Letter 8007: King Athalaric to All Provincials Settled Throughout the Gauls.

King Athalaric to All Provincials Settled Throughout the Gauls. Although the passing of our grandfather of glorious memory may seem a sorrowful event to you, given his outstanding merits, nonetheless -- since he fell by the common condition of humanity -- he left us behind to continue the governance he had so singularly managed, so that you would not feel the loss of a good prince when his descendant is known to reign. No one loses with us what he owed to Theodoric. With twofold generosity, we both repay his debts and, through our innate compassion, extend new favors in exchange for future service. You should therefore demonstrate your old loyalty with even greater devotion now, since the man who serves a ruler's beginnings wisely provides for the future -- for the person who is seen to foster the first days of a reign is also believed to persevere throughout its course. We announce that, by divine favor, when we came to the summit of rule, all things yielded to us so happily and so peacefully that you would have thought it a single voice speaking what the whole nation proclaimed. It was not thought humanly possible that the united prayers of so many great peoples should prove to have nothing contrary in them. You, too, must follow this example. Let the Goths swear an oath of loyalty to the Romans, and let the Romans confirm by oath to the Goths that they are unanimously devoted to our reign -- so that your sincerity may become laudably known to us, and the concord you promise one another may serve your own peace. Let lawful tranquility go forth among you. Let the stronger not oppress the weaker. Keep a peaceful spirit, you who have no foreign enemy -- for you will first please us when you provide for yourselves in this way.

VII. UNIVERSIS PROVINCIALIBUS PER GALLIAS CONSTITUTIS ATHALARICUS REX. [1] Licet gloriosae memoriae domni avi nostri pro excellentibus meritis tristis vobis videatur occasus, tamen, quia ille humana condicione decubuit, ad continuandam gubernationem, quam singulariter gesserat, nos reliquit, ne damnum boni principis sentiretis, cuius vobis noscitur regnare progenies. nullus enim apud nos perdit, quod illi paruit, sed duplici largitate munifici et illius debita reddimus et futuris obsequiis beneficia ingenita pietate mutuamur. [2] Atque ideo fidem pristinam maiore nunc vos convenit devotione monstrare, quia bene prospicit rebus futuris qui regnantium servit initiis, dum ipse et in reliquum perseverare creditur, qui primordia fovere sentitur. indicamus autem favore divino, cum ad regni culmina perveniremus, omnia nobis sic felicia, sic tranquilla cessisse, ut unum loqui crederes quod generalitas insonabat nec putaretur humanum, quod tot vota ingentium populorum nihil probata sunt habere contrarium. [3] Unde vos quoque praedicta convenit imitari, ut Gothi Romanis praebeant iusiurandum et Romani Gothis sacramento confirment se unanimiter regno nostro esse devotos, quatenus et nobis vestra sinceritas laudabiliter innotescat et ad quietem vestram proficiat invicem promissa concordia. eat inter vos legalis missa tranquillitas: potior minori non sit infestus. habetote animum pacatum, qui bellum non habetis externum, quia primum inde nobis placere poteritis, si vobis hac ratione prospicitis.