Offers a broad range of texts spanning six centuries of imperial Roman history—Volume II of Empire of the Romans, from Julius Caesar to Justinian
Empire of the Romans: From Julius Caesar to Justinian: Six Hundred Years of Peace and War, Volume II: Select Anthology is a compendium of texts that trace the main historical changes of the empire over six hundred years, from the death of Julius Caesar to the late Middle Ages. The second volume of Empire of the Romans, from Julius Caesar to Justinian, this anthology balances literary texts with other documentary, legal, and epigraphic sources. Acclaimed author John Matthews presents texts that reflect individual, first-person experiences rather than those from historians outside of the time periods of which they write.
Each selection includes an introduction, annotations on points of interest, author commentary, and suggestions for further reading. Excerpts are organized thematically to help readers understand their meaning without requiring an extensive knowledge of context. Six sections—running in parallel to the structure and content to Volume I—explore the topics such as the building of the empire, Pax Romana, the new empire of Diocletian and Constantine, and barbarian invasions and the fall of the Western Empire. Selected texts span a wide array of subjects ranging from political discourse and Roman law, to firsthand accounts of battle and military service, to the civic life and entertainment of ordinary citizens. This volume:
Covers a vast chronological and topical range Includes introductory essays to each selected text to explain key points, present problems of interpretation, and guides readers to further literature Balances the different categories and languages of original texts Enables easy cross-reference to Volume I Minimizes the use of technical language in favor of plain-English forms
Whether used as a freestanding work or as a complement to Volume I, the Select Anthology is an ideal resource for students in Roman history survey courses as well as interested general readers seeking a wide-ranging collection of readings on the subject.
Edited by:
John Matthews (Yale University)
Imprint: Blackwell Publishing
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions:
Height: 252mm,
Width: 178mm,
Spine: 25mm
Weight: 1.021kg
ISBN: 9781444334586
ISBN 10: 1444334581
Pages: 512
Publication Date: 11 February 2021
Audience:
General/trade
,
Professional and scholarly
,
ELT Advanced
,
Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Preface xi List of Figures xv Part I Building an Empire 1 1 Contests of the Powerful: Appian: Civil War 3 2 A Roman Senator Mourns His Wife: “Laudatio Turiae” (inscr., Rome) 7 3 An Architect’s Profession: Vitruvius: On Architecture, Preface 15 4 Past and Present in Augustan Poetry: The Battle of Actium in Vergil’s Aeneid, 8.671–731 19 5 The Authorized Version: Augustus: Res Gestae 23 6 The Secular Games 29 6.1 Zosimus: New History, 2.5–6 30 6.2 Inscriptions on the Conduct of the Games 32 6.3 Q. Horatius Flaccus: Carmen Saeculare 35 7 An Admirer of Tiberius: Velleius Paterculus: History of Rome, 2.101–7 39 8 An Embassy to Caligula: Philo: Legatio ad Gaium 45 9 Victims of Tyranny 51 9.1 The Death of Seneca in Tacitus’ Annals, 15.60–5 52 9.2 Lucan the Poet: Suetonius, Life of Lucan 54 10 Episodes from the Last Years of Nero 57 10.1 Tiridates at Rome: Cassius Dio/Xiphilinus, 63.1–7 58 10.2 The Grand Tour of Hellas Cassius Dio/Xiphilinus, 63.14–21 59 10.3 Nero: The Liberation of Hellas (inscr. from Akraiphia, Boeotia) 62 11 Plautius Silvanus, Legate of Moesia: Funerary elogium from Tibur (inscr.) 