Letter 1085

From: Gregory the Great, Pope, in Rome To: Gennadius, patrician and commander in Africa Date: ~591 AD Context: Gregory commends to Gennadius a man named Droculf who has returned from captivity among the barbarians. Gregory to Gennadius, patrician and commander in Africa. A man named Droculf has returned after being held captive by the barbarians. He has endured what I hope neither of us will ever be called upon to endure, and he has come back to us diminished in circumstances but, from all I hear, not in spirit. I commend him to your Excellence's attention. He needs assistance in restoring himself to some position where he can support himself and his dependents. A word from you — or whatever concrete help you judge appropriate — would make a very real difference in whether this man's story ends in recovery or in continued hardship. I make this request in confidence that your Excellence's generosity and justice are not merely administrative virtues but genuine personal commitments. I have seen evidence of both, and I trust them. Thank you for whatever you can do. Gregory

AD GENNADIUM PATRICIUM AFRICE. Droculſum de hostibus reversum commendat. Gregvorins Gennadio patricio Africz. Droculſus presentium portitor * de hostibus ad rempublicam veniens, opinionis vestre, que longe lateque diſſusa est, bono succensus, ad excellentia epiSCopo gravem $C injustitiam pertulisse, et accepto B yestrz obsequia summo desiderio ſestinavit occur- premio Donalistas in Ecclesiis fuisse prepositos, rere. Et quoniam nosira $e apud yos poscit epistola eumque inter alia non leve aliud facinus, quod dici commendari , paterna dulcedine salutantes, petimus neſas est, commisisse commemorant. Propterea ex=- yt eum, sicut Deus vobis in cor miserit ac ulile ſue- perienize tuz prosentis precepli pagina duximus ” rit, excellentia vestra ordinare dignetur, quatenus injungendum, quatenus przſatum episcopum idonex hona quz de vobis etiam positus adbuec inter hostes $alisſactioni commiltere non omitlas, tnaque instan- audivit, in $e valeat experiri, et excellentie vestire lia in locis jillis © fiat ex more concilium, et omnia ejus quoque ante omnipotentis Dei oculos inter cx- zecundum oblatz petitionis textum canonice coram teras merces accreseat. Lamigia Numidiz civilas ex Hlolstenio, de patriar- chatu Romano, pag. 68. Gussanv. In nolitia Numidie quam ediiit Sirmondus, tom. 1, num. 436, edit. n0+ va, duo recensentur episcopatus hujus ſere nominis, Scilicet Lammigzizensis, et Lamiggigensis. Consule notam 4101 nostri Theod. Ruinart. in Histor. Vandal. persecul. Innumera prostant eorum execupla, qui sine dimiss0- Epeisr. LXXXV (Al. 44 lib. x). — * Quid hic pe riis episcopi $uli nalalis tonsurati Sunt a non 8uis, - holes intelligendum sit, inquirunut Alteserra et Gus- imo a non episcopis. Vide in 6, de tempore ordinat., Sganvillzxus. Hostis, inquit Alteserra, idem sonat quod e. 1, 5, 4, et cone. Trid., sess. 23, can. 9 et 40, de exercitus. Neque censet Droculſum in Romanorum reform. In quibns locis adveriet lector episzcopum Ccxercitu militasse, ct ab exercitu reversum, G*nna- 8011 nalalis, vel ep Scopum doumicilii, vel episcopum - dium patricium adiisse. Non assentitur Gussauv. in beneficii, vel quosdam alios potuisse aul majores his maxime verbis hzr-ns : de hostibus ad rempub, ordines aliquando, aut minores Conlſerre, nedum wenis; et in islis: positus adhuc inter hostes. Cerie lonsSuram.. GUSSANY. hostis exercitum s#pe Signilical, ut ex prolatis ab Eeisr. LXXXIV (AL. 82). — ®* Suspectus mihi utroque testimoniis liquet. At hostes ide $onare, valde est iste litulus, licet in omnibus mss. Codd. non ita rnobis constat. Quod ail hune locum spectat, ita legatur, Sicut et in Editis. Videtur legendum char- nltro in Gussanvillei sententiam imus. Droculſus, . lalariv, pro monacho, quia idem ipse est Hilarius de D vel Droctulſus, quod habetur in Vatic. A, Langobar- quo loquitur sanctus Gregorius epist. 73 et 7o prie- © duserat, non Romanus, ut ex nominesalis inteiligitur. cedenl.bus, et 55 libri sequentis. Gussanv. Quid vobþ- At a Langobardis deficiens ad Romanorum partes, Slat eum +jmul monachum ſuisse et chartularium? a $ancto Gregorio lilteras commendatitias ad Genua- Certe nullis in Mss. variat hic titulus. Verum invidit diuin petierat. Gregorio ad rempublicam venire, idem monachis Gussauvilleus honorem legationis se&dis est ac reipublicz partes scctari, ut lib. v, epist. 40, aposlolice Hilaro monacho collatum, ut censel Alte- ad Mauricium Aug. : Quia toto corde venire ad rempu- berra. Virum ductissimum audiamus, ad hanc epist. : blicam paratus ſuit. Si in Romanorum excrcitu mili- Hila-io monacho vices $uas mandat, ut eo instante lasset Droculfus, quid magnum foret ipsum multa de concilium celebrelur..... multis posl s@culis ſrater Pe= Geninadio bona ingudiisse ? At vero Gennadii famam trus de Castro noro et hadulphus monachi, Cistercien- vel inter ho-tes percrebvisse maximum erat. Hoc 8- 8s ordinis, legationem 8uscepere adrersus Albigenses guilicat sanctus Gregorius, cum alt; bona qua! de vo- hzreticos, etc. Quot similia exempla proferre in me- bis etiam positus adhuc inter hostes et exteros audivis dium liceret, $i vacarel ! lizec epistola desideratur in Mss. anglie., Norin. el Juznam em Sint describit Balsamo ad conc. tv, can, 11, et ad cone. vi, can. 17, ubi etiam notat privilegium Constantinopolitani episcopi et Carthaginensis, qui quoslibet clericos alieni juris admittebant (in Aſric., can. 22, idem de Carthagi- nensi episcopo Privilegium asseritur) sine dimis<0- iis, Tape yYopny TOV x£p0TovnouvtwY wTovg. Observare libet ex usu hodierno requiri dimisscrias episcopi $0li natalis ; at ex velerum canonum, ut videtur, pre-