Letter 9012: VARIAE, BOOK 9, LETTER 12

VARIAE, BOOK 9, LETTER 12 From: King Athalaric, writing through Cassiodorus To: Victor and Witigisclus, Distinguished Men Date: ~526-534 AD Context: A sharp reprimand to two Sicilian tax assessors whose tardiness and suspected corruption have drawn royal displeasure — with a warning that the Sicilians have been authorized to bring formal complaints. [1] Your delay rightly made you suspect in the eyes of our grandfather of blessed memory, who even thought it necessary to warn you a second time — so that you would finally stop burdening the provincials and hasten to account for your conduct before his justice. And now your failure to present yourselves at the beginning of our reign has only deepened the suspicion, since that is precisely what a clear conscience would have wanted to do. [2] Therefore, by this present authority, we decree that if you exacted anything from the provincials beyond the established tax rate during the fourth indiction, you are to return it to them in full, without any reduction — because we do not wish them to suffer any loss beyond the ancient assessment for that period. [3] We have also thought it right to add this — since out of love for clemency we prefer not to uncover offenses, lest we be forced to punish what justice cannot allow us to overlook: if you have knowingly harmed anyone, correct it of your own accord, because to remedy one's own failings voluntarily is as good as not having committed them at all. [4] And lest you imagine that distance will conceal what has been done, we have given the Sicilians confidence to pursue you. Consider now whether you can endure the complaints of accusers whom our own authority has invited to speak. We have warned you, as the merciful should. Whoever refuses to correct himself voluntarily may rightly be considered to have accused himself.

XII. VICTORI ET VVITIGISCLO VV. SS. ATHALARICUS REX. [1] Tarditas vestra apud gloriosae memoriae domnum avum nostrum merito vos fecit esse suspectos, quos etiam secundis praeceptionibus credidit ammonendos, ut relicto tandem provincialium gravamine ad eius deberetis iustitiam festinare: et nunc quoque suspicionis maxime fecit augmentum, ut nec ad initia nostra voluissetis occurrere, quod libera conscientia potuisset optare. [2] Et ideo praesenti auctoritate censemus, ut, si quid super tributarium solidum per quartam indictionem a provincialibus exegistis, sine aliqua eis inminutione reddatis, quia supra veterem censum nulla indictionis praedictae eos volumus damna sentire. [3] Hoc etiam addendum esse credidimus ‚ quando amore clementiae errores nolumus invenire, ne coacti potius resecemus quod salva iustitia dissimulare non possumus ‚ ut, si aliquem studio laesistis pravo, vestro magis emendetis arbitrio, quia hoc est propria delicta corrigere quod et non facere. [4] Et ne forsitan credatis longinquitatis difficultate latere quae gesta sunt, Siculis fiduciam vos dedimus subsequendi. videte nunc, si voces possitis ferre querulas, quas etiam nostra invitavit auctoritas. ammonuimus igitur quos pios decet: iam suo vitio videtur accusari, qui spontanea noluit voluntate recorrigi.