67 Part II Pax Romana: “A Polite and Powerful Empire” 69 12 The Life and Death of the Elder Pliny 71 12.1 Pliny: Ep. 3.5 to Baebius Macer 72 12.2 Pliny: Ep. 6.16 to Cornelius Tacitus 74 13 Conduct of a Philosopher: Epictetus: Discourses 77 14 Scenes from Metropolitan Life: Martial: Selected Epigrams 81 14.1 The Colosseum 83 14.2 Snow in the Amphitheatre 83 14.3 Gladiatorial Combat 83 14.4 Animals in the Arena 84 14.5 Cruel and Unusual Punishment 84 14.6 The Devastation of Vesuvius 84 14.7 The Palace of Domitian 85 14.8 A Roman Suicide 85 14.9 A Lamented Dancer 86 14.10 Imperial Patronage and the Success of a Poet 86 14.11 A New Emperor 86 14.12 Pliny the Orator 87 14.13 A Poet’s Life 87 14.14 Juvenal the Satirist 88 15 Civic Life at Ephesus 91 15.1 Ulpian: De Officio Proconsulis 93 15.2 The Sophist Damianus: Philostratus, Lives of the Sophists 94 15.3 A Disruptive Visitor: Acts of the Apostles, 19.7–41 95 15.4 Inscriptions of Ephesus 97 15.5 Inscriptions of Perge 99 16 Public Life and Occupations: Artemidorus: Oneirocritica 103 17 A Career Choice: Lucian of Samosata: The Dream 107 18 Labor Costs in Diocletian’s Edict on Maximum Prices 113 18.1 Trades and Occupations: Edict VII 114 18.2 Prices of Slaves: Edict XXIX 116 19 Games and Entertainments 117 19.1 Two Epitaphs of Gladiators (inscrs. from Milan, Verona) 117 19.2 A Record‐Breaking Charioteer: G. Appuleius Diocles (inscr., Rome) 118 20 A Visit to the Country: The Souk el-Khmis Inscription 123 21 Traveling to Court in the Digest: Gaius and Ulpian: Provincial Edict 127 21.1 Gaius: Provincial Edict, Book 1 128 21.2 Ulpian: Provincial Edict, Book 74 129 22 Sea Journeys and Shipwrecks 131 22.1 Lucian: The Ship 131 22.2 Letter from a Crewman (Papyrus) 134 22.3 The Sailing Season: Vegetius and the Theodosian Code 134 23 Life in the Armed Forces 137 23.1 A Soldier’s Day of Glory (inscr., Philippi) 137 23.2 Hadrian Addresses the Troops (inscr., Lambaesis/Vescera) 138 23.3 A Tour of Inspection: Arrian’s Circumnavigation of the Black Sea 141 23.4 A Legionary Surveyor and Engineer (inscr., Lambaesis) 146 23.5 Joining the Navy: Recruits Write Home (Papyrus Letters) 148 23.6 Retirement from the Army (Inscribed Diploma) 149 23.7 A Soldier Makes his Will (Papyrus Document) 151 24 Religion, Philosophy, Science 155 24.1 Apuleius and the Goddess Isis 155 24.2 Aelius Aristides and the God Asklepios 160 24.3 A Chapter of Accidents: Fronto and Marcus Caesar 164 24.4 Galen’s Prognosis 168 24.5 Marcus Aurelius Antoninus: “To Himself ” 173 25 Crime and Punishment in the Jurists: Justinian, Digest: Ulpian, Callistratus, Paul 181 26 A Hearing before the Proconsul: Acts of the Scillitan Martyrs 187 Part III Rising to the Challenge 191 27 A Witness to His Age: Cassius Dio’s History 193 27.1 The Last Days of Commodus, 73.14–23 193 27.2 The End of the History, 80.1–5 197 28 The Great King Blows the Trumpet: Monumental Inscription from Naqsh-e Rustam, Fars 201 29 Prophecy and History in the Third‐Century East: The Thirteenth Sibylline Oracle 207 30 The Aftermath of Invasion: Gregory Thaumaturgus: Canonical Letter 213 31 A Philosopher’s Circle: Eunapius: Lives of the Sophists 217 32 The Herulian Attack on Athens: Dexippus: Scythica 221 33 The Martyrdom of Cyprian 223 33.1 Cyprian: Letters 224 33.2 Acta Cypriani 226 34 Christian Persecutions in the Papyri: Certificates of Sacrifice from Theadelphia and Oxyrhynchus 229 34.1 The Sacrifice Test 230 34.2 Declaration of Church Property 231 35 Maximinus and the Christians: Eusebius: Ecclesiastical History with inscr. from Colbasa 233 36 Legal Proceedings before the Consularis Numidiae: Optatus of Milevis: Appendix I 237 Part IV A New Empire 243 37 Diary of an Official: Papyrus from Oxyrhynchus 245 38 Cities of Constantine (1): Constantinople, “New Rome” 249 38.1 Zosimus: New History, 2.29ff 251 38.2 Chronicon Paschale 253 39 Cities of Constantine (2): Rome: The Liber Pontificalis 257 40 Cities of Constantine (3): Jerusalem: Eusebius on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre 267 41 A Question of Civic Status: Orcistus and Nacolia (inscr. from Orcistus) 273 42 The Philosopher and the Politician: Sopatros and Ablabius: Eunapius: Lives of the Sophists 277 43 Tribulations of an Officer: Papyri from the Abinnaeus Archive 281 44 On Their Majesties’ Service 287 44.1 The Emperor Restores a Reputation (inscr.) 