Sidonius: Letters Book 5, Part 1

Giulia Marolla

ISBN 10: 1399510789 / ISBN 13: 9781399510783

Published by Edinburgh University Press, GB, 2025

About this Item

Sidonius stands at a crossroads between the last days of the Roman Empire in the Auvergne and Provence and the emergence of Burgundians and Visigoths as territorial powers. An aristocrat, politician, author and bishop, he was involved in and bore witness to this takeover. His literary prose is characterised by a floweriness which at times makes his letters ambiguous and ostentatiously obscure. This volume provides readers with a tool to understand this convoluted prose, enabling them to see the troubled political waters of the fifth century through the eyes of Sidonius.The book contains a new critical edition of the first ten letters of Book 5 of Sidonius' Epistulae, together with an accessible English translation and a philological and historical commentary. It provides a general introduction to the book as a whole and a detailed exploration of the letters that covers literary themes, models, prosopography, dating problems and prose rhythm. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, it addresses historical questions relevant to the specific letters and to Sidonius' position at the centre of the Romano-Gallic aristocracy.

Seller Inventory # LU-9781399510783

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Sidonius: Letters Book 5, Part 1
• Publisher: Edinburgh University Press, GB
• Publication Date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1399510789
• ISBN 13: 9781399510783
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

Sidonius stands at a crossroads between the last days of the Roman Empire in the Auvergne and Provence and the emergence of Burgundians and Visigoths as territorial powers. An aristocrat, politician, author and bishop, he was involved in and bore witness to this takeover. His literary prose is characterised by a floweriness which at times makes his letters ambiguous and ostentatiously obscure. This volume provides readers with a tool to understand this convoluted prose, enabling them to see the troubled political waters of the fifth century through the eyes of Sidonius.
The book contains a new critical edition of the first ten letters of Book 5 of Sidonius’ Epistulae, together with an accessible English translation and a philological and historical commentary. It provides a general introduction to the book as a whole and a detailed exploration of the letters that covers literary themes, models, prosopography, dating problems and prose rhythm. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, it addresses historical questions relevant to the specific letters and to Sidonius’ position at the centre of the Romano-Gallic aristocracy.

About the Author

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’.