have had in his mouth, as in the mouth of every educated Roman, he
perceived that here was the best medicine for the ills of Italy. All
attempts to conjure with the great name of the Roman Empire could only
end in subjection to the really alien rule of Byzantium. All attempts
to rouse the religious passions of the Catholic against the heretical
intruders were likely to benefit the Catholic but savage Frank. The
cruel sufferings of the Italians at the hands of the Heruli of
Belisarius and from the ravages of the Alamannic Brethren are
sufficient justification of the soundness of Cassiodorus' view that
Theodoric's State-system was the one point of hope for Italy.

[Sidenote: His religious tolerance.]

Allusion has been made in the last paragraph to the religious
differences which divided the Goths from the Italians. It is well
known that Theodoric was an Arian, but an Arian of the most tolerant
type, quite unlike the bitter persecutors who reigned at Toulouse and
at Carthage. During the last few years of his reign, indeed, when his
mind was perhaps in some degree failing, he was tempted by the
persecuting policy of the Emperor Justin into retaliatory measures of
persecution towards his Catholic subjects, but as a rule his policy
was eminently fair and even-handed towards the professors of the two
hostile creeds, and even towards the generally proscribed nation of
the Jews. So conspicuous to all the world was his desire to hold the
balance perfectly even between the two communions, that it was said of
him that he beheaded an orthodox deacon who was singularly dear to
him, because he had professed the Arian faith in order to win his
favour. But this story, though told by a nearly contemporary
writer[29], is, it may be hoped, mere Saga.