287 44.2 Obelisks’ Tales (inscrs.) 289 45 Warfare and Romance on the Tigris Frontier 293 45.1 An Officer in the Field (Ammianus Marcellinus, 18.6–8) 294 45.2 The Wife of Craugasius (Ammianus Marcellinus, 18.10, 19.9) 299 46 An Adventure in the Desert: Jerome: Life of Malchus 303 47 Julian and the Platonists: Eunapius: Lives of the Sophists 311 48 The Conduct of a Priest: Julian: Letter to a Priest 317 49 A Letter from Hierapolis: Julian: Letters 323 50 The Surrender of Nisibis 327 50.1 Ammianus Marcellinus, 25.8.13–9.6 328 50.2 Ephraim of Nisibis: Third Hymn against Julian 329 51 Pagan and Christian Virtues in the Roman Aristocracy 335 51.1 Vettius Agorius Praetextatus) (inscr., Symmachus) 335 51.2 Sextus Petronius Probus (inscr., Ammianus Marcellinus, Symmachus) 339 52 The Last Days of Monica: Augustine: Confessions, 9.23–33 345 53 Their Majesties’ Voice: Selections from the Theodosian Code 351 53.1 The Imperial Image 352 53.2 Enemies of the State 353 53.3 The Conduct of Business 354 53.4 Custody of Accused Persons 355 53.5 Amnesties 356 53.6 Legal Holidays 357 53.7 Marriage, Sex, and the Family 358 53.8 Christianity and Legal Custom 362 53.9 Christianity and the Historic Past 364 Part V Facing the Future 367 54 The Life and Work of Ulfila 369 54.1 Philostorgius: Ecclesiastical History 370 54.2 Jordanes: Getica 372 54.3 The Letter of Auxentius 372 55 The Origin of the Huns: Jordanes: Getica 375 56 The End of a Way of Life: Paulinus of Pella: Eucharisticon 379 57 Returning Home: Rutilius Namatianus: De Reditu Suo 385 57.1 Palladius and Exsuperantius, 1.205–16 386 57.2 Victorinus, 1.491–510 387 57.3 Protadius, 1.541–58 387 58 Founding a City of God: Claudius Postumus Dardanus (inscr., Sisteron) 389 59 At the Royal Court of Attila 391 59.1 An Embassy to Attila in Priscus’ History 392 59.2 Attila’s Banquet in Priscus’ History 397 59.3 The Death of Attila in Jordanes’ Getica 398 60 The End of Roman Noricum: Scenes from Eugippius: The Life of St. Severinus 403 60.1 Arrival and Early Career of Severinus 405 60.2 Queen Giso and the Goldsmiths 407 60.3 Batavis and other Towns 408 60.4 The Loss of Lauriacum 410 60.5 Death of Severinus and Evacuation of Noricum 411 60.6 Deposition of Severinus at Naples 413 61 Public Business (1): Theodosian Code: “Gesta Amplissimi Senatus” 415 62 Public Business (2): Acts of the Council of Chalcedon 421 63 A Hall of Mirrors: Ostrogoth and Roman at the Court of Ravenna 427 63.1 Cassiodorus’ Variae, 1.45–6 427 63.2 Boethius: Consolation of Philosophy 430 64 Emperor and People at Byzantium: The Nika Riot 441 64.1 Procopius: Wars, 1.24 443 64.2 “Acts against Calapodius”; Theophanes: Chronographia 443 64.3 Malalas: Chronicle 446 64.4 Chronicon Paschale 447 65 Confirmation of the Digest: Justinian: Constitutio “Tanta” 453 66 Recovering the West in Procopius 457 66.1 Syracuse: Wars, 3.14 458 66.2 Lepcis Magna: Buildings 6.4 459 66.3 Rome: Wars 5.18 460 Part VI Epilogue: Ruins of a Roman Landscape 463 67 The Lost Pleasures of a Hot Bath: Theodosian Code and Breviarium 465 68 Venetian Origins?: Cassiodorus: Variae, 12.24 467 69 Accident in a Derelict Amphitheater: Parasteis Syntomoi Chronikai 469 70 “The Works of Giants”: Anglo-Saxon Poem: The Exeter Book 471 71 “Maumbury Rings”: Thomas Hardy: The Mayor of Casterbridge 475 Bibliographical References 479 Index 489
JOHN MATTHEWS is Professor Emeritus of Classics and History, Yale University, USA. He received his PhD from Oxford University in 1969 and taught Greek and Roman history at Oxford for many years before moving to Yale in 1996. He was elected Fellow of the British Academy in 1990. He is author of many books including Western Aristocracies and Imperial Court, A.D. 364-425, The Roman Empire of Ammianus,??Laying Down the Law: A Study of the Theodosian Code, and Roman Perspectives: Studies in the social, political and cultural history of the First to Fifth Centuries. He is also co-author of the acclaimed Atlas of the Roman World.
