Letter 2004: King Theodoric to Ecdicius, a Man of Honor.
King Theodoric to Ecdicius, a Man of Honor.
We take pleasure in the discoveries of antiquity and willingly embrace the practice of following established regulations, since no room is left for abuse when sensible rules are observed. Having reviewed the contents of your petition, we hereby decree by our present authority that whatever pertained by our command to Antiochus — the man who administered the taxes on the siliquaticum [a sales tax] and monopoly — shall be transferred to you on the same terms. You are protected by this present authority against the schemes of all would-be accusers, with the understanding that equity is preserved. You shall also have the assistance of a saio [a Gothic royal agent], which our authority has formally assigned to you for the enforcement of the aforementioned tax rights — provided, however, that your legal protection is never applied to private disputes. For what we have given as a help must never be turned against justice. Another man's fault will rightly fall on you if the person you have asked to serve your interests is perceived by others to have harmed theirs.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
IIII. ECDICIO VIRO HONESTO THEODERICUS REX.
[1] Delectamur vetustatis invento et sequi regulas constitutas libenter amplectimur, quia locus subreptionibus non relinquitur, quotiens rationabiliter constituta servantur. et ideo supplicationum tuarum tenore comperto praesenti auctoritate definimus, ut quicquid ad Antiochum, siliquatici vel monopolii titulos exercentem, nostra iussione pertinuit, ad te ratione simili transferatur, contra omnium calumniantium insidias salva aequitate praesenti auctoritate munitus: habiturus etiam amminicula saionis, quae pro vindicandis titulis antefatis nostra tibi sollemniter deputavit auctoritas, ita tamen ut privatis minime negotiis misceatur defensio tua. nam quod ad auxilium dedimus, contrarium nullo modo iustitiae sentiatur, quia rationabiliter aliena culpa te respicit, si quem tibi petis prodesse, per te sibi alter sentiat obfuisse.
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