The Late Roman World and Its Historian: Interpreting Ammianus Marcellinus

by Jan Willem Drijvers, David Hunt

Overview

Ammianus Marcellinus, Greek by birth but writing in Latin c. AD 390, was the last great Roman historian. His writings are an indispensable basis for our knowledge of the late Roman world. This book represents a collection of papers analysing Ammianus's writings from a variety of perspective, including Ammianus as historian of, and participant in, Julian's Persian campaign, his identification with traditional religious attitudes and values in Rome and his view of the Persian Magi. The contributors engage especially with the concept of self-identification. They address the tension of Ammianus' dual role as both 'outside' external narrator and at the same time and 'insider' to the contemporary experiences and events which make up his surviving history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415642330
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	09/30/2012
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Jan Willem Drijvers, David Hunt

Table of Contents

Introduction PART I Ammianus, soldier and historian 2 Ammianus Marcellinus and fourth-century warfare: a protector’s approach to historical narrative 3 Preparing the reader for war: Ammianus’ digression on siege Engines 4 The Persian invasion of 359: presentation by suppression in Ammianus Marcellinus’ Res Gestae 18.4.1–18.6.7 5 The outsider inside: Ammianus on the rebellion of Silvanus 6 Ammianus and the eunuchs PART II Images of emperors Images of Constantius 7 Telling tales: Ammianus’ narrative of the Persian expedition of Julian Ammianus on Jovian: history and literature 8 Nec metu nec adulandi foeditate constricta: the image of Valentinian I from Symmachus to Ammianus 11 Ammianus, Valentinian and the Rhine Germans PART III Rome, the historian and his audience 12 Ammianus Satiricus 13 A Persian at Rome: Ammianus and Eunapius, Frg. 14 Some Constantinian references in Ammianus 15 Templum mundi totius: Ammianus and a religious ideal of Rome PART IV The world beyond, Persia and Isauria Ammianus Marcellinus’ image of Arsaces and early Parthian History 17 Pure rites: Ammianus Marcellinus on the Magi 18 Visa vel lecta? Ammianus on Persia and the Persians 19 Ammianus Marcellinus on Isauria