The Letters of Cassiodorus (eBook)

Senator Cassiodorus, known more formally as Flavius Magnus Aurelius Cassiodorus Senator, was a Roman statesman and writer, serving in the administration of Theodoric the Great, the Ostrogothic king of Italy. Born in Scyllacium (modern Squillace, Calabria) around AD 485, Cassiodorus had a long and distinguished career that bridged both the ancient and the early medieval worlds, contributing significantly to the intellectual and cultural continuity post the fall of the Western Roman Empire. His voluminous work, 'The Letters of Cassiodorus', often serves as a primary source for the period of the Ostrogothic rule over Italy. The letters offer a rare glimpse into this transitional time and are invaluable for historical documentation, reflecting both political and ecclesiastical affairs of the 6th century (Cassiodorus, 1886). Cassiodorus's literary style, noted for its cultivated classicism and rhetorical flourishes, bears witness to the blending of Roman educational ideals with Christian theology. This erudition laid the groundwork for his later founding of the Vivarium, a monastery-school hybrid which aimed to preserve the classical tradition within Christian contexts (Mynors, 1969). His other notable works include 'Variae', a collection that reveals insights into the governance structure and administrative wisdom of his time, and 'Institutiones', which outlines a program for Christian learning. Through these hallmarks of wisdom and prudence, Senator Cassiodorus manifests as a pivotal figure in the intellectual history of Late Antiquity.