Letter 32

UnknownSulpicius Severus|c. 416 AD|paulinus nola
From: Paulinus, bishop of Nola
To: Sulpicius Severus, monk and writer
Date: ~416 AD
Context: A major letter about the parallel building projects at Nola and Primuliacum, containing detailed descriptions of church architecture, mosaic programs, and verse inscriptions composed for the walls.

The open page, with these little verses inserted into it, called my tongue and hand to fill the empty space — and something came to mind worth writing. I am truly delighted that we have shown ourselves to be of one heart and body, one in our works and our aspirations: at the same time, both of us have been adding basilicas to the Lord's sheepfolds. You, in fact, have gone further — you built a baptistery between your two basilicas, surpassing us in these visible constructions as well. But thanks be to the Lord, who has given us something in which even defeat feels like victory.

[This is one of the most architecturally important of all Paulinus's letters. It contains detailed descriptions of the building complex at Nola dedicated to Saint Felix — the new basilica, its apse mosaics, the connecting porticoes, the water features, and especially the verse inscriptions (tituli) Paulinus composed for the walls. These inscriptions, quoted in full within the letter, are among the earliest surviving examples of Christian ekphrastic poetry designed for church interiors. Paulinus explains his rationale for using pictures and inscriptions to teach the faith to pilgrims, many of whom were illiterate peasants from the Campanian countryside. He describes scenes from the Old Testament painted on the walls — Moses and the crossing of the Red Sea, Joshua and the fall of Jericho, Ruth gleaning in the fields — and explains the typological connections between each scene and its New Testament fulfillment. The letter also includes descriptions of the baptistery, with its elaborate water symbolism, and the landscaping of the courtyard gardens. He sends these descriptions and inscriptions to Severus as models for the decoration of the new buildings at Primuliacum, offering to compose custom inscriptions if Severus wishes. The letter is a primary source for understanding how late antique Christians thought about sacred space, the relationship between art and teaching, and the theology of the built environment.]

Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.

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