The Lost History of Sextus Aurelius Victor

This book provides a radical rewriting of the history of fourth-century Latin literature, demonstrating the contemporary and lasting influence of Victor's historiography. It discusses a wide range of canonical and neglected authors and texts, including Sallust, St Jerome, Ammianus, the Historia Augusta, Eunapius, and Julian. It also provides an up-to-date account of the mechanics of abbreviating texts in late antiquity and re-examines two short imperial histories of the fourth century, the Caesares and the Epitome de Caesaribus. By providing a new account of the original scope and scale of Victor's Historia, this book revolutionises our understanding of the writing of history in late antiquity and has implications impacting many different areas of Late Roman and early medieval studies.

Format: Hardback
Length: 584 pages
Publication date: 31 July 2023
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

A radical rewriting of the history of fourth-century Latin literature

Demonstrates for the first time both the contemporary and lasting influence of Victor's historiography

Discusses a wide range of both canonical and neglected authors and texts, including Sallust, St Jerome, Ammianus, the Historia Augusta, Eunapius and Julian

Provides an up-to-date account of the mechanics of abbreviating texts in late antiquity, an important and relatively neglected subject

Re-reads and re-examines in detail two short imperial histories of the fourth century, the Caesares and the Epitome de Caesaribus

Based on primary sources, including manuscripts and newly discovered evidence for Victor's text

Resolves some of the enduring mysteries of later Latin literature

Has implications impacting many different areas of Late Roman and early medieval studies, including political, social, cultural, literary and legal history, as well as historiography

This book rediscovers a lost history of the Roman Empire, written by Sextus Aurelius Victor (ca. 320-390) and demonstrates for the first time both the contemporary and lasting influence of his historical work.

Though little regarded today, Victor is the best-attested historian of the later Roman Empire, read by Jerome and Ammianus, honored with a statue by the pagan Emperor Julian and appointed to a prestigious prefecture by the Christian Theodosius.

Through careful analysis of the ancient evidence, including newly discovered material, this book re-examines the two short imperial histories attributed to Victor in the manuscripts, known today as the Caesares and the Epitome de Caesaribus, and discusses a wide range of both canonical and neglected authors and texts, from Sallust and Tacitus to Eunapius and the Historia Augusta.

By providing a new account of the origin and development of these texts, this book sheds new light on the complex and fascinating world of late antiquity.

Weight: 1466g
Dimension: 274 x 215 x 35 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781474492874