Standards of Cultural Behaviour of the Romans in the Light of Sidonius Apollinaris' Letters

Abstract

Standards of Cultural Behaviour of the Romans in the Light of Sidonius Apollinaris' Letters The cultural and political situation of the Gallo-Roman elite in the 5th century CE, during the period of the great barbarian invasions, became the reason for the emergence, among its members, of certain standards of behaviour; their aim was to preserve, cultivate and develop the Roman identity as well as a sense of belonging to the elite cultural circle, now endangered by barbaric chaos. The paper presents selected examples of such standards of behaviour in spheres both private and public; they serve as an exemplification of conscious actions and choices designed to preserve traditional Roman system of values

Keywords

• otium
• negotium
• otium litteratum ac philosophicum
• vita privata
• vita publica
• elite behaviour