History of the Empire. Books 1-4
by Herodian
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Description
The History of Herodian (born c. 178-179 CE) is one of the few literary historical sources for the period of the Roman empire from the death of the emperor Marcus Aurelius (180 CE) to the accession of Gordian III (238), a period in which we can see turbulence and the onset of revolution. The History of Herodian (born ca. 178-179 CE) covers a period of the Roman empire from the death of the emperor Marcus Aurelius (180 CE) to the accession of Gordian III (238), half a century of turbulence, show more in which we can see the onset of the revolution which, in the words of Gibbon, "will ever be remembered, and is still felt by the nations of the earth." In these years, a succession of frontier crises and a disastrous lack of economic planning established a pattern of military coups and increasing cultural pluralism. Of this revolutionary epoch we know all too little. The selection of chance has destroyed all but a handful of the literary sources that deal with the immediate post- Antonine scene. Herodian's work is one of the few that have survived, and it has come down to us completely intact. Of the author we know virtually nothing, except that he served in some official capacity in the empire of which he wrote. His History was apparently produced for the benefit of people in the Greek-speaking half of the Roman empire. It betrays the faults of an age when truth was distorted by rhetoric and stereotypes were a substitute for sound reason. But it is an essential document for any who would try to understand the nature of the Roman empire in an era of rapidly changing social and political institutions. The Loeb Classical Library edition of Herodian is in two volumes. show lessTags
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7 Works 158 Members
Series
Belongs to Publisher Series
Loeb Classical Library (454)
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- History of the Empire. Books 1-4
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, History
- DDC/MDS
- 937.06 — History & geography History of ancient world (to ca. 499) Italian Peninsula to 476 and adjacent territories to 476 Empire 31 B.C.-476 A.D.
- LCC
- PA3612 .H49 — Language and Literature Greek language and literature. Latin language and literature Greek literature Translations
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 52
- Popularity
- 581,866
- Languages
- English, Greek (Ancient)
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 2
