Letter 7031: Since we have many orders to carry out in the city of Rome and it is necessary that part of our palatine staff be...
Cassiodorus→Unknown|c. 522 AD|Cassiodorus
imperial politics
From: Cassiodorus (formula template)
To: [Deputy Princeps in the City of Rome]
Date: ~522 AD
Context: Template for appointing a deputy to represent the palace staff in Rome when the chief of staff (princeps) is at court.
Since we have many orders to carry out in the city of Rome and it is necessary that part of our palatine staff be present there so that public business may be conducted, we have taken our usual precaution. Because we do not allow the cardinal princeps [chief of staff] to be absent from our service, you shall hold his place in the city of Rome under the title of vicar, so that he may enjoy the fruits of his primary labors and you may learn in another's office what you should happily perform in your own. If you judge that any of the palatine staff should be sent to court for our service, that will be your decision. Those you decide to retain will enjoy their leave with security -- but you must manage everything in turn, so that neither continuous labor wears out those on duty nor the rust of unwanted idleness consumes the idle.
XXXI.
FORMULA PRINCIPATUS IN URBE ROMA.
[1] Cum in urbo Roma plurima fieri censeamus et necesse sit partem ibi esse comitiaci officii, ut utilitates publicae videantur impleri, more nostro prospeximus, ut, quia principem cardinalem obsequiis nostris deesse non patimur, tu eius locum vicarii nomine in urbe Roma sollemniter debeas continere, quatenus et ille primates sui laboribus perfruatur et tu in alterius honore possis discere, quod in tuo debeas feliciter exhibere. [2] Si quos etiam comitiacorum ad comitatum iudicaveris esse dirigendos consulens obsequio nostro, tuo subiacebit arbitrio. eos autem, quos retinendos putaveris, indulta securitate potientur, ita tamen, ut vicissim omnia modereris, quatenus nec excubantes continuus labor atterat nec segnes iterum rubigo otii fugienda consumat.
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From:Cassiodorus (formula template)
To:[Deputy Princeps in the City of Rome]
Date:~522 AD
Context:Template for appointing a deputy to represent the palace staff in Rome when the chief of staff (princeps) is at court.
Since we have many orders to carry out in the city of Rome and it is necessary that part of our palatine staff be present there so that public business may be conducted, we have taken our usual precaution. Because we do not allow the cardinal princeps [chief of staff] to be absent from our service, you shall hold his place in the city of Rome under the title of vicar, so that he may enjoy the fruits of his primary labors and you may learn in another's office what you should happily perform in your own. If you judge that any of the palatine staff should be sent to court for our service, that will be your decision. Those you decide to retain will enjoy their leave with security -- but you must manage everything in turn, so that neither continuous labor wears out those on duty nor the rust of unwanted idleness consumes the idle.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.