afflaret.' I cannot understand these words. I suppose there was a hard
cake of clay left when the water was drained off, which was baked by
the sun, and that there should have been further digging to work
through this stratum and get at the good soil beneath; but the wording
is not very clear.]

[We find in this letter a good motto for Theodoric's reign: 'Nos
quibus cordi est in melius cuncta mutare.']


22. KING THEODORIC TO FESTUS, VIR ILLUSTRIS AND PATRICIAN.

[Sidenote: Ecdicius to be buried by his sons.]

'The sons of Ecdicius, whom at first we had ordered to reside in the
city, are to be allowed to return to their own country in order to
bury their father. That grief is insatiable which feels that it has
been debarred from rendering the last offices to the dead. Think at
what risk of his life Priam implored the raging Achilles to give him
back the body of his son.'

[Apparently the sons of Ecdicius, not Ecdicius himself, had fallen
into disgrace with Theodoric, or incurred some suspicion of
disloyalty, which led to the rigorous order for their detention in
Rome. See Dahn iii. 279-280.]


23. KING THEODORIC TO AMPELIUS, DESPOTIUS, AND THEODULUS, SENATORS.

[Sidenote: Protection for owners of potteries.]