| Abstrakt: |
Italian statesman and writer. Cassiodorus served as his father's consiliarius, a legal assistant, and Theodoric appointed him, at the age of twenty, a quaestor, the king's private secretary and legal adviser in the preparation of administrative law. Later, Theodoric made him a consul and in 527 a magister-officiorum, giving him responsibility for polishing the writings and speeches of the quaestors. Cassiodorus's literary ability was obvious: He worded many public documents and was a confidant of the king. King Athalaric, Theodoric's grandson, appointed Cassiodorus praetorian prefect for Italy, in effect making him prime minister of the Ostrogothic civil government from 533 to 538. Cassiodorus supervised the collection of taxes and the administration of justice. Vicars, provincial governors, proconsuls and all were subordinate to him. |
