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STEFAN FREUND
The panoramic view from the mountain ends with a detailed look on
jurisdiction (chapter 10). And we may suppose the members of the well¬
educated upper class of lawyers to be active precisely in this field.”
Cyprian talks about “ceilings enriched with gold and houses decorated with
slabs of precious marble” (distincta laquearia et pretiosi marmoris crustis
uestita domicilia sordebunt, Donat. 15), the complete unimportance of which
will be felt by the converted. The mention of such expensive architectural
details makes most sense if the addressee at least theoretically may hope to
afford them.
As someone with this social status, Donatus is the role model for the
intended reader. Thus, however, the audience is expected to be influenced
not only by the careful attention Donatus pays to and the interest he takes in
the Christian community, but also by his appurtenance to it, which becomes
obvious in the last chapter. He is somebody “whom already the heavenly
warfare has designated for the spiritual camp” (quem iam spiritalibus castris
caelestis militia signauit, Donat. 15). And in the end, he is asked to sing
psalms, as he is used to doing (ex more, Donat. 16). It turns out that the role
model is already a soloist in the church choir.
As to communication, we have already seen that Ad Donatum shows many
features of a dialogue, despite the fact that it is not a dialogue since only
Cyprian speaks. And he speaks with overwhelming authority. This consists
of two aspects:
Cyprian is an authoritative narrator. He virtually puts Donatus and, of
course, the reader on the top of a mountain and makes them see the world,
and he describes the vine-covered portico, where the conversation (or rather
the monologue) takes place, in a much more detailed manner than would
be necessary for Donatus, who is supposed to be present—again the reader
is taken on a fantasy trip. Similarly impressive is the narrator’s first-person
account of his conversion.
Cyprian’s authoritative narrative approach is appropriate to his authority
as witness to his own conversion. In the whole writing, Cyprian dominates.
He explains, he teaches, and he gives instructions. Donatus, however, is
initially said to remind Cyprian of a promise. This remains his only act of
communication.
What is the reason for this asymmetry?”® What is Cyprian’s authority
based on? The text itself offers only one possible answer: Cyprian’s authority
is based on his experience of conversion and baptism. That means that
7 Andreas Hoffmann, Kirchliche Strukturen und Römisches Recht bei Cyprian von Karthago,
Paderborn, Schöningh, 2000, sketches how Roman law and juridical thinking influence
Cyprian himself.
Fink-Dendorfer, Conversio, 37 n. 3 (“Cyprian scheint aber der geistige Führer der beiden zu
sein”), notices this point, but she is too careful in stressing it.
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