Styka, Jerzy2013-03-202013-03-202008Symbolae Philologorum Posnaniensium, 2008, nr XVIII, s. 49-69978-83-232-1957-60302-7384http://hdl.handle.net/10593/5632The testimonies of Sidonius Apollinaris show a very active literary life in the emperor’s milieu, revealing – completely lost today – the oeuvre of outstanding Gallic poets, compared with the greatest men of letters of the Roman past, they also prove a very vivid interest of the citizens of Arelate in the contemporary literary production; particularly worthy of note are their spontaneous reactions to any allusions to their own life that can be found in this poetry.Sidonius Apollinaris (430 CE – ca. 486 CE) was among the leading fgures in the long sad twilight of ancient Latin literature. A highly erudite man, steeped in the heritage of the ancient Roman culture, he left behind a literary legacy consisting of 24 poems and 9 books of letters. These works constitute one of the most important sources for research on the Roman culture in the ffth century CE, especially in Gaul, the homeland of Sidonius Apollinaris. The author aims to give the picture of the literary life at the court of the emperor Maiorianus in Arelate as presented in the writings of Sidonius Apollinaris. The poetic circle in Arles (collegium poetarum) was founded on the emperor’s own initiative: it was he who brought the poets Sidonius Apollinaris, Domnulus, Lampridius and Severianus (a renowned poet was also Petrus, Maiorianus’ personal secretary) to his court not just because of his interests in belles-lettres, but above all for propaganda reasons. The testimonies of Sidonius Apollinaris show a very active literary life in the emperor’s milieu, revealing – completely lost today – the oeuvre of outstanding Gallic poets, compared with the greatest men of letters of the Roman past, they also prove a very vivid interest of the citizens of Arelate in the contemporary literary production; particularly worthy of note are their spontaneous reactions to any allusions to their own life that can be found in this poetry.plLate Roman AntiquityLate Roman GaulArelate (Arles)Literary LifeLiterary CirclesGallo-Roman PoetryLate Roman SatireArtykuł