Introduction

Summary

Sidonius congratulates his friend Magnus Felix, who was awarded the title of patricius, and who despite this great honour still acts as a loyal friend. In the second part of the letter, Sidonius adds three famous historical examples of men who were also promoted or otherwise successful yet still acted humbly and were therefore loved and esteemed (Quintus Fabius Maximus, Pompeius and Germanicus). Whereas the republican dictator Papirius and the emperor Tiberius were envious of the success of their rivals Quintus Fabius Maximus and Germanicus, Sidonius claims to be happy about his friend's luck.

Addressee

The addressee, Felix, is the son of Magnus, who was consul in 460. Felix was made praetorian prefect of Gaul (praefectus praetorio Galliarum) and became a patricius (the title of a person in a high office at court or in an important military function) around 469 by the emperor Anthemius. He was a friend of Sidonius from their school days (Carm. 9.330). Like Sidonius, he is a relative of the emperor Avitus; see Carm. 7.156, Anderson (1936) 130 n. 2 and the commentary on Ep. 2.2.3 nomen hoc praedio…. Felix is also the addressee of Ep. 3.4, 3.7, 4.5, 4.10 and Carm. 9, and is mentioned in Carm. 24.91. For the programmatic Carm. 9, see Condorelli (2008) 81–116. Felix is one of four addressees who receive as many as four letters (two addressees even get five letters each), and he is among the indivdiuals metioned most in Sidonius’ texts (six times); Mathisen (2020a) 41. Like Ecdicius, he is an addressee in Book 2 and Book 3; Giannotti (2016) 37. In Ep. 4.5 and 4.10.1 Sidonius complains about Felix’ long silence and attempts to resume contact with his old friend in Ep. 4.10.2. Harries (1994) 15–16, Delaplace (2014) 23–4 and Delaplace (2015) 236, 241–6 suggest that Sidonius fell out with Magnus’ family because of the Arvandus affair (see the introductions to Ep. 2.1 and 2.5) as they did not react to his pleas for help as bishop of the Auvergne later on, in 471; Mathisen (2020a) 82, Mratschek (2020a) 230, van Waarden (2020a) 22–4. Felix probably succeded Arvandus in office as praetorian prefect in 469; Stevens (1933) App. D (196–7), PLRE 2, 463–4, Harries (1994) 15, Kelly (2020a) 173–4.