t King with all the
pride of his race should have fallen: let it suffice that an
innumerable people should have been doomed either to the sword or to
slavery.'

He recommends (almost orders) Clovis not to touch the panic-stricken
refugees who have fled to the territory of Theodoric. Theodoric
himself has always found that those wars were prosperously waged which
were ended moderately.

Theodoric sends 'illum et illum' as ambassadors, to take certain
verbal counsels from himself, to bring this letter and carry back the
reply, and also to introduce the Citharoedus of whom we heard in the
preceding letter[274].

[Footnote 274: There are two allusions to the relationship between the
Kings: 'vestrae virtutis affinitate' (line 1), and 'ad parentum
vestrorum defensionem confugisse' (line 10).]

[The campaign of Clovis against the Alamanni, referred to in this
letter, is not mentioned by Gregory of Tours. Ennodius, however, in
his Panegyric on Theodoric, and Agathias in his History, make distinct
allusions to this event, and to Theodoric's reception of the
vanquished Alamanni in his own dominions, probably in the valleys of
Raetia.

This letter is very fully discussed by Von Schubert, at pp. 32-43 of
his 'Unterwerfung der Alamannen' (Strassburg, 1884). I may also refer
to 'Italy and her Invaders' iii. 390-91.

The date of the letter is probably about 504.]

BOOK III.

CONTAINING FIFTY-THREE LETTERS WRITTEN BY CASSIODORUS IN THE NAME OF
THEODORIC.

1. KING THEODORIC TO ALARIC, KING OF THE VISIGOTHS.

[Sidenote: Dissuades Alaric the Visigoth from war with the Franks.]

'Surrounded as you are by an innumerable multitude of subjects, and
strong in the remembrance of their having turned back Attila[275],
still do not fight with Clovis. War is a terrible thing, and a
terrible risk. The long peace may have softened the hearts of your
people, and your soldiers from want of practice may have lost the
habit of working together on the battlefield. Ere yet blood is shed,
draw back if possible. We are sending ambassadors to the King of the
Franks to try to prevent this war between our relatives; and the
ambassadors whom we are sending to you will go on to Gundibad, King of
the Burgundians, to get him to interpose on behalf of peace. Your
enemy will be mine also.'

[Footnote 275: 'Quamvis Attilam potentem reminiscamini Visigothorum
viribus inclinatum.']

[The battle of Vougle in which Alaric was overthrown by Clovi