he moment he possessed no
ostensible office at all, he was still virtually what we should call
the Prime Minister of the Ostrogothic King[34].

[Footnote 33: ix. 24.]

[Footnote 34: Thorbecke has pointed out (pp. 40-41) that we possess
letters written by Cassiodorus to four Quaestors before the year 510,
and that therefore the fact of others holding the nominal office of
Quaestor did not circumscribe his activity as Secretary to Theodoric.]

[Sidenote: Consulship of Cassiodorus, 514.]

In the year 514 he received an honour which, notwithstanding that it
was utterly divorced from all real authority, was still one of the
highest objects of the ambition of every Roman noble: he was hailed as
Consul Ordinarius, and gave his name to the year. For some reason
which is not stated, possibly because the City of Constantinople was
in that year menaced by the insurrection of Vitalian, no colleague in
the East was nominated to share his dignity; and the entry in the
Consular Calendars is therefore 'Senatore solo Consule.'

In his own Chronicle, Cassiodorus adds the words,'Me etiam Consule in
vestrorum laude temporum, adunato clero vel [= et] populo, Romanae
Ecclesiae rediit optata concordia.' This sentence no doubt relates to
the dissensions which had agitated the Roman Church ever since the
contested Papal election of Symmachus and Laurentius in the year 498.
Victory had been assured to Symmachus by the Synod of 501, but
evidently the feelings of hatred then aroused had still smouldered on,
especially perhaps among the Senators and high nobles of Rome, who had
for the most part adopted the candidature of Laurentius. Now, on the
death of Symmachus (July 18, 514) the last embers of the controversy
were extinguished, and the genial influence of Cassiodorus, Senator by
name and Consul by office, was successfully exerted to induce nobles,
clergy, and people to unite in electing a new Pope. After eight days
Hormisdas the Campanian sat in the Chair of St. Peter, an undoubted
Pontiff.

[Sidenote: Deference to the Roman Senate.]

Not only in maintaining the dignity of the Consulship, but also in
treating the Roman Senate with every outward show of deference and
respect, did the Ostrogothic King follow and even improve upon the
example of the Roman Emperors. The student of the following letters
will observe the tone of deep respect which is almost always adopted
towards the Senate; how every nomination of importance to an official