Editing Salvian (section)

==Accounts of the fall of the Roman Empire==
Of Salvian's writings there are still extant two treatises, entitled respectively ''De gubernatione Dei'' (more correctly ''De praesenti judicio'') and ''Ad ecclesiam'', and a series of nine letters. Several works mentioned by Gennadius, notably a poem "in morem Graecorum" on the [[six days of creation]] (''[[hexaemeron]]''), and certain homilies composed for bishops, are now lost (Genn. 67).<ref name=EB1911/>

===''De gubernatione Dei'' (''De praesenti judicio'')===
''De gubernatione Dei'' (''On the Governance of God'') has been considered Salvian's greatest work. [[Peter Brown (historian)|Peter Brown]] described it as ‘the most vivid and by far the best-known commentary on the state of the Roman Empire in the 430s and 440s’.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Brown |first=Peter |title=Salvian of Marseilles: Theology and Social Criticism in the Last Century of the Western Empire |date=2010 |publisher=Dacre Trust Foundation |year=2010 |edition=1st |publication-date=2010 |pages=3 |language=English}}</ref> It was published after the capture of [[Litorius]] at Toulouse (439), to which he plainly alludes in vii.40. and after the Vandal [[Battle of Carthage (439)|conquest]] of Carthage in the same year (vi. 12), but before [[Attila]]'s invasion (451), as Salvian speaks of the [[Huns]], not as enemies of the [[Roman Empire|empire]], but as serving in the Roman armies (vii. 9). The words "proximum bellum" seem to denote a year very soon after 439.<ref name=EB1911/>

In the eight surviving volumes, Salvian furnishes a valuable if prejudiced description of life in 5th century [[Gaul]]. He deals with the same problem that had moved the eloquence of [[Augustine of Hippo|Augustine]] and [[Paulus Orosius|Orosius]]: why were these miseries falling on the empire? Could it be, as the pagans said, because the age had forsaken its old gods? Or was it, as the semi-pagan creed of some Christians taught, that God did not constantly overrule the world he had created (i. 1)? With the former Salvian will not argue (iii. 1). To the latter he replies by asserting that "just as the navigating steersman never loses the helm, so does God never remove his care from the world". Hence the title of the treatise.<ref name=EB1911/>

In books i. and ii. Salvian sets himself to prove God's constant guidance, first by the facts of [[Bible|Scripture]] history, and secondly by the enumeration of special texts declaring this truth. Having thus "laid the foundations" of his work, he declares in book iii. that the misery of the Roman world is all due to the neglect of God's commandments and the terrible sins of every class of society. It is not merely that the slaves are thieves and runaways, wine-bibbers and gluttons - the rich are worse (iv. 3). It is their harshness and greed that drive the poor to join the [[Bagaudae]] and fly for shelter to the barbarian invaders (v. 5 and 6). Everywhere the taxes are heaped upon the needy, while the rich, who have the apportioning of the impost, escape comparatively free (v. 7). The great towns are wholly given up to the abominations of the circus and the theatre, where decency is wholly set at nought, and [[Minerva]], [[Mars (god)|Mars]], [[Neptune (god)|Neptune]] and the old gods are still worshipped (vi. 11; cf. vi. 2 and viii. 2).<ref name=EB1911/>

[[Trier|Treves]] was almost destroyed by the barbarians; yet the first petition of its few surviving nobles was that the emperor would re-establish the circus games as a remedy for the ruined city (vi. 15). And this was the prayer of Christians, whose [[baptism]]al oath pledged them to renounce "the devil and his works ... the pomps and shows (''spectacula'')" of this wicked world (vi. 6). Darker still were the iniquities of Carthage, surpassing even the unconcealed licentiousness of Gaul and Spain (iv. 5); and more fearful to Salvian than all else was it to hear men swear "by Christ" that they would commit a crime (iv. 15). It would be the atheist's strongest argument if God left such a state of society unpunished (iv. 12) - especially among Christians, whose sin, since they alone had the Scriptures, was worse than that of barbarians, even if equally wicked, would be (v. 2). But, as a matter of fact, the latter had at least some shining virtues mingled with their vices, whereas the Romans were wholly corrupt (vii. 15, iv. 14).<ref name=EB1911/>

With this iniquity of the Romans Salvian contrasts the chastity of the [[Vandals]], the piety of the [[Goths]], and the ruder virtues of the [[Franks]], the [[Saxons]], and the other tribes to whom, though heretic [[Arianism|Arians]] or unbelievers, God is giving in reward the inheritance of the empire<ref>See also: Maciej Wojcieszak, ''Anima Imperium Romanum. Społeczeństwo Afryki rzymskiej w relacji Salwiana z Marsylii'', "Christiantas Antiqua" 7 (2015), pp. 154–163. ISSN: 1730-3788.</ref> (vii. 9, II, 21). It is curious that Salvian shows no such hatred of the [[heterodox]] barbarians as was rife in [[Gaul]] seventy years later. It is difficult to credit the universal wickedness adduced by Salvian, especially in face of the contemporary testimony of [[Pope Symmachus|Symmachus]], [[Ausonius]] and [[Sidonius Apollinaris]].<ref name=EB1911/>

===''Ad ecclesiam''===
''Ad ecclesiam'' is explained by its common title, ''Contra avaritiam'' (''Against Avarice''). It strongly commends meritorious almsgiving to the church. It is quoted more than once in the ''De gubernatione''. Salvian published it under the name of Timothy, and explained his motives for so doing in a letter to his old pupil, Bishop [[Salonius]] (''Ep.'' ix.).<ref name=EB1911/>

This work is chiefly remarkable because in some places it seems to recommend parents not to bequeath anything to their children, on the plea that it is better for the children to suffer want in this world than that their parents should be damned in the next (iii. 4). Salvian is very clear on the duty of absolute self-denial in the case of sacred virgins, priests and monks (ii. 8–10).<ref name=EB1911/>