The Senate at Rome in Ostrogothic Italy 139
played a role as delator in a trial against Decoratus,118 a man of similar back-
ground to Cyprianus) had hindered all three in their advancement through
the cursus honorum.119 Additionally, these non-senatorial men were based in
northern Italy and, with the exception of Cyprianus and Opilio, were far from
being considered established (they seem to have struggled to become illus-
tres). Concerning this, Schäfer observes the influence exercised by northern
Italian senators on the location of the trial (Ticenum, or Pavia, in the sphere of
influence of the homines novi) and its result: Boethius, a grand politician from
an established family, fell from prominence as a consequence of his hostility
towards several senators of the newer families. Alternatively, Cyprianus’ fellow
senators saw him as a sort of pioneer, fighting against the established elite for
greater influence on the part of the less-established families. Thus one impor-
tant aspect of this conflict at the end of Theoderic’s reign can be found in an
inner senatorial conflict: a rivalry between old and new families with regard to
power and to their position in Theoderic’s favour.
A completely different analysis of this episode is given by Barnish who
emphasizes the succession crisis in the Ostrogothic regime with the sudden
death of the designated heir Eutharic.120 Barnish suggests that after the death
of the only male aspirant old enough to lead the kingdom (Athalaric was still
too young), Goths and even Romans must have looked to Theodahad as the
most desirable monarch (rather than Theoderic’s daughter Amalasuentha).
One of the Roman supporters of Theodahad could have been Boethius. Given
the possibility that the letter of Albinus concerned the question of a possible
Gothic successor, it might have contained Theodahad’s name, which would
explain Boethius’ vigorous fight for Albinus’ case.121
While the fate of Albinus was never recorded, the deaths of Boethius and
Symmachus “were a public relations blunder of gross proportions for the
Amals. Even emperors of fully acknowledged imperial legitimacy... had been
keen to avoid the alienation of the governmental elite by executing prominent
members of the senatorial order”.122 For a ‘barbarian’ basing his rule on the
acceptance of the eastern emperor and the local elites, openly demonstrating
118 PLRE II, pp. 350f.
119 On Decoratus see Boethius Philosophiae Consolatio. 3.4.4, ed. Bieler; Schäfer, Der weströ-
mische Senat, pp. 247ff.
120 PLRE II, p. 438.
121 Barnish, “Maximian, Cassiodorus, Boethius, Theodahad”, pp. 28ff.
122 Bjornlie, Politics, p. 140.