Maria Carolina CAMPONE (Dipartimento Umanistico, Accademia Militare “Nunziatella” Napoli)
MARE UNDIQUE ET UNDIQUE CAELUM: IL TOPOS DEL VIAGGIO IN MARE NELL’EPISTOLA 49 DI PAOLINO DI NOLA
Keywords: Epistle 49, Paulinus Nolanus, fides, God gubernator, nautical metaphor.
Abstract: Mare undique et undique caelum: the topos of the sea voyage in Paulinus of Nola’s Epistle 49. Epistle 49 is an important document of the philosophical substratum present in the epistolary and carmina of Paulinus Nolanus. Taking up a theme widely present in classical literature and in Stoic and Neoplatonic philosophy, the author presents the mystical experience as the only one capable of ensuring the salvation of the faithful and of creating the basis for a new society capable of resisting social contingencies. The typical lexicon of romanitas is widely re-semanticized, but it is above all the points of contact with the Platonic lesson that make this writing an exceptional document of Paulinus’ contribution to early Christian thought.