Letter 3010: VARIAE, BOOK 3, LETTER 10

King Theoderic to Festus, Vir Illustris [Most Illustrious] and Patrician. [1] It befits your prudence to comply with the dispositions we have made for enlarging the royal buildings, since it is the mark of a most noble citizen to take thought for the increase of his fatherland, especially when it is the object of our zeal to decree those things which all men know are obeyed without loss to themselves. [2] And therefore by the present admonition we declare to your greatness that the marbles which are established to have been deposited from the Pincian house be directed to the city of Ravenna by the catabolenses [public porters/haulers] under your arrangement. The conveyance, however, we have provided from the present moment, lest either delay should arise in our dispositions or those who labor should feel any losses.

X. FESTO V. I. PATRICIO THEODERICUS REX. [1] Decet prudentiam vestram in augendis fabricis regalibus obtemperare dispositis, quia nobilissimi civis est patriae suae augmenta cogitare, maxime cum sit studii nostri illa decernere, quibus cunctos notum est sine suis dispendiis oboedire. [2] Atque ideo magnitudini tuae praesenti ammonitione declaramus, ut marmora, quae de domo Pinciana constat esse deposita, ad Ravennatem urbem per catabolenses vestra ordinatione dirigantur. subvectum vero direximus de praesenti, ne aut mora nostris ordinationibus proveniret aut laborantes aliqua detrimenta sentirent.