SIDONIUS APOLLINARIS


The Christian writer Sidonius Apollinaris lived in the later fifth century. He served under three emperors of the West. As bishop of Arverna (Clermont) he organized resistance to the Visigoths.


Epistulae I, 179
(488 AD)
Vereor autem, ne famem populi Romani theatralis caveae fragor insonet et infortunio meo publica deputetur esuries. sane hunc ipsum e vestigio ad portum mittere paro, quia conperi naves quinque Brundusio profectas cum speciebus tritici ac mellis ostia Tiberina tetigisse ... I am afraid [Sidonius is now Praefectus Urbis] that the theatre crowd will raise the cry of famine and blame me for the shortage. In fact I am preparing to send him [the Praefectus Annonae] down at once to the harbour, because I have just heard that five ships from Brundisium with cargoes of wheat and honey have reached the Tiber mouth.

Translation: R. Meiggs, p. 99.