Historia Augusta

The "Historia Augusta" is a biographical work that covers the lives of Roman emperors from Hadrian to Carinus, written by six different authors in the late fourth century. It is an enigmatic work whose origins, nature, and purpose remain obscure, but it has its attractions for the connoisseur of biography and the casual reader. This revision of the original Loeb edition by David Magie offers text, translation, and annotation that are fully current with modern scholarship.

Format: Hardback
Length: 576 pages
Publication date: 29 July 2022
Publisher: Harvard University Press

The Historia Augusta, a biographical work, follows the structure of the imperial biographer Suetonius and spans the lives of Roman emperors from Hadrian (r. 117–138) to Carinus (r. 283–285). However, there is a gap between the reigns of the Gordians and the Valerians. Despite being presented as a compilation of thirty books authored by six different authors, it is widely believed to have been the work of a single individual writing under various pseudonyms during the late fourth century. This enigmatic masterpiece remains shrouded in mystery, with its origins, nature, and purpose still largely unknown. The very beginning of Hadrian's life is lost, resulting in a significant loss of any potential introduction that may have existed. While the Historia Augusta provides valuable details for the second and third centuries, it cannot be considered a reliable source for historical information. Numerous details are anachronistic, unsupported, or absurd, and many documents, speeches, acclamations, and inscriptions it quotes or cites are entirely fictional. Nevertheless, the Historia Augusta possesses certain appeals. For those interested in biography, the author offers a wealth of wordplay, puns, allusions, literary games, and mock-scholarly digressions. For the casual reader, it provides vivid portrayals of emperors, both virtuous and despicable. This revised edition of the original Loeb edition, prepared by David Magie, incorporates text, translation, andannotation that are fully aligned with contemporary scholarship.

Weight: 402g
Dimension: 115 x 169 x 32 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780674997462