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ER 1505

Ennodius, deacon of Milan (Italy), writes a letter to the presbyter Adeodatus of Rome, in which he confesses his sadness because of Avienus`s departure from Milan in order to get married in Rome, ca 4th/5th c. Letter IX, 32 = no. 460 in Vogel.

Book IX, Letter 32 = no. 460 in the edition of Vogel

ENNODIVS ADEODATO PRESBYTERO

1. Quantum a me merito, quantum actione sis clarior, orationum tuarum reseravit effectus. ecce domni Fausti fili tui abstractam de solacio meo partem maximam tu tenebis. ego quidem sanctis et legalibus desideriis precum inpedimenta non adtuli, sed tantum me domni Avieni perculit pro eius caritate discessio, ut lacrimis prosequerer et ad optata tendentem. patuit humanarum rerum in hac causa de diversitate formatio. 2. illum evocant Christo duce votiva, me feriunt: illi blanditur de coniunctione vicinitas, me de sequestratione conpungit. ecce de precum mearum fruge sollicitor, et adeptos nos, si quid in hac parte postulatum est, quod cum Christi pace dici liceat, ingemisco. sed inter haec tali diligentiae curatione sustentor, quia domnum Avienum superantem vota reddidimus. 3. habet de origine eius Roma iactantiam, Liguria de profectu: ibi domno Fausto filius naturae lege concessus est, hic eruditione patefactus. minus fuit cum generalitate hominem nasci quam, quod inimitabile videbatur, Fausti sobolem conprobari. refereamus ad deum beneficia sua et ipsi pro illo exhibeamus gratias, a quo poposcimus quae tenemus. 4. vos salutationis meae obsequia pro sancti pectoris vestri puritate suscipite et codicem recipientes meum cum illo, qui a vobis promissus est, destinate.

(ed. Vogel 1885: 286)

Book IX, Letter 32 = no. 460 in the edition of Vogel

ENNODIUS TO THE PRESBYTER ADEODATUS

1. How much more illustrious you are than me in merit and deeds is revealed by the effects of your prayers. Lo, you will have the best part of Faustus, your son [i.e. his son, Avienus], taking a way some of my consolation. I will not, however, pose obstacles of my requests to the holy and lawful wishes, but Avienus's departure because of my love to him made me so upset that I followed him with tears, even though he was pursuing what he wished. This case showed how that human affairs follow different designs. 2. With Christ as commander, the desirable things call him but they strike me with a blow. Forthcoming marriage is pleasant for him while I, on the thought of it, fell pangs [of longing because of] separation. I am concerned about the fruit of my prayers and and, if anything is demanded on this behalf, I lament (which is allowed to say with the peace of Christ) that I have achieved [what I asked for]. But among all these things, I am uplifted by a medicine of love because we return the lord Avienus [to Rome] better than expected. 3. Rome boasts that it gave him birth, Liguria that it reared him: in the former, he received the high rank as the son of Faustus according to the natural law, in the latter, here, he showed himself worthy of it by his education. To be born - as all people are - is less than to prove one's worth as Faustus's son, which might even seem impossible. Let us acknowledge God for his gifts and let us thank for these Him whom we had asked for the things that we have. 4. Please, accept the offerings of my greetings in the purity of your holy heart and please send me my codex together with the one which you had promised me.

(trans. M. Szada)

Discussion:

The presbyter named Adeodatus is attested at the councils of Rome in 499 and two Adeodati were present at the council in 502. We do not know whether there were two or three Adeodati at that time in Rome but most probably Ennodius's addresse was identical with one of them.

Place of event:

Region

Italy north of Rome with Corsica and Sardinia
Rome

City

Pavia

About the source:

Author: Ennodius
Title: Letters, Epistulae
Origin: Milan (Italy north of Rome with Corsica and Sardinia), Rome
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian

Magnus Felix Ennodius (477/4 - 521) was a Roman noble from the senatorial family, born in Gaul and raised in Northern Italy. He became a cleric in Pavia and was ordained by the bishop of this city, Epiphanius. Later he joined the clergy of Milan where he was promoted to the diaconate around the year 502. In the year 515 (at latest) he was elevated to the see of Pavia. He was a bishop there until his death in 521. Ennodius was involved in many ecclesiastical and political affaires of his time, he also gained the reputation of a good rhetorician and teacher. He maintained good relations with the Ostrogothic King Theodoric - in 507 he even composed the panegyric for the king. During his episcopacy, he was also sent as an envoy to Constantinople in order to negotiate the ending of the schism between Rome and Constantinople (the Acacian schism). For the general information on Ennodius see PCBE, Italie, v. 1, Magnus Felix Ennodius; Kennel 2000.

Ennodius authored several works of different genres - discourses, lives of saints, poems, and letters directed to various addresses representing the Church and the state. On the collection of letters see Gioanni 2001, and the Introduction in Gioanni 2010.

Edition:

F. Vogel ed. Magni Felicis Ennodii opera, Monumenta Germaniae Historica. Auctores Antiquissimi 7, Berlin 1885

Bibliography:

S. Gioanni, "La contribution épistolaire d’Ennode de Pavie à la primauté pontificale sous le règne des papes Symmaque et Hormisdas", Mélanges de l’Ecole française de Rome. Moyen-Age 113 (2001), 245–268.

S. Gioanni ed., Ennode de Pavie. Lettres, vols. 1-2, Paris 2010.

S.A.H. Kennell, Magnus Felix Ennodius: a Gentleman of the Church, Ann Arbor 2000.

Categories:

Family life - Offspring

Described by a title - Presbyter/πρεσβύτερος

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: M. Szada, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER1505, http://presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=1505