Cassiodorus tells us that it abounded in fish.
One of his happy labours was to make fish-ponds, filled and peopled
from the river itself. In the cliff-side where Mons Moscius breaks
above the shore are certain rocky caves, and by some it is thought
that, in speaking of his fish-preserves, Cassiodorus refers to
these. Whatever the local details, it was from this feature that the
house took its name, Monasterium Vivariense.
Here, then, I stood in full view of the spot which I had so often
visioned in my mind's eye. Much of the land hereabout--probably an
immense tract of hill and valley--was the old monk's patrimonial
estate. We can trace his family back through three generations, to a
Cassiodorus, an Illustris of the falling Western Empire, who about
the middle of them fifth century defended his native Bruttii against
an invasion of the Vandals. The grandson of this noble was a
distinguished man all through the troubled time which saw Italy pass
under the dominion of Odovacar, and under the conquest of Theodoric;
the Gothic king raised him to the supreme office of Praetorian
Prefect.
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