. [7] Duorum negotia Romanorum etiam his invitis ad tuum diceris vocare iudicium: quae si cognoscis facta, ulterius non praesumas, ne dum vis iudicium incompetenter quaerere, reatum potius videaris invenire. memor enim prius debes esse edicti, qui inter alios mavis a te sequenda constitui: alioquin tota tibi decernendi auctoritas tollitur, si a te illa regula minime custoditur. [8] Ordinariis iudicibus amministrationum suarum potestas inlibata servetur. cognitores suos legitima turba comitetur. observationum illarum non mordearis invidia. Gothorum laus est civilitas custodita. tota ad vos fama confluit, si vobis rarus litigator observet. vos armis iura defendite, Romanos sinite legum pace litigare. [9] Navigiis vecta commercia te suggerunt occupare et ambitu cupiditatis exosae solum angusta pretia definire: quod non creditur a suspicione longinquum, etiamsi non sit actione vitiosum. quapropter si rumorem huiusmodi, ut convenit, vitare festinas, episcopus civitatis et populus conscientiae tuae testes assistant. omnibus placeat, quod ad cunctorum necesse est pertinere fortunas. pretia communi debent deliberatione constitui, quia non est delectatio commercii, quae iubetur invitis. [10] Quocirca sublimitatem tuam iussis praesentibus credidimus ammonendam, quia excedere nolumus quos amamus nec aliquid de talibus sinistrum patimur dici, per quos aliorum mores putamus posse recorrigi.