[Sidenote: The sons of Velusian to have their property restored to them.] 'Under a good King the loss even of a father should be less felt than with a different ruler, for the King is the father of his people. 'The petition of Marcian and Maximius, sons of Velusian (Patrician and Magnificus), sets forth that they lost their father at Easter; that thus the time of joy to all Christians became to them a season of sorrow; that while they were immersed in their grief and incapable of attending to their affairs, "the tower of the circus and the place of the amphitheatre[354]," which had belonged to their illustrious father, were by some heartless intriguer wrested from them, under the authority of the Praefect. [Footnote 354: Can this be the Amphitheatrum Castrense?] 'Be pleased to enquire into this matter, and if those places truly belonged to Velusian, restore them to his sons. We wish to cherish rather than oppress the sons of illustrious men, who are the germ of our future Senate.' 43. KING THEODORIC TO THE SENATE OF THE CITY OF ROME. [Sidenote: Punishment of incendiaries who have burned a Jewish Synagogue.] [On the burning of the Jewish synagogue. This synagogue of the Jews was in the Trastevere. See Gregorovius i. 296-298 for a description of it. I do not know on what authority he assigns 521 for the date of the tumult in which it was burned.] 'The propriety of manners which is characteristic of the City of Rome must be upheld. To fall into the follies of popular tumult, and to set about burning their own City, is not like the Roman disposition[355]. [Footnote 355: 'Levitates quippe seditionum et ambire propriae civitatis incendium, non est velle Romanum.'] 'But we are informed by Count Arigern[356] that the populace of Rome, enraged at the punishment inflicted on some Christian servants who had murdered their Jewish masters, has risen in fury and burned their synagogue to the ground[357], idly venting on innocent buildings their anger against the men who used them. [Footnote 356: It happens that one of the letters addressed to Count Arigern also refers to a Jewish synagogue. See iii. 45.] [Footnote 357: 'Quod in dominorum caede proruperit servilis audacia: in quibus cum fuisset pro districtione publica resecatum, statim plebis inflammata contentio synagogam temerario duxerunt incendio concremandam.' The above is Gregorovius' explanation of the somewhat enigmatical language of Cassiodorus.] 'Be pleased to enquire into this matter, and severely punish the authors of the tumult, who are probably few in number. 'At the same time enquire into the complaints which are brought against the Jews, and if you find that there is any foundation for them, punish accordingly.' 44. KING THEODORIC TO THE VENERABLE ANTONIUS, BISHOP OF POLA. [Sidenote: Bishop Antonius called upon to do justice to Stephanus.] 'It is an invidious task to have to listen to complaints against the revered ministers of the Church.