Letter 5030: VARIAE, BOOK 5, LETTER 30

30. King Theoderic to Guduin, Most Excellent Man. [1] To those commanders whom we choose we likewise rightly entrust the responsibilities of equity, since we desire that you be made more distinguished not so much by arms as by judgments. Let Costula and Daila, then, with God favorable, rejoice in the liberty of our Goths; they complain that servile burdens are being imposed upon them by you, burdens which it is fitting neither for them to endure nor for anyone lawfully to impose without reason. But if you recognize that the matter has been so conducted, see to it that they are removed without any delay, lest a complaint be thereafter brought back to us again on that account, and the grievance, turned back against a commander, begin to weigh heavily upon our mind—a commander whom it rather behooves to carry out such deeds as it would delight us to hear of.

XXX. GUDUIN V. S. THEODERICUS REX. [1] Quos duces eligimus, eis simul et aequitatis momenta iure delegamus, quia non tantum armis quantum iudiciis vos effici cupimus clariores. Costula igitur atque Daila cum deo propitio Gothorum nostrorum libertate laetentur, onera sibi servilia a vobis causantur iniungi, quae nec ipsos deceat perpeti nec cuiquam irrationabiliter fas sit imponi. quod si ita gestum esse cognoscis, sine aliqua dilatione facias amoveri, ne ad nos exinde ulterius querela revocetur et incipiat gravis esse animo nostro in ducem revoluta causatio, quem magis oportet talia peragere, quae nos delectet audire.