Sidonius Apollinaris was an illustrious poet, Roman official, and Christian bishop in fifth-century Gaul (present-day France). Born in Lugdunum (present-day Lyon) about 430 GC in a land-owning family of leading Roman officials, he married Papianilla, the daughter of Roman Emperor Avitus, around 452. Sidonius became Praefect of Rome {Praefectus urbi} about 468 and Bishop of Clermont-Ferrand about 470. He witnessed the collapse of the Roman Empire as northern Gothic tribes attacked it. He sensed his own cultural exile in the fall of the Roman Empire. Like most elite men, he had disdain for men as a gender.
Writing to elite men in 5th-century Gaul, Sidonius disparaged men as a gender in belittling a disabled father, a king relative to his wife, and Gnatho. … Read the post Sidonius shows elite men’s gender-disdain for men in 5th-century Gaul
In his recusatio from epithalamium, Sidonius alluded to Psalm 137 & satirically questioned whether cultural exile is less painful for Christians than Jews. … Read the post captive among Burgundians, Sidonius too sad to sing marriage
Sidonius’s wry epithalamium for Araneola and Polemius draws upon Jerome’s Theophrastus on marriage and Martianus Capella’s mock classical erudition. … Read the post Sidonius’s myth and philosophy in marriage of Araneola & Polemius