Sidonius: Letters Book 5, Part 1

Giulia Marolla received her PhD from the University of the Republic of San Marino, Scuola Superiore di Studi Storici in 2021 and her dissertation was awarded a badge of honour by the Associazione Internazionale di Studi Tardoantichi. She is continuing her research on Sidonius’ letters at the University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’.

• Lists of Figures and Tables Acknowledgements List of Abbreviations General Introduction Letters as autobiography? The arrangement of the lettersThemes and structure of Book 5 A life in autumn Diversity of themes and letter lengths within Book 5 Categorisation of the letters by genre of the letters Principles of arrangement Manuscript tradition The new stemma The α branch and the editio princeps An introduction to Letters 5.1–5.10 Prosopography Dating Sidonius’ models: Pliny the Younger and Symmachus Sidonius’ language Rare words Neologisms Most problematic readings Prose rhythm Letters 5.1–5.10. Text, Translation and CommentaryLetter 1 Content The addressee Petronius The letter bearer Vindicius Genre: an accompanying note and a commendaticia The opening letter The letters Petronius reads and the new ones he has been gifted Dating elements SIDONIUS PETRONIO SUO SALUTEM SIDONIUS TO HIS FRIEND PETRONIUS Commentary Letter 2 Content The addressee Nymphidius Sidonius and Mamertus Claudianus Genre: a letter on literary matters In the middle of a dispute Nine arts The merits of the De statu animaeThe dedication of the De statu animae Dating elements SIDONIUS NYMPHIDIO SUO SALUTEM SIDONIUS TO HIS DEAR NYMPHIDIUS Commentary Letter 3 Content The addressee Apollinaris Genre: the epistolary silence in Sidonius and its models Beyond the model: traces of a rift with Apollinaris? Internal evidence of uneasiness External evidence A valetudinarian letter A topos within the topos? Dating elementsSIDONIUS APOLLINARI SUO SALUTEM SIDONIUS TO HIS DEAR APOLLINARIS Commentary Letter 4 ContentThe addressee Simplicius: an identification problem An alternative theory on Simplicius’ identity Genre Dating elements SIDONIUS SIMPLICIO SUO SALUTEMSIDONIUS TO HIS DEAR SIMPLICIUS CommentaryLetter 5 Content Genre: a letter of admonitio The addressee Syagrius Sidonius and the legislative activity of the Burgundians andVisigoths Barbarisms Quintilian’s De barbarismis and Sidonius Dating elements SIDONIUS SYAGRIO SUO SALUTEM SIDONIUS TO HIS DEAR SYAGRIUS Commentary Letter 6 Content The addressee Apollinaris Genre A rift is bridged Context The ambiguity in the mentions of Chilperic The itinerary Traces of an editing phase?Dating elementsSeasonal reference SIDONIUS APOLLINARI SUO SALUTEM SIDONIUS TO HIS DEAR APOLLINARIS Commentary Letter 7 Content The addressee Thaumastus The models: Cicero, Tacitus, Juvenal and ApuleiusThe features of informants A display pieceThe tetrarcha: Chilperic I or Chilperic II? The Burgundian queen The features of the rulers in Ep. 5.7 Dating elements SIDONIUS THAUMASTO SUO SALUTEM SIDONIUS TO HIS DEAR THAUMASTUS Commentary Letter 8 Content The addressee Secundinus Genre Satire or uersus populares? Sidonius’ mentions of ‘satire’ The Arles satire and the satires of Secundinus Ablabius and the couplet against Constantine Dating elements SIDONIUS SECUNDINO SUO SALUTEM SIDONIUS TO HIS DEAR SECUNDINUS Commentary Letter 9 Content The addressee Aquilinus Genre: a declaration of friendship Historical context: emperors, generals and usurpers Dating elements SIDONIUS AQUILINO SUO SALUTEM SIDONIUS TO HIS DEAR AQUILINUS Commentary Letter 10 Content The addressee Sapaudus Genre: literary matters and praise of intellectuals Mamertus Claudianus’ letter to Sapaudus The theme of pretended literary decay Dating elements SIDONIUS SAPAUDO SUO SALUTEM SIDONIUS TO HIS DEAR SAPAUDUS Commentary Appendix. Corrections to the Apparatus of Lutjohann and Loyen Bibliography Index

For me, one of the most crucial insights Marolla’s study provides concerns the epistolographical tradition in which Sidonius stands. [...] Marolla’s book is a first important step towards closing this gap in the research on late Latin epistolography. However, in order to assess whether the numerous insightful parallels she identifies in Symmachus’s and Sidonius’s language, thoughts, and argumentations are immediate influences or whether both authors merely share in the same common epistolary conventions of Late Antiquity, further studies are necessary. No future study can neglect Marolla’s book. The sequel she announces on page 2, a follow-up commentary on the second half of book 5, is eagerly awaited.