The Roman Historians

by Ronald Mellor

Overview

The Romans' devotion to their past pervades almost every aspect of their culture. But the clearest image of how the Romans wished to interpret their past is found in their historical writings. This book examines in detail the major Roman historians:
* Sallust
* Livy
* Tacitus
* Ammianus
as well as the biographies written by:
* Nepos
* Tacitus
* Suetonius
* the Augustan History
* the autobiographies of Julius Caesar and the Emperor Augustus.

Ronald Mellor demonstrates that Roman historical writing was regarded by its authors as a literary not a scholarly exercise, and how it must be evaluated in that context. He shows that history writing reflected the political structures of ancient Rome under the different regimes.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415117746
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	12/03/1998
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.44(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Ronald Mellor is Professor of History at UCLA. He is the author of Tacitus (1993) and The Historians of Ancient Rome: An Anthology (1997).

Table of Contents

Preface, 1. Introduction, 2. Origins of Roman Historiography, 3. Sallust, 4. Livy, 5. Tacitus, 6. Ammianus Marcellinus, 7. Roman Biography, 8. Autobiography at Rome, 9. Historical Writing at Rome, Further reading, Index.

Editorial Reviews

A companion to T. J Luce's analogous treatment of Greek historians, offers the background to allow modern readers make the necessary adjustments and enjoy<-->or at least comprehend and appreciate<-- >accounts of the past written in what is now the long past. Discusses the origins of Roman historiography, Sallust, Livy, Tacitus, Ammianus Marcellinus, Roman biography and autobiography, and historical writing at Rome. All quotations are in English. The text itself is unencumbered by scholastic paraphernalia, but the back matter identifies the translations quoted and recommends further reading. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknew.com)

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