Letter 5010: King Theodoric to Veranus, Saio [royal agent].

X. King Theoderic to Veranus, Saio [a royal agent/enforcer]. [1] Since, with God's help, a most fortunate army is being sent forth for the general defense, we must take care that they neither be worn down by ill-advised scarcity, nor (a thing it is wicked even to say) appear to inflict devastation upon our own province. For the first degree of prosperity is to be no burden to one's own people, so that we may not seem to have crushed the fortunes of those for whose advantage we labor. [2] And therefore by the present authority we delegate to your devotion that the multitude of Gepids, whom we have caused to hasten to the Gauls for the sake of garrison duty, you should make pass through Venetia and Liguria with every restraint. And lest any occasion of going to excess be afforded them, our bounty has dispatched to them, for each condama [household/tax-unit], three solidi as provisions, so that with our provincials they may have not a desire for plundering, but the means of trade. [3] This clearly our indulgence grants to those laboring for the peace of all: that, if either their wagons are shaken by the longer journey, or their worn-out animals grow faint, with you as guardian and intermediary they may be exchanged with the proprietors without any oppression, so that those who are to give animals better in body or in quality may rest content even with small but sound animals, since the life of those that are wearied by excessive exhaustion is uncertain. Thus it comes about that neither does the necessary conveyance fail those men, nor does anyone find himself injured by such an exchange.

X. VERANI SAIONI THEODERICUS REX. [1] Cum deo iuvante pro defensione generali felicissimus producatur exercitus, providendum est, ne aut ipsi penuria inconsulta fatigentur aut (quod dici nefas est) vastationem nostrae videantur provinciae sustinere. primus enim prosperitatis gradus est suis non esse damnosum, ut, pro quorum compendio laboramus, eorum non videamur afflixisse fortunas. [2] Et ideo devotioni tuae praesenti auctoritate delegamus, ut multitudinem Gepidarum, quam fecimus ad Gallias custodiae causa properare, per Venetiam atque Liguriam sub omni facias moderatione transire. quibus ne aliqua excedendi praeberetur occasio, per unamquamque condamam sumptus eis tres solidos largitas nostra direxit, ut illis cum provincialibus nostris non rapiendi votum, sed commercii sit facultas. [3] Illud plane pro cunctorum quiete laborantibus indulgentia nostra concedit, ut, si aut eorum carpenta itinere longiore quassantur aut animalia attrita languescunt, te custode atque mediante cum possessoribus sine aliqua oppressione mutentur, ut, qui daturi sunt corpore aut qualitate meliora, quamvis parvis sanis animalibus adquiescant, quia incerta est vita eorum, qui nimia fatigatione lassantur. ita fit, ut nec illis desit subvectio necessaria et nullus se laesum tali permutatione cognoscat.