Page 174 - Envoys and Political Communication in the Late Antique West 411 - 533

Envoys and Political Communication,411–533

works were composed probably in the early sixth century. In seeking
credit for their heroes by appealing to two images, the thaumaturge and
the envoy, the authors attest the appropriation by the provincial church
of the social credit associated with the completion of legations.

‘author of concord’: ennodius, life of
epiphanius of pavia
The lengthiest and most developed accounts of embassies in fifth- and
early sixth-century Latin literature appear in a saint’s Life written in Italy:
the Vita Epiphani of Ennodius. 137 Epiphanius was bishop of Pavia in
northern Italy, 466–96. 138 Nearly the whole narrative of Epiphanius’
episcopate in the Vita is dedicated to his journeys and involvment in
political negotiations in the time of the last western emperors and their
successors, Odoacer and Theoderic; 139 the work presents something like
a historical novella of the period. Major differences in content and pre-
sentation exist between Constantius’ Vita Germani and Vita Epiphani:
miracle accounts are negligible in the latter, and none of Epiphanius’
many journeys involves ecclesiastical affairs, atleastin Ennodius’ pre-
sentation. Nevertheless, Ennodius can be seen to have made a conscious
choice to structure his work on the basis of the Gallic model in presenting
his subjectas an envoy.
Unlike the other authors discussed in this chapter, Ennodius is well
documented, notleastfrom his autobiographical Confessio and almost
300 letters. 140 Born in Gaul 473/4, perhaps atArles, he was of a promi-
nent family whose ancestors included a consul. After his parents died
in his youth, he moved to northern Italy, perhaps Milan, where he was
brought up by an aunt. The move was probably connected not with
Euric’s conquestof Arles in 476, but rather with promoting Ennodius’
137 For editions, see ‘Note on editions, commentaries, and translations’ below. On Vita Epiphani:
Reydellet, La royaut´ e, 141–82; Teillet, Des Goths, 274–80; S. J. B. Barnish, ‘Ennodius’ Lives of
Epiphanius and Antony: Two Models for the Christian Gentleman’, Studia Patristica 24 (1993),
13–19; Cesa, Introduction to Vita del Epifanio, 27–36.
138
On Epiphanius: PCBE ii, ‘Epiphanius 1’, 637–41. On early medieval Pavia: Donald Bullough,
‘Urban Change in Early Medieval Italy: The Example of Pavia’, Papers of the British School at
Rome 34 (1966), 82–131.
139
Cf. Cesa, Preface to Vita del Epifanio, 5 (‘un singolare prelato-diplomatico’), 23–5.
140
On Ennodius: Hartel, Index nominum et rerum to Ennodius, Opera, 620; Vogel, Introduction to
Ennodius, Opera, summary atxxviii; B. Hasenstab, Studien zur Ennodius: ein Beitrag zur Geschichte
der V¨ olkerwanderung (Munich, 1890); C. Benjamin, ‘Magnus Felix Ennodius 4’, RE v (1905),
2629–33; J. Sundwall, Adhandlungen zur Geschichte des ausgehenden R¨ omertums (Helsinki, 1919),
1–83; Schanz-Hosius iv, 2, 131–48; J. Fontaine, ‘Ennodius’, in Reallexikon f¨ ur Antike und Christen-
tum v (Stuttgart, 1962), 398–421; PLRE ii, ‘Magnus Felix Ennodius 3’, 393–4; Cesa, Introduction
to Vita del Epifanio, esp. 8–17; PCBE ii, ‘Magnus Felix Ennodius’, 621–32. Confessio: ed. Vogel,
MGH AA 7, 300–4; ed. Hartel, CSEL 6, 393–401.
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