VARIAE, BOOK 6, FORMULA 23
From: The Ostrogothic Chancery (Cassiodorus)
To: [Template for the appointment of a Count of Naples]
Date: ~522 AD
Context: A model letter for the comes Neapolitanae, the governor of Naples, praising the ancient city and its remarkable harbor, aqueducts, and cultural heritage.
[1] Among the other inventions of antiquity and the astonishing achievements of well-ordered civilization, Naples stands as something truly remarkable. Founded by Greek settlers and enriched by centuries of Roman rule, this city possesses a harbor envied by all the coasts of Italy, aqueducts that rival Rome's own, and a cultural life that even the greatest cities might admire. It is a place where the legacy of the ancient world meets the vitality of the present, and we wish it to be governed accordingly. [2] The Count of Naples must be a man who understands both the dignity of his charge and the needs of its people. He must ensure that commerce flows freely through the port, that the public works are maintained, that disputes are settled promptly, and that the tax burden falls equitably. We have selected you because your record demonstrates these qualities, and because Naples deserves a governor who will honor its illustrious past while securing its prosperous future.
XXIII.
FORMULA COMITIVAE NEAPOLITANAE.
[1] Inter cetera vetustatis inventa et ordinatarum rerum obstupenda praeconia hoc cunctis laudibus meretur efferri, quod diversarum civitatum decora facies aptis amministrationibus videtur ornari, ut et conventus nobilium occursione celebri colligatur et causarum nodi iuris disceptatione solvantur. unde nos quoque non minorem gloriam habere cognoscimus, qui facta veterum annuis sollemnitatibus innovamus. nam quid prodesset inventum, si non fuisset iugiter custoditum? [2] Exeunt a nobis dignitates relucentes quasi a sole radii, ut in orbis nostri parte resplendeat custodita iustitia. ideo enim tot emolumentorum commoda serimus, ut securitatem provincialium colligamus. messis nostra cunctorum quies est, quam non possumus aliter recordari, nisi ut subiecti non videantur aliquid irrationabiliter perdidisse. [3] Et ideo ad comitivam te Neapolitanam per illam indictionem libenter adducimus, ut civilia negotia aequus trutinator examines tantumque famam tuam habita maturitate custodias, quantum te illi populo vel in levi culpa facile displicere cognoscas. urbs ornata multitudine civium, abundans marinis terrenisque deliciis, ut dulcissimam vitam te ibidem invenisse diiudices, si nullis amaritudinibus miscearis. praetoria tua officia replent, militum turba custodit. considis geniatum tribunal: sed tot testes pateris quot te agmina circumdare cognoscis. [4] Praeterea litora usque ad praefinitum locum data iussione custodis. tuae voluntati parent peregrina commercia. praestas ementibus de pretio suo et gratiae tuae proficit quod avidus mercator adquirit. sed inter haec praeclara fastigia optimum esse iudicem decet, quando se non potest occulere, qui inter frequentes populos cognoscitur habitare. factum tuum erit sermo civitatis, dam per ora fertur populi, quod a iudice contigerit actitari. [5] Habet ultionem suam hominum frequentia, si loquatur adversa, et de iudice iudicium esse creditur, quod multis adstipulationibus personatur. contra quid melius quam illum populum gratum respicere, cui cognosceris praesidere? quale est perfrui favore multorum et illas voces accipere, quas et clementes dominos delectat audire! nos tibi proficiendi materiam damus: tuum est sic agere, ut sua beneficia principem delectet augere.
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VARIAE, BOOK 6, FORMULA 23
From: The Ostrogothic Chancery (Cassiodorus) To: [Template for the appointment of a Count of Naples] Date: ~522 AD Context: A model letter for the comes Neapolitanae, the governor of Naples, praising the ancient city and its remarkable harbor, aqueducts, and cultural heritage.
[1] Among the other inventions of antiquity and the astonishing achievements of well-ordered civilization, Naples stands as something truly remarkable. Founded by Greek settlers and enriched by centuries of Roman rule, this city possesses a harbor envied by all the coasts of Italy, aqueducts that rival Rome's own, and a cultural life that even the greatest cities might admire. It is a place where the legacy of the ancient world meets the vitality of the present, and we wish it to be governed accordingly. [2] The Count of Naples must be a man who understands both the dignity of his charge and the needs of its people. He must ensure that commerce flows freely through the port, that the public works are maintained, that disputes are settled promptly, and that the tax burden falls equitably. We have selected you because your record demonstrates these qualities, and because Naples deserves a governor who will honor its illustrious past while securing its prosperous future.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.