Vivet in posterum nominis tui gloria: la lettera di Sidonio a Fortunale (VIII 5)

Sidonius Apollinaris’ epist. viii 5 – on which very little has been written – looks like a short note of praise for his friend Fortunalis, a vir illustris from Spain, and promises him immortality in the future, thanks to his literary interests and many virtues, but also thanks to his capability of facing the adversity of fate. In view of this future fame, the letter can only find its meaning in a publication. Therefore, it is particularly relevant in the context of book 8 – which, according to the traditional theory, would result from the resumption of the collection and publication, by Sidonius, of some letters excluded from a first selection or newly available in his archive after his exile. Moreover, the letter is inscribed in an encomiastic context, as shown by the wordplays on the concept of litterae and on Fortunalis’ fortuna, and by a large number of stylistic resources. Among these, a series of cola (for which I suggested to replace the current puntuaction based on Loyen’s edition with the previous one adopted by Luetjohann and then resumed by Mohr and Anderson). But in parallel with Fortunalis’ praise, Sidonius’ focus is on his own activity, meanwhile it remains uncertain if a subtle political intention (in the sense indicated by Overwien and discussed in this paper) overlaps with the praise of the recipient of the letter.