rious by descent, and in gravity of character already a
Senator, to enter the Sacred Order (the Senate); and we authorise your
Illustrious Magnificence to inscribe his name, according to ancient
custom, in the album of that body.'

[A Petrus, probably the same as the subject of this letter, was Consul
in 516.]

26. KING THEODORIC TO ALL THE CITIZENS OF MARSEILLES[345].

[Footnote 345: 'Universis Massiliae constitutis.' A curious
expression.]

[Sidenote: Taxes remitted for a year.]

Confirms all privileges and immunities granted by previous Princes,
and remits the taxes (censum) for one year, a boon which they had not
dared to ask for. 'For that is perfect _pietas_, which before it is
bent by prayer, knows how to consider the weary ones.'

[Here, as in many other passages of Cassiodorus, _pietas_ shows signs
of passing into the Italian _pieta_ (= pity).]

27. KING THEODORIC TO THE SAJO TEZUTZAT,

AND

28. KING THEODORIC TO DUDA, SENATOR AND COMES.

[Sidenote: Petrus assaulted by the Sajo who was assigned for his
protection.]

[Duda was also a Sajo, as we see from Letter 32. Dahn ('Koenige der
Germanen' iv. 142, _n._ 3) thinks he was Comes Gothorum.]

Both letters relate to the affair of Petrus (a Vir Spectabilis, and
probably the same whose admission to the Senate is ordered by iv. 25).

This Roman nobleman, according to a usage common under Theodoric's
government, has had the Gothic Sajo Amara assigned to him as his
Defensor. Amara, by an inversion of his functions, which the letter
bitterly laments and upbraids, has turned upon his _protege_ and even
used personal violence towards him. He has drawn a sword and wounded
him in the hand; and nothing but the fact that Petrus was sheltered by
a door saved him from losing his hand altogether.

Yet, notwithstanding this assault, Amara has had the audacity to claim
from his victim 'commodi nomine,' the usual payment made by the
defended to the defender.

The first letter decrees that this shall be refunded twofold, and
assigns Tezutzat instead of Amara to the office of Defender, warning
him not to follow the evil example of his predecessor.

The second assigns to Duda the task of enquiring into the alleged
assault and punishing it with the sword[346].

[Footnote 346: The story of this assault is a typical specimen of the
style of Cassiodorus, high-flown yet not really pictorial: 'Ita ut
ictum gladii in se demersum, aliquatenus postium retardaret objec