Letter 8002: KING ATHALARIC TO THE SENATE OF THE CITY OF ROME

II. KING ATHALARIC TO THE SENATE OF THE CITY OF ROME. [1] It is agreed, conscript fathers, to be the fullest joy to learn of the rise of one who is to rule, so that he who is believed able to protect all may be heard to have come to the summit of the kingdom. The measure of our gladness comes from the greatness of the announcement, and as great becomes the eagerness of the spirit as has been also the regard for the matter. [2] For if the foretold benefits of their companions raise up prudent men, if the announced well-being of friends relieves them, with how great exultation ought it to be received that the ruler of all lands has come forth happily, one whom no stirred-up sedition brought forward, no seething wars produced, no losses of the commonwealth gained, but who was made such through quiet, just as it was fitting that the author of civil order should come! A great kind of good fortune indeed it is to obtain the principate without contentions, and in that commonwealth to become a youthful lord where it is agreed that many are found of mature character. For counsel cannot be lacking to any age where it is agreed that so many public fathers have been found. [3] Therefore our hope has been preferred to the merits of all, and it was more certain to be believed concerning us than what could be approved concerning others: not unjustly, since any renown of birth yields to the Amal line, and just as he who is born of you is called of senatorial origin, so he who proceeds from this family is approved as most worthy of the kingdom. The things we say have been proved by the present deed. [4] For when our lord grandfather, on account of the great quantity of his benefits, was pressed at his last moments by the sweetest remembrance of us, he poured over the greatness of his dominion onto us with such swiftness that you would believe not so much the kingdom as a garment to have been changed. So many nobles, glorious in hand and in counsel, mixed in no murmur, as is usual: but they followed the judgments of their prince with such great joy that you would there recognize rather that the divine will had shone together. Wherefore, with God favoring, we have judged it necessary to make you more certain concerning the rise of our reign, because the empire seems rather widened than changed when it passes to descendants: for in a certain way he himself is thought to live, whose progeny is known to rule over you. [5] This your prayers held, this was his undoubted resolve, that he should leave as heir of his goods one who could increase his benefits among you. It is agreed to have been found out of love of princes, that the trust of an image should be preserved by bronze likenesses, so far that the coming generation might see the author who had bound the commonwealth to himself by many benefits. But how much truer is he who lives on in his descendants, through whom for the most part both the form of the body is restored and the vigor of the spirit is prolonged! [6] And therefore you ought now to show the faith of your nobility with greater zeal, so that both the earlier gifts may seem to have been bestowed upon the deserving, and we may without doubt grant future ones to those whom we shall least have perceived to have been unmindful of things past. [7] You should also know that it was arranged by divine providence that the general consensus of the Goths and of the Romans should come to us, and that they should confirm by the religion of an oath their own will, which they offered with pure breasts. [8] We do not in the least doubt that you will follow this in point of time, not of love: for what you follow, forestalled by distance, could have been begun by you. For it is agreed that the most excellent fathers can love so much the more, the greater the honors they are seen to have received beyond the other orders. [9] But so that you may be able to recognize our first beginnings even toward you, since it is fitting that your senate-house be entered with benefits, we have caused our illustrious count Sigismer, with those who have been sent, to render oaths to you, because we desire inviolably to preserve what we promise by public authority. [10] But if you believe anything is to be requested from us that may multiply the increases of your security, ask without doubt, being admonished, you whom we even seem to exhort to pour out your prayers. For that is a promise rather than an admonition: for he who orders the reverend senate to make supplication has nonetheless pledged what it may be able to obtain. Now it is yours to hope for some such thing as may be able to augment the common commonwealth.

II. SENATUI URBIS ROMAE ATHALARICUS REX. [1] Plenissimum gaudium constat esse, patres conscripti, cognoscere dominantis exortum, ut qui creditur universos posse protegere, audiatur ad regni culmina pervenisse. mensura laetitiae de magnitudine nuntii venit et tanta fit alacritas animi, quanta fuerit et consideratio rei. [2] Nam si prudentes viros erigunt commoda praedicta sodalium, si amicorum relevat sospitas nuntiata, quanta exultatione suscipi debet omnium rectorem feliciter provenisse terrarum, quem non protulit commota seditio, non bella ferventia pepererunt, non rei publicae damna lucrata sunt, sed sic factus est per quietem, quemadmodum venire decuit civilitatis auctorem! magnum profecto felicitatis genus optinere sine contentionibus principatum et in illa re publica adulescentem dominum fieri, ubi multos constat maturis moribus inveniri. non enim potest cuilibet aetati deesse consilium, ubi tot parentes publicos constat inventos. [3] Praelata est ergo spes nostra cunctorum meritis et certius fuit de nobis credi quam quod de aliis potuit approbari: non iniuria, quoniam quaevis claritas generis Hamalis cedit et sicut ex vobis qui nascitur, origo senatoria nuncupatur, ita qui ex hac familia progreditur, regno dignissimus approbatur. probata sunt praesenti facto quae loquimur. [4] Nam cum domni avi nostri pro beneficiorum quantitate dulcissima nobis recordatio urgeretur extremis, magnitudinem dominationis suae tanta in nos celeritate transfudit, ut non tam regnum quam vestem crederes esse mutatam. tot proceres manu consilioque gloriosi nullum murmur, ut assolet, miscuerunt: sed ita cum magno gaudio secuti sunt principis sui iudicia, ut voluntatem ibi potius agnosceres conluxisse divinam. quapropter necessarium duximus propitio deo de ortu regni nostri vos facere certiores, quia dilatatum quam mutatum videtur imperium, cum transit ad posteros: nam quodammodo ipse putatur vivere, cuius vobis progenies cognoscitur imperare. [5] Hoc habuerunt vestra vota, haec illius fuit indubitata sententia, ut heredem bonorum suorum relinqueret qui beneficia eius in vobis possit augere. amore principum constat inventum, ut simulacris aeneis fides servaretur imaginis, quatenus ventura progenies auctorem videret, qui sibi rem publicam multis beneficiis obligasset. sed quanto verior est qui vivit in posteris, per quos plerumque et forma corporis redditur et vigor animi protelatur! [6] Et ideo nobilitatis vestrae fidem maiore nunc studio debetis ostendere, quatenus et priora munera meritis videantur esse collata et futura indubitanter eis praestemus, quos praeteritorum immemores fuisse minime senserimus. [7] Noveritis etiam divina providentia fuisse dispositum, ut Gothorum Romanorumque nobis generalis consensus accederet et voluntatem suam, quam puris pectoribus offerebant, iuris etiam iurandi relligione firmarent. [8] Quod vos secuturos esse minime dubitamus tempore, non amore: nam a vobis potuit inchoari quod praeventi longinquitate sequimini. constat enim excellentissimos patres tanto amplius posse diligere, quanto maiores honores ceteris ordinibus visi sunt accepisse. [9] Sed ut primordia nostra et circa vos benignitatis possitis agnoscere, quia decet curiam vestram beneficiis introire, illustrem Sigismerem comitem nostrum vobis cum his qui directi sunt fecimus sacramenta praestare, quia inviolabiliter servare cupimus quae publica auctoritate promittimus. [10] Si qua autem a nobis creditis postulanda, quae vestrae securitatis incrementa multiplicent, indubitanter petite commoniti, quos ad fundendas preces nos etiam videmur hortari. promissio enim est ista quam commonitio: nam qui reverendum senatum supplicare praecipit, quod impetrare possit nihilominus compromisit. nunc vestrum est tale aliquid sperare, quod communem rem publicam possit augere.