Présence de Sidoine Apollinaire is the latest edited collection dedicated to Sidonius Apollinaris, a Gallo-Roman aristocrat, bishop, poet and letter writer of the mid to late fifth century c.e. whose oeuvre is now deservedly receiving sustained scholarly attention. This volume covers an impressive array of topics and ideas, and has much to offer scholars interested in Sidonius' literary work and age. It will surely further research in new and exciting ways, especially with regards to Sidonius' reception, literary allusions and formulation of the panegyrics. Another English language review by Joop Van Waarden, CR 66 (2016), 151–3 has admirably covered each of the thirty-two chapters, and since I had little to quibble with in most chapters, I will focus on those that I think warrant specific criticism and then will offer some comments on the collection as a whole.
The volume is divided into six sections. Some of these, such as the section on the panegyrics, hold together well, while others are more miscellaneous in content. Perhaps this is inevitable given the ambitious scope of the volume. The second section on the reception of Sidonius, one of the highlights of the volume, while interesting in its own right, covers such an eclectic mix of periods that it probably deserves its own volume.
Delphine Viellard suggests that Sidonius' two accounts of episcopal elections in the epistles reveal his personal opinion of that process. This assessment of Sidonius' epistolary project may have benefited from considering his self-fashioning and the significance that his arrangement and circulation of the epistles has for the reader. Éric Faure and Natacha Jacquemard's chapter is an interesting account of the spread of malaria in late antique Gaul but the connection to Sidonius remains tenuous. Marie-France Giuppoini-Gineste's analysis of Sidonius' Ep. 4.8 convincingly argues for its symbolic rôle in the collection, as a marker that Gallo-Roman paideia was increasingly finding a place at the Visigothic court. Sidonius' claims that the epistle was composed in the middle of a journey may have been more usefully compared to similar remarks in other epistles rather than Horace's Sat. 1.5 which is a more suitable comparison for Sidonius' journey in Ep. 1.5. Ralph Mathisen's contribution draws extensively on his chapter in Gavin Kelly and Joop Van Waarden (eds), New Approaches to Sidonius Apollinaris (2013).
Carole Fry's technical statistical analysis could do with increasing its sample sizes to support the wide-ranging conclusions it makes regarding Sidonius' use of metrical quantities. What the reader is to make of minor statistical variances is often unclear and when it is, the conclusions are invariably unsatisfying; see, for example, Fry's claim that Sidonius' ecphrases contain an increased percentage of adjectives. Anne-Marie Taisne presents an engaging assessment of Sidonius' use of Statius' Silvae in his panegyrics. The chapter is at its strongest when it draws specific connections between Sidonius and Statius' poetry. The piece may well have been expanded by a careful consideration of Eugene Geisler's Loci Similes (1887) which is absent from Taisne's references. Éttiene Wolff's assessment of Sidonius' many allusions to Martial is meticulous. What these allusions amount to in aggregate warrants further development. How, for example, do the allusions to Martial that bookend Book 2 of the epistles contribute to its thematic unity centred on aristocratic otium?
Stefania Santelia shows the clear benefits of a close reading of Sidonius' poetry, in this case Sidonius' epithalamion for Ruricius and Hibernia. She characterizes Sidonius' use of Statius as an instance of ‘dependency’, yet her subsequent discussion of Sidonius' other intertextual targets undermines the validity of that assessment. Santelia may have done well to give greater consideration to the performative aspect of the text. The absence of eroticism may be explained, for example, on the basis not just of Sidonius' Christian morality but also the expectations of the audience. Gaëlle Herbert de la Portbarré-Viard's first contribution demonstrates how Sidonius applied classical ecphrastic techniques to describe Christian buildings. The piece may have been usefully expanded upon so as to appeal to a wider audience by clarifying, for example, whether the references to Pliny the Elder and Seneca should be understood as pointed allusions or accidental confluence.
David Amherdt could have pushed harder in his assessment of Carm. 16. It remains unclear whether Sidonius' rejection of profane inspiration should be taken at face value, as Amherdt does, given the clear intertext to Persius in those remarks. The same specific oversight also affects Nicole Hecquet-Noti's contribution. Nicolletta Brocca traces in detail Sidonius' sources for his description of the adoration of the Magi. While Brocca's analysis is very detailed, the conclusion stands as a missed opportunity for her to place her findings in the broader context of how Sidonius uses Christian texts. Antonella Bruzzone's engaging analysis of Sidonius' Carm. 6. (the preface to his panegyric to Avitus) may have been improved by more extensive comparison to the other prefaces to panegyrics, where the kind of intertextuality that she outlines is also evident.
One major criticism of the volume is its minimal engagement with English language scholarship, especially New Approaches to Sidonius Apollinaris. Access to Gavin Kelly's excellent analysis of Sidonius' use of Claudian intertexts could have helped several chapters round out their conclusions. Perhaps the close publication of the two volumes prevented this from happening. Rémy Poignault's prominent reference to New Approaches on the first page of the introduction suggests, however, that it could have been otherwise. At times such engagement is shallow. Translations of each abstract into English stand as a clear attempt to widen this volume's appeal to Anglophone scholars, but these should have been carefully proofed.
The volume covers such a wide range of topics, issues and approaches that it struggles somewhat to hold together as a cohesive unit. It seems a little odd that so few chapters treat Sidonius' epistles and odder still that four of those chapters are in the section entitled ‘Poétique’. This sense is enhanced by the lack of consistency between chapters, most of which follow their own formatting and reference systems. Perhaps a stronger introduction may have helped. P.’s meagre nine pages seem insufficient to introduce such a large volume. Alternatively each section could have begun with a brief prefatory essay. Either of those may have made the volume more accessible to readers hoping to be introduced to Sidonius' literature and life, but I suspect that most will look to mine this collection for specific contributions. All of that should not detract from the fact that there are several excellent chapters in the volume which will have an enduring influence on Sidonian scholarship.
The bibliography is extensive. I spotted few typos other than Luetjohann's name which is misspelt on several occasions. The press has done well to produce this volume for €40.00 although a hard cover for such a large volume would have made it more durable.
