The Presbyters Project

IV.18

ANNAE V̅ · S̅ · COMITI THEODERICUS REX

Consuetudo est nostrae clementiae probatae nobis fidei agenda committere, ut cum iudices delegamus praeditos tractatu maturo, locum praua nequeat inuenire surreptio. Dudum siquidem ad nos multorum suggestione peruenit laurentium presbyterum effossis cineribus funestas diuitias inter hominum cadauera perscrutatum concussionem que mortuis intulisse, quem oportet uiuentibus quieta praedicare. Non abstinuisse perhibetur tam crudeli contagio piis dicatas consecrationibus manus: aurum exsecrabili quaesisse fertur affectu, quem suam decuisset egentibus dare substantiam uel sub aequitate collectam. Quod te diligenti examinatione praecipimus indagare, ut, si ueritati dicta perspexeris conuenire, hominis ambitum eo tantum fine concludas, ne possit supprimere quod eum non licuit inuenire. Scelus enim, quod nos pro sacerdotali honore relinquimus impunitum, maiore pondere credimus uindicandum.

(ed. Fridh 1973: 154)

IV.18

KING THEODORICUS TO THE ADMIRABLE MAN, COMES ANNA

It is custom of Our Clemency to assign tasks to persons whom we trust so that when, on mature consideration, we delegate judges to preside over things, there is no place for the vile deception. A short while ago a report of many people reached our attention that the presbyter Laurentius having digged out bodily ashes was looking for the grave goods among the corpses and disturbed the dead, though he should rather preach peace to the living. It is said that he did not keep away his hands, dedicated to the pious consecrations from such a cruel contagion: he was looking with detestable eagerness for the gold, though he should rather give his property or the goods justly collected to the poor. We instruct you to investigate this case carefully so that, if you ascertain that these reports are truthful, you could end his pursuits in the way that the presbyter would not be able to keep what he was not allowed to find. The crime, which we leave unpunished for the sake of the priestly honour, will be punished, we believe, by the higher power.

(trans. M. Szada)

Place of event:

Region

Italy north of Rome with Corsica and Sardinia

City

Ravenna

About the source:

Author: Cassiodorus
Title: Variae, Variarum libri duodecim
Origin: Ravenna (Italy north of Rome with Corsica and Sardinia)
Denomination: Arian, Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian

The present letter was written in the name of King Theodoric the Great by Cassidorus and is roughly dated to the period between 507 and 511 by its position in the collection in relation to datable documents. In this period, Cassiodorus most probably held an office of quaestor at the court of the Ostrogothic king in Ravenna (on the dating of the documents within the Variae see O`Donnell 1979, chap. 3). The letter was included by Cassiodorus in the Variae, the collection of documents drafted by him while in office, which was composed either between 538 and 540 (the last letter in the Variae is dated to 538, Belisarius captured Ravenna in 540; for this dating see Mommsen 1894: xxx-xxxi; Fridh 1973: x; O`Donnell 1979: 103; Krautschick 1983: 11; Barnish 1992: xiv; Gillet 2003: 175; Amici 2005: 221) or in the late 540s or even 550s as was recently argued by Bjornlie 2013: 19-26.

Edition:

Fridh Å.J. ed., Magni Aurelii Cassiodori variarum libri XII, Corpus Christianorum. Series Latina 96, Turnhout 1973

Mommsen Th., Cassiodori senatoris Variae, Monumenta Germaniae Historica. Auctores Antiquissimi 12, Berlin 1894

Bibliography:

S.J.B. Barnish ed., The Variae of Magnus Aurelius Cassiodorus Senator, Liverpool 1992.

M.S. Bjornlie, Politics and tradition between Rome, Ravenna and Constantinople: a study of Cassiodorus and the Variae 527-554, Cambridge; New York 2013

J.J. O'Donnell, Cassiodorus, Berkeley 1979.

Categories:

Described by a title - Presbyter/πρεσβύτερος

PR988.

Described by a title - Sacerdos/ἱερεύς

PR988.

Impediments or requisits for the office - Improper/Immoral behaviour

PR988.

Public law - Secular

PR988.

Relation with - Monarch and royal/imperial family

PR988.

Relation with - Secular authority

PR988.

Theoretical considerations - On priesthood

PR988.

Administration of justice - Financial punishment

PR988.

Ecclesiastical administration - Selling tombs/Administering graveyards

PR988.

Devotion - Donations and offerings

PR988.

Pastoral activity - Preaching

PR988.

Pastoral activity - Helping the poor and needy

PR988.

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: M. Szada, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER2150, http://presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=2150