Letter 11039: The enormous population of Rome makes it clear that even provisions brought from distant regions could barely...

From: Senator [Cassiodorus], Praetorian Prefect To: Vitalianus, Chancellor of Lucania and Bruttium Date: ~533-537 AD Context: Cassiodorus writes about his own home provinces — revealing that his family had been landowners there for generations and that he had personally arranged a tax reduction. The enormous population of Rome makes it clear that even provisions brought from distant regions could barely satisfy the city, since surrounding provinces had to support a foreign population while local abundance was reserved for Rome herself. For how small a number could a people be who ruled the world! The vast extent of the city walls testifies to the crowds of citizens, as do the sprawling arenas of the spectacles, the marvelous size of the public baths, and that great number of mills which was specifically dedicated to the food supply. Such infrastructure is not maintained unless it is actually in use — it serves no ornamental purpose and suits no other function. These are, so to speak, the fine garments of cities, just as they are of bodies — for no one agrees to build expensive things that are superfluous. This is why mountainous Lucania was assigned to provide pigs [for Rome's pork dole], and why the Bruttii were required to supply cattle from their native abundance. Both arrangements were remarkable: that the provinces could supply so great a city, and that so vast a city could, through their provisions, avoid any shortage of food. It was glorious for them to feed Rome — but consider what it must have cost to transport goods by weight across so many roads, where losses along the way could not be charged to anyone! The obligation was converted to a cash payment, where they could suffer no loss from spoilage — since money is neither diminished by travel nor damaged by labor. Let the provinces appreciate their good fortune. If their ancestors were devoted enough to bear the expense of deliveries in kind, why should the current generation not be willing to pay the cash equivalent, which is so much easier? Therefore, both these revenue streams, now converted to cash assessments, shall be administered by your diligence at the appointed installments — so that under my administration no one appears negligent who under other authorities served with praiseworthy integrity. For although I have taken care to assist other provinces as well, I have claimed nothing from them for myself. They experienced me as their judge — and the provinces where my grandfathers and great-grandfathers held private estates, I labored all the more energetically to help once I held office, so they would recognize that I retained my love of home, just as I could feel their enthusiastic joy at my advancement. Let them obey, then, not from compulsion but from affection — especially since I have even reduced the sum that used to be assessed. For whereas twelve hundred solidi had been paid in annual contributions, I reduced the amount to one thousand by royal generosity — so that they might rejoice at the growth of their happiness through the lightening of their burdens.

XXXVIIII. VITALIANO V. C. CANCELLARIO LUCANIAE ET BRUTTIORUM SENATOR PPO. [1] Apparet, quantus in Romana civitate fuerit populus, ut eum etiam de longinquis regionibus copia provisa satiaret, quatenus circumiectae provinciae peregrinorum victui sufficerent, cum illi se ubertas advecta servaret. nam quam brevi numero esse poterat, qui mundi regimina possidebat! [2] Testantur enim turbas civium amplissima spatia murorum, spectaculorum distensus amplexus, mirabilis magnitudo thermarum et illa numerositas molarum, quam specialiter contributam constat ad victum. hoc enim instrumentum nisi fuerit usuale, necessarium non habetur, quando nec ornatui potest proficere nec parti aliae convenire. denique haec quasi vestimenta pretiosa corporum ita sunt indicia civitatum, dum nullus adquiescit superflua facere, quae se novit magnis pretiis explicare. [3] Hinc enim fuit, ut montuosa Lucania sues penderet, hinc ut Bruttii boum pecus indigena ubertate praestarent. fuit nimirum utrumque mirabile, ut et provinciae tantae civitati sufficerent et sic ampla civitas earum beneficiis victualium indigentiam non haberet. erat quidem illis gloriosum Romam pascere: sed quanto dispendio videbatur posse constare adducere tam multis itineribus quae darentur ad pondus, dum quae probabantur decrescere nullus poterat imputare! [4] Redactum est ad pretium, ubi pati non poterant detrimentum, quod nec itineribus imminuitur nec laboribus sauciatur. intellegant provinciae bona sua. nam si antiqui eorum fuerunt ad dispendia devoti, cur isti non sint ad compendia solvenda munifici? et ideo ambos titulos in assem publicum iam redactos diligentia tua statutis illationibus procurabit, ne meis temporibus neglegentes esse videantur qui alienis dignitatibus laudabili integritate paruerunt. [5] Nam licet et alias provincias studuerim reficere, nihil tamen in illis actum est quod voluerim vindicare. senserunt me iudicem suum et quibus privatus ab avis atavisque praefui, vivacius nisus sum in meis fascibus adiuvare, ut me agnoscerent retinere affectum patriae, quos in meis provectibus sentiebam propensa exultatione gaudere. pareant ergo non compulsione aliqua, sed amore, quando et hanc summam illis imminui, quae solebat offerri. nam cum mille ducenti solidi annuis praestationibus solverentur, ad mille eos regia largitate revocavi, ut exultarent gaudiorum crementis de oneribus imminutis.