1Sedulius explains to the presbyter Macedonius that, turning from secular studies to God, he wrote his Paschal Song in verse because many readers are won more readily by poetry, defends his choice of Macedonius as patron among many worthy clergy and devout women, and commends the work to him.
2Sedulius tells Macedonius that, at his command, he has turned the Paschal Song into prose, adding what meter had forced him to leave out; he defends the practice by the examples of Hermogenian and Origen, and names the verse work the Paschal Song and the prose the Paschal Work.
authentic · Sedulius's two dedicatory letters to the priest Macedonius.
Standing
Not honoured as a saint or in a church calendar by the Catholic, Orthodox, or Protestant traditions. Writer in the church of his time, not venerated by any of the three traditions.
Date
ca. 425-450 (approximate)
Written at
Italy or Achaia (disputed) (disputed)
Addressed to
Macedonius
Language
Latin
Genre
letter
Reference system
letter (1 = preface to the Carmen paschale, 2 = preface to the Opus paschale); each letter is one passage. Source page numbers are approximate.
SBL abbreviation
Ep. Maced.Not yet checked
Text from
Johann Huemer, ed., Sedulii opera omnia, CSEL 10 (Vienna: Gerold, 1885) (Printed edition in the public domain; digital text CC BY-SA 4.0)