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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 March 2025
Content
Informed by Thaumastus that Apollinaris may be suspected of treason at the Burgundian court, after rumours of him siding with Julius Nepos, Sidonius offers to help.
The addressee Apollinaris
For Apollinaris, possibly cousin of Sidonius, see the introduction to Ep. 5.3. For his relationship with Thaumastus and Simplicius see the introduction to Ep. 5.4. Symmetrically, Ep. 5.6 to Apollinaris provides detailed information on Thaumastus, while Ep. 5.7 to Thaumastus exclusively concerns Apollinaris’ situation.
Genre
The ending of Ep. 5.6 can reasonably lead one to ascribe the text to the genre of ‘admonitions’ (epistulae symbuleuticae), a category described for Pliny's letter collection by Sherwin-White (systematically) and mentioned by Cugusi. For a different kind of letter of admonition, see the introduction to Ep. 5.5. In Pliny, the exhortative section is likewise usually at the end of the letter.
There are, however, substantial differences between this letter and Pliny's admonitions: for instance, the latter are mostly preceded by examples taken from his experience. Pliny enjoys advising sub exemplo, to the point that the category of admonitions often overlaps with that of anecdotes. Even though the themes of Pliny's admonitions are various, there is an underlying common core to them: they all concern mundane exhortations and are filled with pleasantries. Pliny's admonitions concern, for instance, friends exhorted to enjoy contemplative life (Epp. 1.3, 1.9) or to visit him (Ep. 7.3), lists of subjects worth studying (Ep. 7.9), instructions for new job posts (Epp. 8.24, 9.5) and friendly advice on ending a disagreement (Ep. 9.21). Unlike these admonitions, Sidonius’ Ep. 5.6 concerns a worrisome threat, and it is reasonable to assume that, in addition to the direct involvement of the king, his kinship with Apollinaris made Sidonius sincerely concerned.
The lack of a unitary systematic study of the entirety of Symmachus’ epistolary collection is an obstacle when it comes to tracing a definite pattern in his epistolary admonitions and, consequently, in Sidonius’ use of models. Similar concerns do not seem to be expressed in Symmachus’ letters of admonition, as much as in letters in which he mentions political intrigues, mainly those concerning his close friend Nicomachus Flavianus.
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