Abstract
ABSTRACT Eugippius’ Life of Severinus is a text in which society is described through the dichotomy between Romans and barbarians. In this paper, I examine how exactly Eugippius imagines this polarity and to what rhetorical and persuasive ends he employs it. In particular, I focus on his complex portrayal of the barbarians which reveals his views on what place they might occupy in the Roman and Christian vision of history and politics. By examining the social and political ideas in the Life of Severinus we can trace how the hagiographer perceived the disintegrating societies of the West in the fifth and sixth centuries and what attitudes he advocated that could help de-escalate violence and overcome divisions. Finally, I discuss the extent to which Eugippius’ representation of the relationship between Romans and barbarians corresponded to the interests and anxieties of his Italian audience living under Ostrogothic rule.
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