Abstract
SummaryTheoderic’s diplomacy with distant peoples has often been considered as a kind of ‘Realpolitik’ chiefly aimed at military or strategical purposes, but the symbolic importance of two embassies from the Warni and Hesti should be taken into consideration more carefully. The king aimed to convince his subjects and neighbours that he was the rightful heir of the Roman emperors by following a subtle policy ofimitatio Imperii. He also used diplomacy to achieve this goal and took advantage of two embassies from remote peoples of Northern Europe in order to imitate both Augustus and contemporary emperors, who prided themselves upon receiving envoys from far-away lands.
Highlights
Ille ego sum mundi quondam sine fine viator (“I am that former, ceaseless wayfarer of the world”)
We find the personification of Discord and the Indians on a shield made by Vulcan, the same god who, according to Cassiodorus, is said to have forged the swords which the Warni brought to Theoderic
Cassiodorus, like all late antique Roman aristocrats, knew the Aeneid very well, so it is no surprise that he alluded to it in a bid to establish a parallel between Augustus and Theoderic, who shared the same ideological project, since both desired to spread their fame throughout the world
Summary
Ille ego sum mundi quondam sine fine viator (“I am that former, ceaseless wayfarer of the world”). For the Ostrogothic kings, diplomatic space was not static but highly dynamic, since it enabled multi-directional movement that potentially encompassed the whole known world: the fame of a sovereign spread to all lands, reaching even the most remote peoples, whose praise, together with precious gifts, was conveyed back to him through embassies.19 This strategy of political communication and its illustrious precedents can be reconstructed with regard to Theoderic’s relations with two Northern peoples, as the following pages will try to illustrate. Cassiodorus did not try any imitatio Alexandri Instead, he decided to allude to a ruler who, like Theoderic, did not reach the frontiers of the world with his army, but only with his fame, which enabled him to receive envoys from distant countries.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call