The Historians of Ancient Rome: An Anthology of the Major Writings

770 Pages·2012·3.52 MB·English

by  Ronald Mellor

THE HISTORIANS OF ANCIENT
ROME
The Historians of Ancient Rome is the most comprehensive collection of ancient
sources for Roman history available in a single English volume. After a general
introduction on Roman historical writing, extensive passages from more than a
dozen Greek and Roman historians and biographers trace the history of Rome
over more than 1,000 years: from the city’s foundation by Romulus in 753 BCE
(Livy) to Constantine’s edict of toleration for Christianity (313 CE).
Selections include many of the high points of Rome’s climb to world
domination: the defeat of Hannibal; the conquest of Greece and the eastern
Mediterranean; the defeat of the Catilinarian conspirators; Caesar’s conquest of
Gaul; Antony and Cleopatra; the establishment of the Empire by Caesar
Augustus; and the “Roman Peace” under Hadrian and long excerpts from
Tacitus record the horrors of the reigns of Tiberius and Nero.
The book is intended both for undergraduate courses in Roman history and for
the general reader interested in approaching the Romans through the original
historical sources. Hence, excerpts of Polybius, Livy, and Tacitus are extensive
enough to be read with pleasure as an exciting narrative. Now in its third edition,
changes to this thoroughly revised volume include a new timeline, translations of
several key inscriptions such as the Twelve Tables, and additional readings. This
is a book which no student of Roman history should be without.
Ronald Mellor is Distinguished Professor of History at the University of
California, Los Angeles, where he has been teaching Greek and Roman History,
western civilization, and ancient world history since 1976. He was Chair of the
UCLA History department for five years from 1992 to 1995. His most recent
book was Tacitus’ “Annals” published in 2011 by Oxford University Press. His
research focuses on ancient religion and Roman historiography. Other books
include Thea Rome (1977), From Augustus to Nero: The First Dynasty of
Imperial Rome (1990), Tacitus (1993), Tacitus: The Classical Heritage (1995),
The Roman Historians (1999), and Caesar Augustus and the Creation of the
Roman Empire (2005).
ROUTLEDGE SOURCEBOOKS FOR
THE ANCIENT WORLD
TRIALS FROM CLASSICAL ATHENS, 2ND EDITION
Christopher Carey ANCIENT GREECE, 3RD EDITION
Matthew Dillon and Lynda Garland READINGS IN LATE ANTIQUITY, 2ND
EDITION
Michael Maas GREEK AND ROMAN EDUCATION
Mark Joyal, J.C. Yardley and Iain McDougall THE REPUBLICAN ROMAN
ARMY
Michael M. Sage
THE STORY OF ATHENS
Phillip Harding
ROMAN SOCIAL HISTORY
Tim Parkin and Arthur Pomeroy DEATH IN ANCIENT ROME
Valerie Hope
ANCIENT ROME
Matthew Dillon and Lynda Garland
SEXUALITY IN GREEK AND ROMAN LITERATURE
Marguerite Johnson and Terry Ryan ATHENIAN POLITICAL ORATORY
David Phillips
POMPEII
Alison E. Cooley and M.G.L. Cooley
GREEK SCIENCE OF THE HELLENISTIC ERA
Georgia Irby-Massie and Paul Keyser WOMEN AND LAW IN THE ROMAN
EMPIRE
Judith Evans Grubbs WARFARE IN ANCIENT GREECE
Michael M. Sage THE GOVERNMENT OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
Barbara Levick PAGANS AND CHRISTIANS IN LATE ANTIQUITY
A.D. Lee ANCIENT GREEK LAWS
Ilias Arnaoutoglou
GREEK AND ROMAN TECHNOLOGY
John Humphrey, John Oleson and Andrew Sherwood ROMAN ITALY 388
BC–AD 200
Kathryn Lomas THE ROMAN ARMY 31 BC–AD 337
Brian Campbell THE ROMAN HOUSEHOLD
Jane F. Gardner and Thomas Wiedemann ATHENIAN POLITICS
G.R. Stanton
GREEK AND ROMAN SLAVERY
Thomas Wiedemann
Forthcoming:
ANCIENT CITY OF ROME
Christopher Smith, J.C.N. Coulston, Hazel Dodge WOMEN OF THE ANCIENT
NEAR EAST
Mark Chavalas
GREEK RELIGION
Emma Stafford and Karen Stears
THE HISTORIANS OF
ANCIENT ROME
An Anthology of the
Major Writings
Third Edition
Ronald Mellor
First published 1997 by Routledge
Second edition first published 2004 by Routledge
This third edition published 2013 by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 1997, 2004, 2013 Ronald Mellor.
The right of Ronald Mellor to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance
with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any
electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and
recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the
publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used
only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in
Publication Data
The historians of ancient Rome / [edited by] Ronald Mellor. – 3rd ed.
p. cm. – (Routledge sourcebooks for the ancient world)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Rome–History. I. Mellor, Ronald.
DG207.H57 2012
937–dc23
2012009074
ISBN: 978-0-415-52715-6 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-415-52716-3 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-0-203-09737-3 (ebk) Typeset in Times New Roman
by Taylor & Francis Books
by Taylor & Francis Books
CONTENTS
Preface to the Third Edition
Timeline
Introduction
Reading Roman Historians
Historical Inscriptions
I. The Laws of the Twelve Tables (450 BCE)
II. Decree of the Senate Concerning the Bacchanalia (186 BCE)
III. Speech of Claudius on Gallic Senators (48 CE)
IV. The Law Bestowing Power on the Emperor (70 CE)
Polybius
Histories
I 1–4
III 6–31
VI 1; 3–9; 11–18; 19; 21–27; 29; 31; 33–34; 37; 39; 42; 56–57
Sallust
The Catilinarian Conspiracy 1–16; 50–55; 60–61
The War with Jugurtha 21–35
Cicero
Letters
To Atticus 1, 2
To Pompey in Letters to Friends 5, 1
To Atticus 8, 8
To Atticus 14, 12
To Marcus Brutus at Dyrrachium 1, 3
To Atticus 16, 8
To Decimus Brutus in Letters to Friends 11, 20
C. Julius Caesar
Commentaries on the Gallic War
I 1–54
IV 11–24
Cornelius Nepos
Life of Hannibal
Livy
From The Founding of the City
I Preface; 4–13; 15–17; 19–21; 34–49; 55–60
III 26–29; 33–37; 44–49; 56–58
V 34–55
XXI 1–2; 20–38
XXII 3–7; 44–51
XXX 28–37
XXXI 1–9