ABSTRACT
Sidonius'letters,whichhehimselfpublishedinninevolumesasanepistolographicmodel,areoneoftheliveliesttestimoniestohisotherwiseinsufficientlyilluminatedepoch.39Oneoftheselettersfromtheyear474-75, addressedtohisfellowbishopBasilius(probablythebishopofAix),refersto thenegotiationsbetweentheGothickingandrepresentitivesoftheCatholic Church.Eurich,inhisextendedregionofcontrol,hadleftseveralbishopricsunoccupied.Hehaddonesobecausethosebishopricsbelongingto theprelatesoftheGaulo-Romanaristocracy,thebearersoftheidealofthe RomanEmpire,stoodinoppositiontoGothicrule.40Inhisletter,Sidonius advisesBasilius,whowasnegotiatingwithEurich,thatheshouldpressthe kingtofillthevacantbishopricsonceagainwithCatholicbishopsinorder that"theCatholicpopulationwithinthebordersoftheGothiclandlot(quos limesGothicaesortisincluserit)shouldremainboundtotheChurchofthe Empire,atleastintermsoffaith(exfide)ifnotpolitically(exfoedere)".41
