Letter 5027: VARIAE, BOOK 5, LETTER 27

27. King Theoderic to Guduin the Saio [a royal officer entrusted with enforcement duties]. [1] We are reminded by the custom of royal liberality that we ought to bestow the customary gifts upon our Goths. And therefore let your devotion admonish, without any delay, the commanders of a thousand [the millenarii] of the province of Picenum and Samnium, so that it may cause those who year by year obtain the rewards of our clemency to present themselves at the court without hesitation in order to receive the donative, so that those who have served us well may rejoice with greater munificence. [2] For it is necessary that he live blamelessly who knows that his presence must be offered to princes: for praise attends the good, complaint the wicked. It also befits us on this occasion to inquire into the deeds of each man, so that what anyone has done in the battle line may not be lost to him. For if the army should always expect its customary rewards, valor, being neglected, cannot be loved. Let him learn to come trembling before the judge who does not remember having done anything boldly: so that he may rise the more violently against the enemy who prefers to avoid the wounds of our reproach.

XXVII. GUDUIN SAIONI THEODERICUS REX. [1] Consuetudine liberalitatis ragiae commonemur, ut Gothis nostris debeamus sollemnia dona largiri. et ideo devotio tua millenarios provinciae Piceni et Samnii sine aliqua dilatione commoneat, ut eos, qui annis singulis nostrae mansuetudinis praemia consequuntur, pro accipiendo donativo ad comitatum faciat incunctanter occurrere, quatenus, qui bene nobis meriti fuerint, maiore munificentia gratulentur. [2] Inculpabiliter enim necesse est vivat, qui suam praesentiam novit principibus offerendam: bonos enim laus, malos querela comitatur. decet etiam nos sub hac occasione singulorum facta perquirere, ut nulli possit perire quod fecit in acie. nam si semper consuetudinarias res expectet exercitus, virtutem non potest amare neglectus. trepidus discat ad iudicem venire, qui se non meminit aliquid audacter egisse: ut melius possit hostibus violentus insurgere, qui nostrae mavult imputationis vulnera declinare.