The Fall of the Roman Republic: Roman History, Books 36-40

The Roman History by Cassius Dio provides a full surviving account of the last twenty years before the Roman Republic collapsed, foreshadowing the coming civil war and exposing the violence and corruption of the political life of the time. Robin Waterfield's translation is accompanied by an introduction by John Rich and includes explanatory notes, a glossary, and maps.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: 31 January 2024
Publisher: Oxford University Press

The city was in a state of chaos at the time, with no one in charge and murders happening almost daily. The elections were unable to take place due to the prevailing lawlessness.

The Roman History by Cassius Dio, written between 163 CE and 167 CE, covers the period from 69 to 50 BCE, which marked the last twenty years before the Roman Republic collapsed into a long series of civil wars. Although Dio's history was written over 250 years later, it remains the fullest surviving account of this crucial period in Roman history and serves as a valuable source of information on many of the significant developments.

Dio structures his account of these years to foreshadow the impending civil war, exposing the violence and corruption of the political life of the time. He also portrays the gradual eclipse of the great general Pompey by his younger rival, Caesar.

Robin Waterfield's lively and up-to-date translation of Dio's work is accompanied by an introduction by John Rich. Rich provides a contextualization of Dio's work and explores both its literary and historical aspects. He also offers insightful portraits of key characters such as Pompey, Cicero, and Caesar.

This edition of Dio's Roman History includes comprehensive explanatory notes, a glossary, and maps of Central Rome, Gaul, and the East.

The Oxford World's Classics series has been publishing literature from around the globe for over 100 years. Each affordable volume in the series reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, offering the most accurate text along with a wealth of valuable features. These include expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

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Weight: 242g
Dimension: 126 x 197 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780198822882