Living with the Barbarians: The Life and Decline of Paulinus of Pella – Philippe de Felice

What was it like to live through the barbarian invasions at the end of the Roman Empire? We have surprisingly few eyewitness accounts of this immensely violent and traumatic event for many who had previously lived in the comfortable safety of Roman rule. One particularly dramatic example is contained in the memoirs of Paulinus of Pella, a rich Roman aristocrat who saw his life totally turned upside down by the arrival of the Visigoths in his native Aquitaine, leaving for us a moving poem of his life and the decline of his fortunes.

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Philippe de Felice Bio

Philippe de Felice is of Swiss origins and was born in Zurich in 1954. He received a cosmopolitan education in Swiss, French and English schools, and then studied at Florence University and Oriel College Oxford (where he graduated with First Class Honours in History and French in 1976). He later qualified as a Barrister and followed a career in international law, working on aid projects for the United Nations, on EU affairs for the Commission and the UK government, and most recently in private practice.

He has travelled widely in Asia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

He now lives in London with his wife and three children. Entertaining Mona Lisa is his first collection of stories. He is currently working on a novel and a series of studies on how humans have chosen to express themselves throughout the ages, from prehistoric caves to the internet era.