Concordia Theodericiana. De concordia in Latinis litteris Theoderici regis aetate conscriptis

Concordia plays an important role in Cassiodorus’ and Ennodius’ vocabulary. It is used in order to embellish letters sent to illustrious friends, to condemn the clashes between senatorial factions, to promote the collaboration between the Senate and the Goths, to describe the consequences of the Laurentian Schism and to strengthen the ties of alliance between different peoples. Concordia and discordia were especially referred to men belonging to the senatorial class, kings and above all East Roman emperors. In Cassiodorus, concordia between sovereigns, which is often semantically close to the concepts of pax and amicitia, is a mirror of the (desired) cooperation and friendship between their kingdoms, whereas in Ennodius concordia is frequently referred to kings, not to their peoples, and it also encompasses the concept of fides, which becomes perfidia if we analyse the occurrences of discordia.