“For the Common Good”: The Relationship between Theodoric the Great and the Roman Senate

This article analyzes the relationship between Theodoric the Great and the Roman Senate, specifically examining the demands the king made on the civic elites of the Ostrogothic state. Having examined Cassiodorus’s Variae, the author concludes that the king perceived senators as the highest class of Italian society, as they were distinguished by their noble birth, “cultural capital,” material well-being, adherence to the cursus honorum, and moral virtues. However, most of Cassiodorus’ letters to senators in the Variae contain requests or direct demands to demonstrate honesty, devotion, and loyalty to the king. These demands are expressed by the lexemes pura conscientia, fides, devotio, pietas, probitas, and integritas. This indicates tension in the relationship between the Roman elites and Theodoric. The ruler’s discontent was particularly fueled by the nobles’ disregard for laws and social norms, as well as their overall opportunism. Senators engaged in fraudulent tax collection, exceeded their official powers, refused to visit Rome, preferring to remain on their estates, participated in civil unrest, and abused Rome’s public infrastructure for personal gain. Theodoric, through preventative measures, sought to control the senators’ behavior and ensure their compliance with his demands. The king’s primary goal in dealing with Roman senators was to encourage nobles to uphold the law.