For the lover of Roman history who is more interested in social history, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Gibbons is a much more interesting read. The context is the setting in authority over them of the disagreeable Alexander of Heliopolis as consularis (not ‘prefect’, as Fornara, 338 n. 21). are also quite good, of course, yet I can't help but infinitely prefer the wacky and digressive ones, Diogenes Laertius'. Ammianus’s history, Rerum gestarum libri (“The Chronicles of Events”), consisted of 31 books, of which only the last 18, covering the years 353–378, survive. The greatest of the Roman historians. Very readable history surrounding the reign of Julian the Apostate. To made this worse, Hamilton chose to effectively omit virtually ALL. It is a primary source dealing with my favorite time period, Late Antiquity and the early middle ages. Now Ammianus is not Tacitus or Livy in terms of writing style, but he had an advantage over many of these ancient historians; namely, he lived and participated (i.e., was an eye witness) to most of the events he describes. This assignment focuses on Amminaus Marcellinus analysis. Ammianus Marcellinus was as he describes himself 'a former soldier and a Greek. Ammianus Marcellinus was the last great Roman historian, and his writings rank alongside those of Livy and Tacitus. 3. This is an abridgment of a work which is already incomplete. This volume is an abridgment of what remains of Ammanius's full work. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Walter Hamilton, trans. For example, the pogrom during the reign of Valens against divination and acts of magic reminds. Formal structure, that is, the division of long works into books among the ancients and their division into volumes in the modern age, was important for all historians in the classical tradition until the nineteenth century. I decided to read Ammianus because I understood he was a self-conscious successor to Tacitus, whose work is probably my favorite of the contemporaneous Roman histories.
Then I realized that his history would probably seem very familiar to me, having already read Gibbon's 'Decline and Fall' and Heather's 'Fall of the Roman Empire', for which Ammianus serves as a primary source. He does go on several asides, though I think these add to the character of the work. This edition of Marcellinus's late 4th Century CE history is a (mostly) readable translation that does a very good job of making the text and the period accessible for modern Anglophone readers. The closest thing to a time machine to the late 300s, not just to its events but even its mindset. ]—died 395, Rome [Italy]), last major Roman historian, whose work continued the history of the later Roman Empire to 378. As a fan of ancient history, I really enjoyed this book. He set himself the task of continuing the histories of Tacitus from A.D. 96 down to his own day. What stands out most in his account are the Goths (who are strangely like Anglo-Americans in the 1800s, with covered wagons and everything), that horrible battle against them at Adrianople and his picture of Julian, the last man to rule the Roman Empire who believed in the old gods. What stands out most in his account are the Goths (who are strangely like Anglo-Americans in the 1800s, with covered wagons and everything), that horrible battle against them at Adrianople and his picture of Julian, the last man to rule the Roman Empire who believed in the old gods. It's hard not to like a book that Gibbon cited as a major source, but the Penguin version is unfortunately abridged and leaves out some quality passages. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Decided to reread this classic of late Roman historiography after reading Donna Tartt's, This volume contains a substantial narrative of political and military events, highlighting major episodes such as the conversion of Constantine, the creation in the East of the pious Christian state, and the resurgence of Roman ambition under the emperor Justinian. The paper on Amminaus Marcellinus. What's left of his writings cover the reigns of Emperors Constantius II, Julian, Jovian, Valentinian (plus Gratian) and Valens. The Later Roman Empire: (a.D. 354-378). The author and the population at large, have full confidence in Roman supremacy. Invaluable account of the later Roman Empire, Ammianus Marcellinus (c. 330 - after 391) is the preeminent historian of the Late Roman Empire, whose extant work forms the most important narrative we possess on the Fourth Century A.D. Born of genteel extraction in a Greek-speaking part of the empire, Ammianus served in the army in campaigns ranging form Gaul to Persia before settling in Rome and beginning his literary carreer. The beginning of Ammianus's work, covering the reign of Constantine, is lost, but the surviving portions focus on the em. Drawing upon his own experience, Ammianus supplies vivid pictures of the empire’s economic and social problems.
The Empire itself is crushing under the weight of; government corruption, heavy taxation, endless civil wars, and nearby invading tribes. Nevertheless, his treatment of Christianity is free from prejudice and his impartiality and good judgement have been generally acknowledged. The Age of Attila : Fifth-Century Byzantium and the Barbarians. Ammianus Marcellinus (c. 330 - after 391) is the preeminent historian of the Late Roman Empire, whose extant work forms the most important narrative we possess on the Fourth Century A.D. Born of genteel extraction in a Greek-speaking part of the empire, Ammianus served in the army in campaigns ranging form Gaul to Persia before settling in Rome and beginning his literary carreer. One of my favorite authors. By the same token, the passage cannot be said, as it is by Fornara, Bowersock and Barnes, to disprove Ammianus' Antiochene origin. Besides shedding. The first thirteen of his thirty-one books are lost; the remainder describe a period of only twenty-five years (A.D. 354-378) and the reigns of the emperors Constantis, Julian, Jovian, Valentinian and Valens, for which he is a prime authority.
There he wrote his history of the Roman Empire, in Latin, from the accession of Nerva to the death of Valens, beginning where Tacitus’s Historiae (Histories) ends.
This history has a few more curious anecdotal side stories to help the reader through the usual unending chain of battles and the morass of common Roman names so easily confused with their more famous predecessors. In a group of thematic chapters, the book considers the nature of the late Roman state, the emergence and character of the western barbarian kingdoms, the epochal religious changes of late antiquity, and major aspects of economy and society. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Even though it reads like an excerpt from a larger history (which it is), as long as you have a good understanding of the geography it flows very nicely. This volume is an abridgment of what remains of Ammanius's full work. Rome at this time was horribly corrupt and deserved to be sacked. The Later Roman Empire: (a.D. 354-378). Although Ammianus was clearly influenced by Tacitus’s Historiae, Cicero is the Latin author he quotes and refers to most often. This volume contains a substantial narrative of political and military events, highlighting major episodes such as the conversion of Constantine, the creation in the East of the pious Christian state, and the resurgence of Roman ambition under the emperor Justinian. Ammianus Marcellinus is awesome. by Penguin Classics. It did add to my knowledge of Roman History, but found the daily account of the military battles somewhat tedious. Mostly about Julian’s rise and fall and his losing Iraq to Iran (though it ends with Romans involving pre- Islamic Arabs on some vampire shit against the Huns during Valens’ death). As good as Plutarch is, Ammianus makes him look ordinary. He was not a professional man of letters but an army officer of Greek origin born at Antioch and contemporary with the events described in what remains of his work. Actual book starts on page 57 or 59. there is english and latin verses in text. Be the first to ask a question about The Later Roman Empire. We’d love your help. In this regard, adding images, Social media tags and mentions are likely to boost the visibility of your posts to the targeted audience and enable you to get a higher discount code. You do not need to use outside sources, sources should be cited fully and properly using footnotes in the Chicago Manual of Style format. As a fan of ancient history, I really enjoyed this book. However, the choices that Editor/Translator Walter Hamilton made in assembling this volume were extremely aggravating and frustrating.
The twentieth century, or at least English-speaking culture in the twentieth century, has lost the feeling for symmetry and formal structure that came instinctively to earlier ages. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published Loved this. Much of what seems “Christian” in Augustine’s world view really was not: it was just the received wisdom of the age. Striking are the moralizing reflections that testify to a great experience, human knowledge and wisdom. intro has good information as well. The moral values that built the Roman empire are completely corrupted by this point and it's choking everything.