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8ieffe ie THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
and rhetoric of his native region, devoting his attention to the acquisition of facility and perfection in writing prose and poetry in Latin.
Early He had in view fame as a writer and in Life. the service of the State, and among his instructors were Claudianus Mamer tus (q.v.) and other noted teachers. His marriage with Papianilla, daughter of Avitus, one of the prominent men of Auvergne, made him at home in what was to be a sort of fatherland to him; his wife brought to him possessions and a happy family life which fitted him for the r81e of a poet of home life and home blessings. But his ambition, fostered by the combination of wealth and culture, rendered him not content to lead the life of an obscure countryman. The raising of Avitus to imperial dig nity influenced the muse of Sidonius in the direction of the panegyric. Sidonius accompanied his father in-law to Rome and issued there his poem of praise (in which the Christian note is altogether absent), which was regarded as so remarkable that it secured for the author a place, marked by a bronze statue, among the celebrated authors thus honored in the Trajan basilica. But the reign of Avitus was short, Ricimer bringing about his overthrow after seven teen months. After the fall of Lyons, Sidonius turned his poetry to the praise of the victor in a composition which has historic value for its por trayal of the Franks (lines 238-254). The period of retirement which succeeded left traces in the epis tles of Sidonius, and these are valuable in that they give pictures of the culture of the time (Epist., ii. 2) as well as of historic events. During the reign of Theodoric IL, Sidonius seems to have lived in retirement; and under Anthemius (467-472) he went to Rome at the command of the emperor in order to represent the people of Auvergne. There he came into close contact with the two most prom inent senators, and followed their counsel to dedi cate to the new emperor a rew panegyric. This is the latest of his dated carmina, which resulted in an appointment as prefect of senate and city; it is of historical value for its description of the Huns, its mention of Geiserich, and the description of the sit uation of the East Goths about 467. An epistle of Sidonius of about 470 (v. 13) has historical worth also because of its dealing with the Governor Sero natus; and near this in point of time is the remark able letter (ii. 1) which narrates the choice presented him of becoming a bishop or losing his Roman rights-as a matter of fact the nobility saved their rights through the hierarchy.Soon after, Sidonius became bishop of Clermont, which belonged to the archdiocese of Bourges. As bishop Sidonius gave up the writing of
Sidonius secular poetry, but in the exercise of as Bishop. his office he was drawn into the political arena. His brother-in-law Ecdicius was the refuge of the Roman party, while Clermont, the last firm stronghold of the Romans in Aquitania, threatened to fall before the Goths. Sidonius appealed for help near and far, and among the appeals is a letter (vii. 6) against kurich. The ecclesiastical situation was lamentable; nine sees were vacant, and even the memory of ecclesiastical discipline had ceased. With the strife of Burgundians and
Goths the land seemed about to be torn apart; all efforts were to be directed to the end that Eurich permit bishops to be consecrated in order that the people of Gaul might be held in the faith. The cause for the sad condition was attributed by Sidonius to the heads of the diocese of Arles, and Bishop Graecus heard bitter reproaches. Still the condition was not so bad as it seemed to Sidonius; Clermont was not destroyed, and the Gothic court was not so hostile to culture. In Toulouse the most influential man after the king was Leo of Narbonne, the teacher of oratory to Marcus Aurelius. Into this period falls the most celebrated of all the letters of Sidonius (viii. 9); it contains a poem, doubtless intended for the king's ear, describing the worldpower of the ruler of the Visigoths, and this may well be called Sidonius' fourth panegyric. Sidonius, who had left his see, was aHs after some time to return and exercise his office.
As a writer Mommsen (Reden, p.139, Berlin, 1905) estimated Sidonius as far above any other of his times; yet, in spite of the sententious, satirical, and graceful passages which are found, his poetry has
less esthetic value than that of AusoHis nius. Still, his significance from a literWritings. ary-historical standpoint is high. In
matter of form, he bridges the transition to the medieval poetry by frequency in employment of rime, alliteration, and like artistic devices; his poetry shows also what was the fashion in his time; he serves to illustrate, as well, what forms the classical myths took during the downfall of the old order of things in Gaul. For church history the letters are more valuable than the carmina. Sidonius was not original, but he could well set forth the situation of things in language that was fitting and expressive. The nine books of letters are edited in groups. The first, written for the most part about 469 in Rome, begins with a dedication to Constantius, a cleric of Lyons, to whom a life of Bishop Germanus of Auxerre (q.v.) is ascribed. The letters of book ii. appear to have been issued about the middle of 472, though they are probably of earlier date, since they do not reflect the clerical situation, and the thought is not Christian. These two books (twenty-five letters) were the first edited. The next group, books iii.-vii. (seventy letters), reveals a different situation. It begins with the statement that the writer has unworthily been chosen bishop of Clermont. A section of this group (vi. 1-vii. 11) contains letters directed. to bishops. Later, at the wish of friends, Sidonius gathered the remains of his correspondence for an eighth book, and not long after added a ninth "after the pattern of Pliny." Chronology is not observed in the arrangement, although a certain general sequence is preserved. The letters, 147 in number, have great historical value for the reason that they exhibit as does no other document the style of the Latin school of rhetoric just before its downfall; from this point of
view each separate letter is worthful, even though its substance is of little value. Among the persons addressed are the African Domnulus, two Spanish rhetoricians, a Frank who was named " Count Arbogastes of the Treveri," who received also a letter :rom Bishop Auspicius of Toul (himself a cor-