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STEFAN FREUND
Tu tantum, guem iam spiritalibus castris caelestis militia signauit, tene
incorruptam, tene sobriam religiosis uirtutibus disciplinam. (Donat. 15)
There, too, the soul is compared to a house:
Now ceilings enriched with gold and houses decorated with slabs of precious
marble will seem of no account when you realize that you are to be cherished more,
that you rather are to be adorned, that this house is of more importance for you,
where God dwells in a temple, in which the Holy Spirit begins to live.
lam tibi auro distincta laguearia et pretiosi marmoris crustis uestita domicilia
sordebunt, cum scieris te excolendum magis, te potius ornandum, domum tibi
hanc esse potiorem, quam dominus insedit templi uice, in qua spiritus sanctus
coepit habitare. (Donat. 15)
The central passage, however, i.e. chapters 6 to 10, start from an explicitly
different point of view. Cyprian virtually places his addressee on the top of
a mountain so that he can observe the world from a distanced and, so to
speak, objective position. Then, in chapters 11, 12, and 13, the deeper reasons
for this deplorable state of affairs are named: the wrong values of power and
wealth. To these, Cyprian counterposes God’s permanent gifts in chapter 14.
Thus, on the one hand, we have a more or less symmetrical structure:
dialogic framework (turn of chapters 1 and 2)
subjective spirituality (chapters 3-5)
general objective analysis of the world (chapters 6-14)
subjective spirituality (chapter 15)
dialogic framework (chapter 16).
On the other hand, we notice two reverse trends. Inthe central part (chapters
6 to 14), the discourse moves from the godless and evil state of the world to
God’s marvellous gifts, which means we approach God. In the two subjective
or spiritual passages (as one might call them), the direction is the opposite
one. We start from Cyprian, who is enthusiastic, filled with God’s grace, and
who tries to verbalize how this feels, and we come to Donatus, who still needs
pastoral care and encouragement on his way to God.
But perhaps the most interesting counterpoint occurs in the dialogic
framework. Both passages, i.e. chapter 1 and chapter 16, are closely linked.
In the beginning, Donatus is addressed in the same words: “dearest Donatus”
(Donate carissime, Donat. 1 and 16). Twice Cyprian suggests spending the day
(diem ducere) ina pleasant way (hic iocundum sermonibus diem ducere, Donat.
1, and ducamus hunc diem laeti, Donat. 16). In both passages positive sensual
4° This structure partially corresponds to a mixture of three different styles; compare Molager,
A Donat, 43-46, and Winterbottom, Cyprian’s Ad Donatum, 195-196.
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