Page 254 - Envoys and Political Communication in the Late Antique West 411 - 533

Envoys and Political Communication,411–533

each occasion; Hormisdas’ instructions outlined how the envoys were to
conduct themselves in the East before their imperial audience and how
they should argue their case during it.
The Indiculus of 515 is longer and more detailed than that of 519, for
two reasons. First, in 515, Hormisdas expected his legates to insinuate
a delicate political threat to the emperor. At the time of the embassy,
Anastasius’ hold on imperial power was threatened by his rebellious mag-
ister utriusque militiae Vitalian, who played on orthodox sentiment against
Anastasius’ sympathy for Monophysitism. Hormisdas hoped to exploit
Anastasius’ insecurity. In addition to the letter to Anastasius which he
provided for his legation, he also wrote a second letter to Vitalian him-
self. Hormisdas’ instructions in the Indiculus of 515, to keep this second
letter secret until they had been ushered into the imperial presence and
given permission to speak, occupy a good part of the document. 22 The
second factor which extends the length of the Indiculus of 515 is the
protracted and detailed outline of a hypothetical debate between the em-
peror and the envoys during their audience. 23 The later Indiculus also
includes instructions as to how the legates should endeavour to conduct
their interview, but it is far less circumstantial. 24
The two sets of instructions outline a similar course of events. Hormis-
das anticipates that his legations will be met by eastern bishops. The en-
voys are to join in communion with welcoming bishops, and accept their
libelli of faith should they be offered; the Greek bishops may even wish to
accompany the Roman envoys. The legates may also accept the custom-
ary elements of hospitalitas, accommodation and, if convenient, transport;
to decline would appear hostile and militate against their claim to be pur-
suing church unity. The envoys are, however, very strictly instructed to
25
decline with grace any offers of food or invitations to convivia. Once in
Constantinople, Hormisdas expects the legation to be assigned accom-
modation (mansio) by the emperor. The emperor will send unspecified
persons to their lodgings, but Hormisdas warns the envoys notto receive
any other guests before their audience. In both sets of instructions, much
of Hormisdas’ advice to his legates concerns informal means of negotia-
tion, hospitality, and other contacts outside the court and consistorium,
not the formal protocol of official receptions described by De ceremoniis;
Hormisdas does noteven specify which courtofficial (the magister
officiorum) will visitthe envoys attheir lodgings. The social restrictions

22 23
Collectio Avellana, 116.1–6. Collectio Avellana, 116.7–27.
24
Collectio Avellana, 158.5–11.
25
Collectio Avellana, 116.1–3, 158.1–2. Invitations by eastern bishops are to be declined blanda
excusatione; cf. Ennodius, Vita Epiphani, 92 (Epiphanius excuses himself from Euric’s convivium).
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