Letter 5024: VARIAE, BOOK 5, LETTER 24

VARIAE, BOOK 5, LETTER 24 From: King Theoderic, writing through Cassiodorus To: Epiphanius, Consular Governor of the Province of Dalmatia Date: ~522 AD Context: A legal matter concerning the estate of a woman named Johanna, who died intestate with no heirs, and whose property has been seized by unauthorized persons. [1] Johanna is reported to have succeeded her late husband Andreas by operation of law, and she is said to have died intestate with no surviving relatives. Her estate, we are informed, is currently being held by various people with no legal title, through simple usurpation. Since the law clearly provides that such unclaimed property belongs to our treasury, we hereby instruct you by this decree: investigate the truth of this matter, and if indeed, as reported to us, no one was named heir by testament or succeeded her by right of kinship, you are to assign her estate to our treasury. It is the mark of our integrity to pursue lawful revenue diligently, since no fraudulent claim has ever found a place before us. [2] In such cases, the sovereign should be consulted, not cheated. It would be negligent to allow unauthorized seizures that the law commands us to stop. If, however, you find the situation to be otherwise, you will allow the current holders to remain in peaceful possession, because the truest form of royal wealth is property legitimately held by our subjects.

XXIIII. EPIPHANIO V. S. CONSULARI PROVINCIAE DALMATIAE THEODERICUS REX. [1] Iohanna Andreae quondam iugali suo successisse legis munere perhibetur, quae intestata nullis existentibus proximis luce dicitur esse privata. cuius substantia a diversis nullo legitimo iure suffultis usurpatione voluntaria suggeritur possideri, et quia caduca bona fisco nostro competere legum cauta decreverunt, ideo te praesentibus oraculis ammonemus, ut huius rei veritate discussa, si re vera, ut ad nos perlatum est, nullus ei aut testamento heres extitit aut proximitatis iure successit, fisci nostri eam facies compendiis aggregari: quando innocentiae nostrae professio est iusta compendia non neglegere, apud quem calumnia numquam locum potuit invenire. [2] Rogari enim in talibus causis, non fraudari principem decet, quia neglegentiae vitium est praesumptiones relinquere, quas iura praecipiunt amputare. si quid autem contra reppereris, quietos dominos habere patieris, quia magis illa nostra sunt patrimonia, quae a subiectis legitime possidentur.