Letter 3042: Under a benevolent ruler, subjects do not even need to ask for relief, because the ruler's humanity anticipates...
Under a benevolent ruler, subjects do not even need to ask for relief, because the ruler's humanity anticipates their petitions, and in a wonderful reversal, the benefits come before the requests. Recently, moved by justice, we had ordered that the untouched portion of the province should provide sustenance for our Goths. But since a ruler may always decree more humane measures -- and it is no inconsistency when a change is made as a kindness -- and so that landowners would not be burdened with even the smallest contribution, we have sent military supplies from Italy. The army sent for your defense will be fed by our generosity, and the only thing the province will feel from so large a force is their protection.
We have also sent the commanders and officers a sufficient amount of money, so that provisions that could not be transported might be purchased locally without anyone's loss. We do not wish to impose on your generosity even what you could, we believe, have willingly offered.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed.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
XLII. UNIVERSIS PROVINCIALIBUS IN GALLIIS CONSTITUTIS THEODERICUS REX.
[1] Non occurritur sub principe benigno remedia postulare subiectos, quoniam supplicationem praecedit humanitas et miro modo posteriora fiunt vota quam praestita. nuper siquidem moti iustitia iusseramus, ut pars aliqua illaesa provinciae Gothis nostris alimonia reperta praestaret. [2] Sed quia licet principem semper humaniora censere, dum varietatis non habet vitium, quod pro beneficio fuerit immutatum, sed ut nec minima possessores illatione gravarentur, ex Italia destinavimus exercituales expensas, ut ad defensionem vestram directus exercitus nostris humanitatibus aleretur solumque auxilium provinciae de tam magna congregatione sentirent. [3] Ducibus etiam ac praepositis sufficientem transmisimus pecuniae quantitatem, ut eorum praebendae, quae non potuerunt convehi, ibi debuissent sine alicuius dispendio comparari, quia delectui vestro nec illa volumus imponere, quae vos potuistis, ut arbitramur, offerre.
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