New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-07-12
THEODORE THE GOTH.
A GREAT BARBARIAN.

more precisely, the OStrogoth, is one of the most
interesting of those strange episodes which belong
TO the decline of the Roman Empire. How strong
a hold the individuality of this ruler toek upon
the world of his time may be partly estimated by
the prolongation of his memory into the saga
period, which filed the Middle Ages with Legend,
and mis- Transformation into one Of those semi
supernatural heroes whose almost wholly mytm-
cal adventures compose the cycles of the Ameiung
and the Nibelungcn legends To moderns the chlei
interest that attaches to his name consists III his
marked superiority TO his contemporaries Ahat
he was in advance of his age is sufficiently shown
in the relapse of his people into barbarlsm the
moment his hand was withdrawn from the heim'
He could not found an enduring dynasty because
neither the internal nor the external conditions
were favorable to it, His example proved eva
nesocnt because barbarism was stH Ill UAe
ascendant That he should have succeeded In
maintaining for full thirty years rule over all
Italy which for equity, mlidness, WISDOM anu
magnaminity finds parallel in his days, proves
however how really great sovereign he was
Descended from long line of barbarian princes
he did not in spite of peculiar opportunities for
the ACQUISITION of learning, ever obtain even the
comparatively rude education of the period. Eleven
wears of his youth were passed at the byzantine
Court but he never so much as learned to read ana
write. and it is reported that in his maturity
when he was ruler Of half the Empire AM hlhg
of Italy, he could only sign his name by using
stencilplate. But the qualities which made MIN
what he was were Independent of literary glttS
OF attainments and if his eminencr was slow OF
growth it matured splendidly. There was htte
in his early surroundings from which lie coUId
derive inspiration The waves of barbarism which
in the fifth century dashng, first against the
outcrmost tributaries and neghbors of Rome and
1I,o i've fcolf
no montive but greed restlessness and the animal
propensity TO destructiveness He, almost alone,
perceived that the true policy for the en1r:ln-
chised barbarians TO utilize Roman clNllZa-
ton, and instead of breaking down the Empire
sustain and invigOrate it, 1t was doubtless dur
ing lis sojourn at Constantinope that nc acquired
his admiration for the rule of law In tie State;
for that "civilitas" which, in after years, he was
TO base his sovereignty upon. His YONG man
hood, however, gave no promise OF his future
After leaving ConstantinOple and It's luxury ava
splendor he seems TO have reverted to the bar
barism of his race and tine. For fourteen years
he led his Osrogoths in series OF virtually AIM
less raids In that age all the Gothic peoples lived
in a chronic state of migration. Their kings,
chosen by the folk.mo0t or folk-thing, held their
office on condition of satisfying the constant yearn-
ing OF the fighting men for plumber and battle.
Agriculture was distasteful to them. and war and
conquest must consequently be relied upon for
subsistence and for such luxury as satisfied them
They moved as rule, in mass. Their forays
and expeditions were really National migrations.
The army was accompanied by all the non-com-
batants women, children and old men, and with
all the possessions Of the tribes or congeries of
tribes. The old Roman Legions would have
made short work of such unwieldy masses but
the old Roman Legons had ceased TO exist and
h1oro IF
barbarians of many nationalites. 1t was not
until Theodore had practically conquered, his
moiety of tho Empire, and held sway at Ravenna,
that he developed the policy of his life Then he
began to show an unappreciative world how
States should be governed. From the first he was
handicapped in the important article of religion,
for he, his home and his people, were Arians, and
Arianism the losing cause. 1t is impossible
TO draw any ethical distinction between ArianS
and Catholics in the fifth century, for though,
as DR.. Hodgkin asserts religion was then national,
not individual, it had very little influence upon
the conduct Of the average man, and even lees
upon the average ruler. Christianity in those
days seldom hindered resort to the most fiagtious
methods of supporting dynastic ambitions in
particular, and Frank and Goth were alike in
their employment Of assassination, treachery,
fraud, cruelty and mendacty for the furtherance
of their purposes. One might speculate curiOusly
as to what would have happened to the OstrO-
gothic kingdom had Theodore been Catholic in
stead of an Arian. Perhaps the general results
would have been much the same in any case
for the external foes of the kingdom would surely
not have been hndered in executing their pur-
poses by so slight barrier identity of religion
AS it was, Thcodoric's faith gave convenient
handle to the enemies of his successors, but the
weakness and unwisdom of those SUCCESSORS pre-
Darp0 fhn for calamity DurinO no thirty
years Of his own reign. however, lie gave Italy
a breathing-space such as she had not known for
generations; such she not TO know again
for centuries. The agencies employed by this bar
harlan ruler were of character unknown to his
age, and but little practised even by civilized
sOvercignS during the next thousand years Herein
lies the marvel of his reign. For he did Justice
be gave protection TO all the people, Goths and
Romans alike he refrained until near the end
Sf bis life from prosecuting the Catholics; he
ieStrained and when needful punished the preda-
tory instincts of his high officers; he heard COM
plants and redressed wrongs he made Italy safe
and peaceful and prosperous. Somewhat, more
over he effected toward the encouragement of
art and architecture. 1t too early for science
as the unhappy Boethus was to discover; but
law and order Theodore did introduce and main
tain. Little definite would he known concerning
the internal governance Of the West during TINS
period but for the preservation Of those remark
abe letters of Cassiodorus, which DR.. Hodgkin
has translated and published in another volume
lie gives some examples of them here, and never
did correspondence better deserve quotation.
Cassodorus occupied position closely akin to
that of the modern Secretary of State. lie wrote
all or most of Theodorics state papers. Some of
these exhibit considerable ability, but the dis
tinguishing characteristic Of the Secretary was a
self-conceit so colossal, SO ingenious and un-
abaShed, that the state of mind which could have
accepted It's manifestations with entire composure
is simply .incomprchensible.
Having been appointed guardian and tutor to a
yoang prince, this original Secretary addresses q
long letter to his pupil, apparently with no other
object but that of impressing upon the youth the
Of nc faIio N, ha1 iuctr ctoI by so