Studien und Texte zu Antike und Christentum Studies and Texts in Antiquity and Christianity Herausgeber/Editors Christoph Markschies (Berlin) · Martin Wallraff (München) Christian Wildberg (Pittsburgh) Beirat/Advisory Board Peter Brown (Princeton) · Susanna Elm (Berkeley) Johannes Hahn (Münster) · Emanuela Prinzivalli (Rom) Jörg Rüpke (Erfurt) 127 Jessica van ’t Westeinde Roman Nobilitas in Jerome’s Letters Roman Values and Christian Asceticism for Socialites Mohr Siebeck Jessica van ’t Westeinde, 2016 PhD from Durham University, UK; currently Junior Research Fellow at the Department of Ancient History, University of Bern (IRC Religious Conflict and Coping Strategies), and the Department of Ancient History, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen. orcid.org/0000-0002-4963-4130 ISBN 978-3-16-159343-7 / eISBN 978-3-16-160682-3 DOI 10.1628/978-3-16-160682-3 ISSN 1436-3003 / eISSN 2568-7433 (Studien und Texte zu Antike und Christentum) The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliographie; detailed bibliographic data are available at http://dnb.dnb.de. © 2021 by Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, Germany. www.mohrsiebeck.com This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form (beyond that permitted by copyright law) without the publisher’s written permission. This applies particularly to repro- ductions, translations and storage and processing in electronic systems. The book was printed on non-aging paper by Laupp & Göbel in Gomaringen and bound by Buchbinderei Nädele in Nehren. Printed in Germany. Dedicated to Petrus Franciscus Leonardus van ’t Westeinde My beloved father Who sailed into the west in 2013 Preface One famous Headmaster once spoke the wise words “it is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities”.1 Whilst this holds true for Jerome, it applies to the current author, too: Jerome gave up his career in the imperial administration in favour of a life as an ascetic mentor and author of scholarly and spiritual writings. The current author chose an academic path at the cost of a musical career. Similarly, converting a doctorate into an accessible book is a deliberate choice. With this book on Jerome and his Roman aristocratic patrons I wish to offer the reader a glimpse into one tiny aspect of the complex world of the later Roman Empire, and bring it to life. This book is the stage where I present Jerome and his socialites. The reader will have to imagine the dramatic music. The embarkation on the doctoral path marked the start of a long journey which from the beginning had to manoeuvre through rocky waters, at times tortured by temperamental tides that almost shipwrecked the entire mission. An expression of gratitude is therefore in order for those who helped me reach the other shore. First and foremost, I would like to thank my super- visors Lewis Ayres and Carol Harrison. Many thanks to Lewis in particular for his confidence in my abilities which helped me get through the last stages of writing and submitting the thesis. Needless to say, this work could not have been completed if it were not for their continued support. Secondly, I would like to thank my examiners Neil McLynn and Robert Hayward for their constructive feedback, instructive remarks, and for the inspiring dis- cussion we had during the viva voce. I have tried to follow their suggestions to the best of my abilities (especially for this revised and extended edition). Any flaws that remain are my own. Yet, much of the initial work would not have reached its final form were it not for Markus Vinzent. Markus’ refreshing take on texts inspired me greatly, and opened up new avenues for interpreting Jerome’s rhetoric. He challenged me profoundly, and together with Jörg Rüpke he inspired me to apply a new methodology to the analysis of Jerome’s correspondence with aristocrats. Much gratitude also goes to fellow Hieronymians Josef Lössl, Thomas Hunt, Andrew Cain, and Hillel Newman. Many thanks to Éric Rebillard for so generously sharing the proofs of his article “Everyday Christianity in Carthage at the Time of Tertullian”, 1 J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, London: Bloomsbury, 1998. VIII Preface where he develops a new methodology which proved important to consider in the study of Jerome’s Roman aristocrats. I also thank Peter Gemeinhardt, David Hunter, Christopher Nunn, Silvia Georgieva, and Mattias Brand for much valued research conversations. I thank the editors of STAC, Christoph Markschies, Martin Wallraff, and Christian Wildberg for accepting this book in their series, and I thank Klaus Hermannstädter, Elena Müller, Tobias Städler, and the team at Mohr Siebeck for their incredible support. Finally, I owe an expression of gratitude to the one who first sparked my interest in the field, who first taught me – exemplo suo – the skills and, more importantly, the love for doing research: Mathijs Lamberigts. He will never forgive me for having abandoned Pelagius for Jerome, but at least I have not become an Augustinian. Although the road of writing a book can be a solitary and lonesome one, it cannot be achieved without the support of cheering backers on the sideline or the athletes who walk with you for parts of the journey. Many thanks go to Andrew Moss in Durham for being my academic partner in crime, and dear friend: thank you so much for the coffee breaks in Dun Cow Cottage, the rants we could have when faced with research that seemed not to be moving in any direction, but equally the fun and laughter we had; not to forget the cricket matches at Chester-le-Street that proved very welcome breaks from writing. Throughout my time at university Laurens de Rooij has been a stable factor of presence: thank you for your friendship, and I hope our friendship may last wherever (academic) life may take us. Likewise a massive todah rabah to my fellow-sufferers at Durham Jewish Society: particularly Ben Kasstan (thank you for being a safe harbour in the tumultuous sea of the last-stage PhD) and Lee Goldfarb. Friday nights reminded us that a good chicken soup is a cure to most ills, even PhD-mesjoggene. Last but not least, I thank my family for their continuous support even at the hardest of times. Special thanks go to my father of blessed memory who, despite everything, convinced me to pursue doctoral studies. I wish he could have lived to see the result. In honour of his memory I dedicate the fruit of these studies to him. Jessica van ’t Westeinde Table of Contents Preface.......................................................................................................VII Abbreviations..............................................................................................XI Introduction...................................................................................................1 A. Methodology............................................................................................5 1. Embodied Early and Medieval Christianity (EEMC).............................7 B. Terminology...........................................................................................12 C. Towards a Common Denominator...........................................................14 D. Manuscript Tradition...............................................................................21 Part I: Jerome’s World Chapter 1: Jerome of Stridon........................................................................27 A. A Short Biography..................................................................................31 Chapter 2: Embodied in Roman Society.......................................................41 A. Roman Society and Metropolitan Life.....................................................41 B. Roman Law.................................................................................................45 C. Senatorial Aristocracy.................................................................................48 D. Literature and Literacy................................................................................52 E. Religion and the Emergence of Christianity in Its Manifold Manifestations.....................................................................58 Part II: Junior Correspondents Chapter 3: Young Aristocrats: Patricians..........................................................65 A. From Patrician to Ascetic Patrician..........................................................67 B. On How to Appear..................................................................................87 C. On What to Avoid...................................................................................94 D. Transformation through the Study of the Scriptures................................98 E. Doctrinal and Public Engagement.........................................................106 F. Conclusion............................................................................................109