Epistle
XXXV.
To Anthemius, Subdeacon.
Gregory to Anthemius, our Neapolitan
Sub-deacon
1658
.
How great is our grief, and how great the affliction of
our heart, from what has taken place in the regions of Campania we
cannot express; but thou mayest thyself gather it from the greatness of
the calamity. With regard to this state of things, we send thy
Experience by the magnificent Stephen, bearer of these presents, money
for the succour of the captives who have been taken, admonishing thee
that thou give thy whole attention to the business, and carry it out
strenuously; and, in the case of freemen whom thou knowest to have no
sufficient means for their own redemption, that thou make haste to
redeem them. But, should there be any slaves, and thou findest
that their masters are so poor that they cannot come forward to redeem
them, hesitate not to recover them also. In like manner also thou
wilt take care to redeem the slaves of the Church who have been lost by
thy neglect. Further, whomsoever thou shalt have redeemed, thou
wilt by all means be at pains to make out a list, containing their
names, and a statement of where each is staying, and what he is doing,
and where he came from; which list thou mayest bring with thee when
thou comest. Moreover, hasten to shew thyself so diligent in this
business that those who are to be redeemed may incur no risk through
thy negligence, or thou come afterwards to be highly culpable before
us. But work especially for this also; that, if possible, thou
mayest be able to recover those captives at a moderate price. But
set down in writing, with all clearness and nicety, the whole sum
expended, and transmit to us this thy written account with speed.
The month of May, Indiction 14.
1658
The occasion of
this letter seems to have been some recent aggression of the Lombards
in the Neopolitan district, resulting in the capture of many prisoners
of war.