'We are sending you "with the dignity of the illustrious belt" to Pannonia Sirmiensis, an old habitation of the Goths. Let that Province be induced to welcome her old defenders, even as she used gladly to obey our ancestors. Show forth the justice of the Goths, a nation happily situated for praise, since it is theirs to unite the forethought of the Romans and the virtue of the Barbarians. Remove all ill-planted customs[291], and impress upon all your subordinates that we would rather that our Treasury lost a suit than that it gained one wrongfully, rather that we lost money than the taxpayer was driven to suicide.' [Footnote 291: 'Consuetudines abominanter inolitas.' Fornerius thinks this means 'all extortionate taxes.' Compare the English use of the word 'customs.'] [Cf. Muchar, 'Geschichte der Steiermark' iv. 131.] 24. KING THEODORIC TO ALL THE BARBARIANS AND ROMANS SETTLED IN PANNONIA. [Cf. Muchar, iv. 132.] [Sidenote: To the Pannonians, on the appointment of Colossaeus.] 'Intent on the welfare of our subjects we are sending you Colossaeus for Governor. His name means a mighty man; and a mighty man he is, who has given many proofs of his virtue. Now we exhort you with patience and constancy to submit yourselves to his authority. Do not excite that wrath before which our enemies tremble. Acquiesce in the rule of justice in which the whole world rejoices. Why should you, who have now an upright Judge[292], settle your grievances by single combat? What has man got a tongue for, if the armed hand is to settle all differences? or where can peace be looked for, if there is fighting in a civilised State like ours[293]? Imitate then our Goths, who have learned to practise war abroad, to show peaceable dispositions at home. We want you so to live as you see that our subjects (parentes) have lived and flourished under the Divine blessing.' [Footnote 292: 'Cur ad monomachiam recurritis, qui venalem judicem non habetis?'] [Footnote 293: 'Aut unde pax quaeritur si sub civilitate pugnetur.'] 25. KING THEODORIC TO SIMEON, VIR ILLUSTRIS AND COMES. [Sidenote: Tax-collecting and iron-mining in Dalmatia.] 'We entrust to you the duty of collecting throughout the Province of Dalmatia the arrears of Siliquaticum for the first, second, and third Indictions [Sept. 1, 506, to Aug. 31, 509]. We do this not only for the sake of gain to our Treasury, but to prevent the demoralisation of our subjects. 'Also by careful mining (cuniculo veritatis) seek out the iron veins in Dalmatia, where the softness of earth is pregnant with the rigour of iron, which is cooked by fire that it may become hard. 'Iron enables us to defend our country, is serviceable for agriculture and for countless arts of human life: yea, iron is master of gold, compelling the rich man, weaponless, to obey the poor man who wields a blade of steel.' 26. KING THEODORIC TO OSUN, VIR ILLUSTRIS AND COUNT. [Sidenote: Simeon's journey to Dalmatia.]