The Roman historians

by Ronald Mellor

The Roman Historians provides a clear survey and a critical analysis of five centuries of historical writing in and about ancient Rome. The book examines authors of various historical genres - narrative, biography, and autobiography - and places them within the political and social framework of the late Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Since Roman historiography is an extension of political conflict and moral discourse, all these writings are examined within the context of Roman public life. This book illuminates how and why Roman authors told the stories of their past. All Roman historical writing is highly political and deeply moral, and we see here how the political experience and moral vision of the historian shape the historical narrative and intimately inform the content, the rhetoric, and the literary style of the history.