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CHAPTER 6
The Senate at Rome in Ostrogothic Italy
Christine RadtkiIntroduction
Several sources report Theoderic’s solemn entry into the city of Rome in the
form of an adventus to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his reign in the year
500.1 The Anonymus Valesianus in particular indicates the detailed course
of this celebration.2 After having contributed to the restoration of peace
within the Roman church, Theoderic entered Rome first to visit the tomb
of Saint Peter. On his way to the city he was approached by the pope, the
entire Senate, and the Roman people. Immediately after his entry he visited
the Senate, addressed the people at a place called ad palmam, and promised
to follow the model of the previous emperors in all his deeds. Furthermore,
he distributed grain and allocated money for the renovation of the city walls.3
We know nothing about the exact procedure of the games that took place, but
the fact that Theoderic staged games says much about his concept of rulership
or, better, about his endeavour to be in dialogue with his subjects. The Roman
Senate played an important role in this strategy of communication.
By preserving the previous structure of the prefecture of Italy, Theoderic
accepted the existing Roman administration together with its still valid and
functioning political organs. Following his declaration of imitatio imperii, found
at the beginning of the Variae,4 Theoderic kept the differentiated structure of
provinces and the specialized bureaucracy needed for it.5 He did not remove
Roman institutions, nor did he completely recast them, but instead layered
Gothic institutions onto the Roman. To the Roman bureaucracy was added
the comitiva Gothorum, adapted from the military structure of the Gothic
army. The king embodied the central administration together with a set of viri
1 Ensslin, Theoderich, pp. 107ff., Wolfram, Die Goten, pp. 288ff., Vitiello, Momenti di Roma ostro-
gota, pp. 39ff., Arnold, Theoderic, pp. 204–9.
2 Anonymus Valesianus 65–67, ed. König.
3 See also Paulus Diaconus, Historia Romana. 15.18, ed. Droysen.
4 Cassiodorus, Variae 1.1.3, ed. Mommsen.
5 Wolfram, Die Goten, pp. 290ff. See also the chapters in the present volume on the Ostrogothic
provinces by Arnold and the Ostrogothic administration by Bjornlie.