Reading Sidonius' "Epistles"

252 Pages·2019·1.663 MB·English

by  Michael P. Hanaghan

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READING SIDONIUS’ EPISTLES
Sidonius Apollinaris’ letters offer a vivid series of glimpses into an
otherwise sparsely documented period. His rich anecdotes feature the
events, characters, and moments that defined his life, ranging from the
treason trial of Arvandus to the Visigothic raiding of Clermont, from
the corrupt and vile Seronatus to the holy widow Eutropia, and the
day- to- day incidents that confronted a Gallo- Roman poet, aristocrat,
and bishop as the Late Roman West transitioned into the barbarian
successor kingdoms. Like any good storyteller, Sidonius exploited a
wide array of narratological tools, manipulating temporality for dra-
matic effect, sketching his heroes and villains in vivid detail, and rec-
reating witty dialogue in a collection that is highly organised and
carefully strategised. This book provides a fuller understanding of his
contribution to Latin literature, as a careful arranger of his self- image,
a perceptive exploiter of narrative dynamics, and an influential figure
in Late Antique Gaul.
M. P. HANAGHAN is Research Fellow (Latin Christianity in Late
Antiquity) at the Institute for Religion and Critical Inquiry,
Australian Catholic University. His research is principally focused on
epistolography, panegyric, and historiography, especially intertext-
uality, narratology, visuality, and reader response.
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READING SIDONIUS’
EPISTLES
M. P. HANAGHAN
Australian Catholic University, Melbourne
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www.cambridge.org
Information on this title:  www.cambridge.org/ 9781108429214
DOI :  10.1017/ 9781108554305
© M. P. Hanaghan 2019
Th is publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception
and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements,
no reproduction of any part may take place without the written
permission of Cambridge University Press.
First published 2019
Printed and bound in Great Britain by Clays Ltd, Elcograf S.p.A.
A catalogue record for this publication is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data
Names: Hanaghan, M. P., author.
Title: Reading Sidonius’ epistles / M. P. Hanaghan.
Description: Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2019. |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifi ers: LCCN 2018039113 | I SBN 9781108429214 (Hardback) |
ISBN 9781108453349 (Paperback)
Subjects: LCSH: Sidonius Apollinaris, Saint, 431 or 432 – approximately 487. Correspondence. |
Sidonius Apollinaris, Saint, 431 or 432 – approximately 487 – Criticism and interpretation.
Classifi cation: LCC PA 6694. S 8 H 36 2018 | DDC 876/.01–dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018039113
ISBN 978- 1- 108- 42921- 4 Hardback
Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy
of URL s for external or third- party internet websites referred to in this publication
and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain,
accurate or appropriate.
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Contents

List of Maps page v i
Preface vii
Acknowledgements ix
1 Sidonius’ World 1
2 Self and Status: Reading “Sidonius” in the E pistles 18
3 Reading Time: E rzählzeit and Lesezeit 58
4 Reading Epistolary Characters 91
5 Narrating Dialogue 139
6 Arrangement 170
Epilogue 185
Appendix I Timeline 378– 485 1 89
Appendix II Catalogue of Contents and Addressees 1 92
Bibliography 2 01
Index Locorum 2 31
General Index 235
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Maps

1 Map of the Western Roman Empire, twenty years
before Sidonius’ birth page x
2 Map of the barbarian successor kingdoms, in the fi nal
years of Sidonius’ life xi
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Preface

Sidonius’ epistles off er a vivid series of glimpses into a sparsely documented
period. Th eir exciting anecdotes draw on the characters and moments that
defi ned his age and fi lled his life . Barbarians rub shoulders with clergy, vile
and corrupt aristocrats exploit the turbulence of his age, as Roman Gaul
transitioned into the successor kingdoms, and Sidonius and his friends try
to make the best of their situation.
Chapter 1 off ers an overview of Sidonius and his world and reviews
current scholarship. Chapter 2 analyses Sidonius’ self- presentation, in
line with similar scholarly treatments of Cicero , Seneca , and Pliny . Th e
remaining chapters consider how Sidonius exploited a rich array of nar-
ratological tools (like any good story teller), manipulating temporal
aspects for dramatic eff ect ( Chapter 3 ), sketching his heroes and villains
in exacting and vivid detail ( Chapter 4 ), recalling and recreating witty dia-
logue (Chapter 5), and bringing it all together with considered arrangement
( Chapter 6 ). Th e epistles are highly organised, strategised, with elements
artifi cially fi ne- tuned and dressed up as eff orts made on the spur of the
moment. Th is book aims to move consideration away from the limited
historical value of Sidonius’ letters towards a fuller understanding of their
contribution to Latin literature. Each chapter of this book, like each
epistle, is ultimately about Sidonius, who emerges as a careful arranger of
his self- image, a perceptive exploiter of narrative dynamics, and an infl u-
ential fi gure in Late Antique Gaul.
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