Guarding The Rebublic

Letter 2,28 - to Maurice and Vitalian, military commanders, concerning pilllage. June 592.

"On the eleventh day of this month of June, Ariulf sent this letter, which we have directed to you. And for that reason, read it again and see of the citizens of Soana have persisted in the loyalty that they promised to the republic. Take from them worthy hostages in whom you can trust, and bind them well with oaths once again, returning to them what you took as a pledge, and soothing them with your words.
But if you find out that they have quite obviously had talks with Ariulf about their submission, or have definitely given him hostages, as the letter of Ariulf which we sent to you makes us suspect, then study this with a sound deliberation, and so that your soul or ours is not in any way weighed down over their oaths, carry out whatever you judge to be in the republic's interest.
But let your Glory do it in such a way that there is neither anything over which your adversaries could condemn us, nor is anything neglected that the republic's advantage requires. Lord forbid it!"

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 210.