Letter 4045: Gregory to Fantinus, defensor [a church legal officer responsible for protecting ecclesiastical property and rights].

Gregory to Fantinus, defensor [a church legal officer responsible for protecting ecclesiastical property and rights]. The bearer of this letter, Cosmas the Syrian [Syrian merchants were ubiquitous in the late Roman Mediterranean trade networks], has declared that in the course of business he contracted a debt, and we believed this to be true, as many others and his own tears attest to it. Since he owed 150 solidi [gold coins, the standard Roman currency], I wished that his creditors might reach some agreement with him, since the law provides that a free man may not be held for a debt if he lacks property that can be seized to satisfy it. His creditors, as he claims, could possibly be brought to agree to 80 solidi. But since it is a great deal to demand 80 solidi from a man who has nothing, we have sent you 60 solidi through your notary, so that you may speak carefully with those creditors and explain to them that they cannot legally hold his son, whom they are said to be detaining, according to the laws. And if it can be done, let them agree to something less than what we have given. Whatever remains of those 60 solidi, hand it over to him, so that he may be able to live on it with his son. But if nothing remains, strive at least to reduce his debt to that same amount, so that he may be free to earn his livelihood afterward. Handle this matter shrewdly, however, so that once they have accepted the solidi, they provide him with a full written release.

AD FANTINUM DEFENSOREM, Solidos 8exayqinta mittit pro Corma persblvehtios. Gregorius Fintino deſensori. Lator presentium * Cosmas Syrus In negotio quod agebat debitum se contraxi-se perhibuit, T4 quod elmullis aliis et lacrymis ejus attesfantibus verum esse credidimus. Et quia CL Solidos debebat, volui ut cre- D etc., quos Supra laudavimus. Eeist. XLIY [Al. 42]. — * Suos clericos in Siciliz fuisse partibus ordinatos dicit, bello, ut quidem reor, EerisT. XLV [ Al. 45]. — * Eumdem esse pulamus de quo lib. 11, epist. 58. Hieronymus in illud Eze- chielis xxviu, 16 : Syrus negotiator Iuus-... usque ho- die autem, il1juit, permanet in Syris ingenitus nego- liationis ardor, qui per lotum mundum lucri cupiditate discurrunt, et. tantam mercandi habent vecaniam, ut orcupato tunc orbe Romano, inter yladios et mise2rorum neces quuarant divitias, et paupertutem periculis ſugiant. Idewm ad Leatam ; Negottutoribus avidissimes morta- lium Syris. Sidou., lib. 1, epist. 8, de Ravennatiun perversivne ; ſexerantur, inquit, clerici, Syri psal- luxt. SANCTI GREGORI MACNI ditores illius cum eo aliquid paciscerentur, quoniam A nullo modo recessit, suspicor quia excellentia vesira ct Þ Jex habet, ut homo liber pro debito nullatenus leneatur, si res defuerint quz possint eidem debito addici. Creditores ergo $uos, ut asserit, ad Lxxx $0- litos consentire possibile est. Sed quia multum est ut a nil habente homine Lxxx $0lidos petant, LX $0- lidos per nvtarium tuum tibi transmisimus, ut cum eisdem creditoribus subtiliter loquaris, rationem reddas, quia fi jum e;us quem lenere dicuntur, $e- cundum leges tenere non pos8unt., Et si p Les fieri, ad aliquid minus quam nos deiimus condescendant. Et quidquid de eisdem Lx s$olidis remanseril, ipsi trade, ut cum filio $uv exinde vivere valeat. Si au- lem nil remanet, vel ad eamdem summam debitum ejus incidere $stude, ut possit sibi libere postmodum jiaborare. tloc tawen $olerler age, ut, acceptis $0li- dis, ei © plenariam munitionem $8cripto faciant. (Cf. Joan. Diac, l. 11, n. 55.)