Letter 3002: King Theodoric to Gundobad, King of the Burgundians.

King Theodoric to Gundobad, King of the Burgundians. It is a grave evil to see the wills of beloved royal persons set against each other, and to watch in silence as something lamentable threatens to erupt from their conflict. If our kinsmen fight while we stand by and do nothing, the blame falls on us too. You all hold pledges of my deep favor — no one among you is cut off from the others. If you offend against each other, you wound me grievously. It is our responsibility to restrain these royal young men with the voice of reason. If they truly believe that we disapprove of their reckless ambitions, they cannot hold to them. Young men in the heat of youth still respect their elders. Let them know that we oppose their quarrels and intend to ensure that neither side oversteps. It is better for us to speak harsh words now than for our kinsmen to reach the worst extremity. We have therefore decided to send our envoys to your brotherhood. If our son Alaric [King of the Visigoths] agrees, we should dispatch a joint embassy to the King of the Franks [Clovis] with our allied peoples, so that the dispute between them may be settled rationally through the mediation of friends. Kings of such stature should not be seeking miserable quarrels among themselves that would wound us through their own misfortunes. I urge your brotherhood to join forces with me to restore their concord. No one can believe that they went to war without our knowledge — unless it becomes perfectly clear that preventing their clash is our own fight. Certain matters we have entrusted to the bearers of this letter to communicate to you verbally. May your wisdom settle everything as it has been accustomed to accomplish, with God's help, whatever it gives its most careful thought.

II. GUNDIBADO REGI BURGUNDIONUM THEODERICUS REX. [1] Grave malum est inter caras regiasque personas voluntates sibimet videre contrarias et dissimulando spectare, ut de uno aliquid dolendum possit emergere. non sine invidia nostra geritur, si nobis patientibus affinium clade dimicetur. habetis omnes per me pignora magnae gratiae: non est unus ab alio segregatus: si quid in vobis delinquitis, meo graviter dolore peccatis. [2] Nostrum est regios iuvenes obiecta ratione moderari, quia illi, si nobis vere sentiunt displicere quod male cupiunt, audaciam suae voluntatis retinere non possunt. verentur senes, quamvis sint florida aetate ferventes. sciant nos adversarios esse contrarietatibus suis et illud velle persequi, ne ab utrisque possit excedi. decet enim nos aspera verba dicere, ne affines nostri ad extremum debeant pervenire. [3] Et ideo illum et illum legatos ad fraternitatem tuam credidimus destinandos, ut, si filio nostro Alarico visum fuerit, ad regem Francorum cum coniuratis nobis gentibus dirigere debeamus, quatenus causa, quae inter eos vertitur, amicis mediis rationabiliter abscidatur. convenit enim tales tantosque reges non inter se lamentabiles rixas quaerere, ut de suis et nos possint casibus sauciare. [4] Quapropter fraternitas vestra adhibito mecum studio eorum nitatur reparare concordiam: quia nemo potest credere sine nostro voto illos ad haec proelia pervenisse, nisi omnino clareat, ne ad conflictum veniant, nostra potius esse certamina. aliqua vero a praesentium gerulis litterarum sermone vobis commisimus intimanda, ut sic prudentia vestra cuncta componat, quemadmodum consuevit deo iuvante perficere, unde solet diligentissime cogitare.