‘Pulsare… forem cordis tui’. L’amicizia tra Paolino di Nola e Rufino

Two pairs of short letters, transmitted in Rufinus' De benedictionibus patriarcharum, demonstrate that the contacts between Paulinus and Rufinus, both personal and epistolary, were considerably more frequent and intense than is apparent from the paucity of surviving evidence. Despite the prevalence of commonplaces and conventional images, they attest to a profound and sincere friendship shared with the same circles of friends and acquaintances. The common interests that bound them together were mainly biblical, exegetical or historical. There is no evidence that Paulinus sought Rufinus's counsel on theological matters that were the subject of extensive debate at the time. However, it cannot be ruled out that conversations between the two occasionally touched on these topics.