Flavius Magnus Aurelius Cassiodorus Senator (c.490-c.585), commonly known as Cassiodorus, was a Roman statesman and writer.
He was born at Scyllaceum (Squillace) in southern Italy. During his working life, as a consul under Theodoric the Great, king of the Ostrogoths, he wrote on public affairs. Senator was his surname, not his rank. In his retirement he founded the monastery of Vivarium, and his writings turned to religion.