Letter from Gregory the Great to the Duke of Benevento (in 591)

In a letter to the Duke of Benevento Aries (in 591), St. Gregory the Great (Dvoeslov) asks for assistance in procuring and transporting the logs necessary for the construction of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul. The saint demonstrates not only concern for the needs of the church, but also the ability to build relationships with influential secular rulers. Gregory to Duke Ariez, hello! The trust that we have in your most illustrious person, as in our true son, prompts us to turn to you with a request and hope that you will not want to upset us, and, moreover, in such a matter that can bring the greatest benefit to your soul. So, we inform you what we need for the Church of St. Peter and Paul a certain number of logs, and therefore we instructed our assistant Sabin to cut them down and deliver them to a place located near the sea. But since he needs help with this, we, sending you our greetings, with fatherly love, ask you to give instructions to your local officials so that they send their workers with oxen to help Sabin, so that, with your assistance, he can better fulfill our instructions. We, for our part, promise, upon completion, to send you a worthy and non-offensive gift. We know how to provide mutual services to those of our sons who prove their friendship to us. Therefore, we once again ask you, Most Serene Son, to act in such a way that we will be your debtors for services rendered and can reward you for the churches of the saints.