From: King Theodahad of Italy
To: Senator [Cassiodorus], Praetorian Prefect
Date: ~536 AD
Context: Theodahad confirms and protects Cassiodorus's appointments of supply officials across Italy, imposing severe penalties on anyone who tries to replace them through bribery.
It befits royal justice to uphold what has been properly arranged by officials acting in good faith — especially those whose integrity is so well known that they can be assumed to have done nothing carelessly or corruptly. Therefore, the warehouse managers, grain distributors, wine and cheese suppliers, butchers, wine merchants, granary and tavern officials, money-changers, and cellar-keepers — both those assigned to the city of Rome and the Ravenna residence, as well as those managing the Ticinum [Pavia] and Placentia [Piacenza] river-ports and anyone else administering public accounts elsewhere — all of whom I understand were appointed by you: I willingly embrace your judgments and wish them preserved as though they were my own decisions. I will not allow anyone's malice to prevail against those who received their public responsibilities through your appointment.
Therefore, let ambition — that perpetual enemy of justice — cease its pursuit of these designated posts. Let us immediately remove the customary opportunity for envy against those performing well. No one shall be permitted to replace the above-named within a five-year term, provided your own investigation finds no fault in them. Let those appointed by your authority, past and present, serve without fear. Let them arrange what they need with confidence. No one should fear removal within this five-year period if the quality of his performance recommends him.
Furthermore, given the scarcity of the present time, adjust the prices of each commodity as your Eminence judges reasonable, so that those charged with managing individual supply operations do not complain of unjust burdens. But since human ambition cannot be restrained except through fear of punishment: if anyone is found to have replaced someone in the above-named posts — whether through bribes or the intercession of patrons — he shall immediately be fined thirty pounds of gold, to be exacted by you without exception.
If the guilty party cannot afford such a fine, let him suffer corporal punishment in place of the monetary penalty. Let him be branded with the mark of infamy for daring to act against our prohibition. Nothing can be found secure or stable if the wishes of the envious are always permitted to set their illicit traps. Your Magnitude shall bring this to everyone's attention, so that no one may claim ignorance as an excuse for not knowing what was forbidden.
XXVIII.
SENATORI PPO THEODAHADUS REX.
[1] Decet regiam iustitiam custodire quod a iudicibus bene agentibus fuerit ordinatum, maxime quorum conscientia sic nota est, ut nihil incaute, nihil venalitatis studio fecisse videantur. et ideo arcarios prorogatores tritici, vini et casei, macellarios, vinarios, capitularios horreariorum et tabernariorum, fenerarios et cellaritas, qui ad urbem Romam vel ad mansionem pertinent Ravennatem, sed et eos, qui ripam Ticinensem et Placentinam sive per alia loca quicumque publicos titulos administrare noscuntur, quos a vobis conperimus ordinatos, cuius iudicia sic libenter amplectimur, sic servari desideramus, tamquam a nobis facta esse credantur, nec sinimus contra illos cuiusquam praevalere malitiam, qui vestro iudicio amministrationes publicas susceperunt. [2] Quapropter in designatis titulis ambitio, inimica semper iustitiae, conquiescat: consuetudinarium bene agentibus locum protinus tollamus invidiae: non liceat cuiquam intra quinquennium praedictis velle succedere, si tamen vestra inquisitione eos nulla culpa respuerit. sint ergo intrepidi, qui vestra voluntate vel sunt vel fuerint ordinati: procurent sibi necessaria securi: non timeat intra hoc quinquennium expelli, quem commendaverit probitas actionis. [3] Propter sterilitatem quoque praesentis temporis de singulis speciebus, prout eminentiae vestrae rationabiliter visum fuerit, pretia facite temperari, ut hi, quibus commissum est exercere singulos apparatus, de iniusto gravamine non querantur. sed quoniam humana ambitio nisi per metum damni non potest inhiberi, si qui a vobis titulis ordinatis, sive suffragiis sive patronorum precibus nisus, visus fuerit cuique succedere, statim triginta librarum auri multa feriatur, a vobis nihilominus exigenda. [4] Quod si ad hoc damnum idoneus non potuerit inveniri, corporali supplicio poenam luat qui non potuerit in supra dicta perculsione sufficere et frustretur ausibus suis, poena etiam inurendus infamiae, qui contra interdicta nostra aliqua tergiversatione venire temptaverit. nihil enim securum, nihil poterit stabile reperiri, si semper invidentium vota ad illicitas accedere permittantur insidias. quod magnitudo vestra in omnium faciat pervenire notitiam, ne quis per ignorantiam se existimet excusandum, quod non intellexerit fuisse prohibitum.
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From:King Theodahad of Italy
To:Senator [Cassiodorus], Praetorian Prefect
Date:~536 AD
Context:Theodahad confirms and protects Cassiodorus's appointments of supply officials across Italy, imposing severe penalties on anyone who tries to replace them through bribery.
It befits royal justice to uphold what has been properly arranged by officials acting in good faith — especially those whose integrity is so well known that they can be assumed to have done nothing carelessly or corruptly. Therefore, the warehouse managers, grain distributors, wine and cheese suppliers, butchers, wine merchants, granary and tavern officials, money-changers, and cellar-keepers — both those assigned to the city of Rome and the Ravenna residence, as well as those managing the Ticinum [Pavia] and Placentia [Piacenza] river-ports and anyone else administering public accounts elsewhere — all of whom I understand were appointed by you: I willingly embrace your judgments and wish them preserved as though they were my own decisions. I will not allow anyone's malice to prevail against those who received their public responsibilities through your appointment.
Therefore, let ambition — that perpetual enemy of justice — cease its pursuit of these designated posts. Let us immediately remove the customary opportunity for envy against those performing well. No one shall be permitted to replace the above-named within a five-year term, provided your own investigation finds no fault in them. Let those appointed by your authority, past and present, serve without fear. Let them arrange what they need with confidence. No one should fear removal within this five-year period if the quality of his performance recommends him.
Furthermore, given the scarcity of the present time, adjust the prices of each commodity as your Eminence judges reasonable, so that those charged with managing individual supply operations do not complain of unjust burdens. But since human ambition cannot be restrained except through fear of punishment: if anyone is found to have replaced someone in the above-named posts — whether through bribes or the intercession of patrons — he shall immediately be fined thirty pounds of gold, to be exacted by you without exception.
If the guilty party cannot afford such a fine, let him suffer corporal punishment in place of the monetary penalty. Let him be branded with the mark of infamy for daring to act against our prohibition. Nothing can be found secure or stable if the wishes of the envious are always permitted to set their illicit traps. Your Magnitude shall bring this to everyone's attention, so that no one may claim ignorance as an excuse for not knowing what was forbidden.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.