Letter 8: The Emperor Caesar Flavius Anastasius, Renowned Pontiff, Renowned Conqueror of the Germans, Renowned Conqueror of...

Anastasius Augustus to the Senate of the City of Rome, through Theopompus and Severianus, men of the highest distinction [the envoys delivering the letter]. The Emperor Caesar Flavius Anastasius, renowned Pontifex, renowned Germanicus, renowned Alamannicus, renowned Francicus, renowned Sarmaticus, holding the tribunician power for the twenty-fifth time, consul for the third time, pious, fortunate, victor and triumpher, ever Augustus, Father of his Country, to the proconsuls, the consuls, the praetors, the tribunes of the plebs, and his own Senate sends greeting. If you and your children are well, it is good; we and our army are well. As often as both parties are consulted, with favorable goodwill, concerning public affairs, not only does exhortation make its appeal, but a request too is believed to be fitting, so that, with two causes converging into one, the spirit may be stirred to attain whatever may be favorable and good for the parties. For if Christ, our God and Lord, both by his most gentle will and by a certain request of his dispensation has called us back to himself, and, having redeemed us by his own blood, has restored us to liberty, so as to furnish salvation to mortal nature, it does not seem absurd that, both in the presence of the most glorious king and in the presence of the most blessed pope of the nurturing city of Rome, the conscript fathers, joined to the imperial petition, should hope for those things which, with God assenting, may profit both us and themselves in common: that is, that they should not listen to the contrived speeches of fugitives, composed of lies alone, but, once satisfaction has been received, which both the truth and the inquiry of the legates who were sent has made plain, may with a disposition acceptable to God come together toward the longed-for peace. For it is beyond doubt, from the long succession of years, that your steadfastness claims a great part of the commonwealth. Accordingly it is fitting that your most holy assembly strive, with skillful zeal and provident labor, both before the exalted king, to whom the power, or rather the care, of governing you has been entrusted, and before the venerable pope, to whom the means of interceding before God has been granted, that in that matter they may deign to expend the goodness of their spirit, in which the members of both commonwealths may be saved by the hoped-for soundness. For you will fulfill your ancient custom, one most well known to your counsel, if those things which suit the public benefit you bring, by God's auspices, to effect, by handling, hoping, and requesting them. Given on the fifth day before the Kalends of August at Chalcedon, in the consulship of Petrus [28 July 516]. [A rescript of the Senate of the City of Rome to Anastasius.]

ANASTASIUS AUGUSTUS SENATUI URBIS ROMAE. PER THEOPOMPUJI ET SEVERIANUM UU. CC. IMPERATOR CAESAR FLAUIUS ANASTASIUS PONTIFEX INCLITUS SO GERMANICUS INCLITUS ALAMANNICUS INCLITUS FRANCICUS INCLITUS SARMATICUS INCLITUS TRIBUNICI IMPERII XXV CONS. TERTIO PIUS FELIX UICTOR AC TRIUMPHATOR SEMPER AUGUSTUS PATER PATRIAE PROCONSULIBUS CONSULIBUS PRAETORIBUS TRIBUNIS PLEBIS 8ENATUI suo SALUTEM DiciT. Si uos Hberique uestri ualetis, bene est; 25 2ego exercitusque meus ualemus. quotiens utrisque publicis rebus prospera uoluntate consulitur, non solum exhortatio 4 suplicat y 5 hortetur Bar. 13 sursum F, corr. 16 ^osi data lacMnam 12 fere litierarum reliquit V Epist. CXII 9 — CXIII 5. 507 sed postulatio quoque creditur esse coDueniens, ut duabus in unum coDCurrentibus causis animus incitatus, quod felix et bonum partibus sit. ualeat adipisci. si euim Cbristus deus 3 et domiuus noster et per mitissimam uoluntatem et quandam dispensationis petitionem nos reuocauit ad se et redemptos proprio sanguine libertati restituit, ut salutem mortalitati praestaret, dod uidetur absurdum tam apud gloriosissimum regem quam apud beatissimum papam almae urbis Romae patres conscriptos imperiali petitioni coniunctos ea sperare, quae et nobis et sibi deo annuente in commune proficiant, lioc est, ne fugitiuomm audiant concinnatos sermones et men- dacio solo compositos sed satisfactione suscepta, quam et ueritas et legatorum qui directi sunt inquisitio patefecit, ad desideratam pacem acceptabili deo uoluntate concurrant. in- 4 dubitatum siquidem est ex longa annorum serie multam partem rei publicae uestram uindicare constantiam. proinde oportet sanctissimum coetum uestrum soUerti studio ac pro- uido labore contendere tam apud excelsum regem, cui regendi uos potestas uel soUicitudo commissa est, quam apud uenera- bilem papam, cui intercedendi apud deum facultas est prae- stita, ut in ea parte animi sui bonitatem dignentur impendere, in qua utriusque rei publicae membra sperata sanitate sal- uentur. implebitis enim ueterem consuetudinem et nimis 5 consilio uestro notissimam, si ea, quae publicae utilitati con- ueniunt, tractando sperando postulando effectum adipisci deo auspice feceritis. Data V. Kal. Aug. Chalcedone Petro cons. 9 ea sperare V: ad ea adspirare Usener in Commentat. in honorem Th. Mommsetit 765 adn. 22, sed cf. Indicem 8. u. 'sperare' 11 au- deant V, corr, 15 niultum V, corr. Bar, 16 uendicare Bar.x iudicare V 21 in ea o^: mea V 22 sperat V, corr. 26 chal- CEDON V 508 Bercriptum senatus nrbis Roinae ad Anastasinm