Redaktionsgeschichte und Fiktion in der Briefsammlung von Nilus Ankyranus

The Correspondence attributed to Nilus of Ancyra contains more than a thousand letters: just because of its size alone, it should therefore constitute one of the most important historical sources of the Late Antiquity. From an editorial point of view, the research conditions are not optimal. But the most serious problems do not concern the textual criticism: it can be proved that these letters (at least in large part) were not written by Nilus. In all likelihood, many of these texts are nothing more than a redactional product, representing a gigantic and hitherto misunderstood historical fiction. Much research remains to be done in order to assess the level of historical reliability of this source. But the time has come to look at the question of authenticity from a new (and less inquisitorial) perspective: What is the literary goal of this epistolary fiction? How does it fit into the framework of Church politics between the fifth and sixth centuries? Is it the creation of a local cult or a school exercise?