by Agnese Bargagna
The Crucial Role of Fourth-Century Historians
Conversations about imperialism and societal progress gave taken centre stage, and, in terms of historical scholarship, the Roman Empire has been a key focus. Understanding its imperial system is, therefore, more important than ever. Yet, some periods of the Empire remain obscure, due to a lack of written historical accounts. Indeed, after Hadrian’s reign (117-138), Roman historical writing faded, leaving gaps in our knowledge of the period between the reigns of this emperor and Constantine and his successors – a crucial era in Roman history. This changed around AD 360 when Sextus Aurelius Victor revived Latin historical writing with his Historia Abbreviata, sometimes called De Caesaribus. His work inspired a new generation of historians, including Eutropius, Festus, Ammianus Marcellinus, and the authors of the Historia Augusta. Therefore, to Victor and other secular historians writing in the following four decades – Eutropius, Festus, Ammianus Marcellinus, and the author(s) of the Historia Augusta – we owe much of our knowledge of Roman imperial history over nearly three centuries between Hadrian and Theodosius I.
‘The Last Historians of Rome’ Project
Roman history has often been shaped by a few well-known historians, but recent scholarship is reshaping our understanding of that era. Key figures like Ammianus Marcellinus, Sextus Aurelius Victor, and the Historia Augusta—once dismissed or overlooked—are now being reconsidered as essential sources of historical insight. The Last Historians of Rome project, hosted at the Universities of Edinburgh and Nottingham, funded by the generous support of the Arts and Humanities Research Council [grant number: AH/Z505936/1], seeks to break new ground in the study of these historians, by systematically exploring the manuscripts that transmit these historical works, rethinking their historical value and place in Roman historiography, and ultimately producing new critical editions and English translations.
The changing view of Key Roman Historians
Ammianus Marcellinus: Traditionally seen as the final great historian of the Roman Empire, his work (covering AD 353–378) has been re-evaluated. Scholars like Kelly argue that Ammianus’ prose style and relationship to earlier historians, such as Tacitus and Livy, require further exploration. At Kelly has shown, there’s a particular need for more emendation, alongside a more comprehensive analysis of the manuscript tradition and the early printed editions.
Sextus Aurelius Victor: Once regarded as a minor historian, Victor’s work De Caesaribus has been shown to be more complex than initially thought. Stover and Woudhuysen’s research reveals that Victor’s writings were a significant abbreviation of a larger, lost work, making him an important figure in late Roman historiography.
Historia Augusta: While still considered a patchwork of fiction, recent findings by Stover have uncovered previously ignored manuscript sources, revealing that the Historia Augusta contains authentic historical elements hidden beneath its fictional layers. This should require rethinking its historical value.
What’s Missing in Current Scholarship?
Despite recent progress, several gaps remain in how Roman historians are studied:
- Inadequate Editorial Work: Previous editions of Ammianus, Historia Augusta, and Victor have often overlooked important manuscripts, leading to errors and missing passages. For example, Stover’s research uncovered significant fifteenth-century manuscripts of the Historia Augusta that were ignored by earlier editors.
- Neglected Manuscript Traditions: Many works, especially the Historia Augusta and Victor’s writings, have not been fully explored in light of their complete manuscript histories. Stover’s findings show that early editors missed key manuscript branches, which are essential for understanding the development of these texts.
- Misunderstanding Minor Historians: Figures like Victor, Eutropius, and Festus have been treated as secondary writers. Their works have been undervalued, limiting our understanding of their role in shaping Roman historiography.
- Outdated Translations: Existing English translations of these texts, such as those in the Loeb editions, are incomplete and don’t reflect recent scholarship. Furthermore, several key texts like the so-called Epitome de Caesaribus and Festus are not available at all in conventionally published English translations.
What’s Needed Moving Forward
To address these gaps, the Last Historians project aims to achieve the following goals:
Textual and Manuscript Reassessment: A comprehensive review of the primary texts and their manuscript traditions is needed. Kelly and Stover’s work on Ammianus and the Historia Augusta highlights the importance of re-evaluating these texts with an eye toward neglected manuscript branches.
Reevaluation of Minor Historians: The works of Victor, Eutropius, and Festus deserve a fresh perspective. Stover and Woudhuysen’s studies on Victor show that his works were deeply engaged with earlier historiography, offering more historical value than previously recognized.
Modern Translations: New translations of these texts are crucial for making them accessible to a wider audience.
Why This Matters
The reexamination of these texts isn’t just about correcting historical errors—it’s about transforming our understanding of Roman historiography. This new approach highlights several key points:
Collective Contribution: By viewing historians like Ammianus, Victor, and the Historia Augusta as a collective group, we can better understand how their works influenced each other and contributed to the development of Latin historical writing.
Incorporating Archaeology: Modern archaeological discoveries, such as those from Harzhorn and Glac, are shedding new light on both the Historia Augusta and Victor’s texts, offering fresh insights into these works.
Onomastics: The study of names (onomastics) is helping to correct errors in manuscripts and trace their transmission through medieval scribes. This is crucial for understanding how these texts evolved over time.
Accessible Translations: The goal of this project is to produce new, comprehensive English translations that are both accurate and transparent, making these foundational texts available to a modern audience.
Conclusion
The re-evaluation of Ammianus, Victor, and the Historia Augusta is reshaping our understanding of Roman historiography. By addressing gaps in editorial work, re-examining manuscript traditions, and producing new translations, scholars are uncovering a much richer and more complex history of the late Roman Empire than previously thought. This fresh approach is not just about updating old editions but about ensuring these texts remain relevant and accessible for today’s readers, offering valuable insights into the development of Roman history.
The inscription on the base of the now-lost statue that Sex. Aurelius Victor erected in honour of the Emperor Theodosius (CIL 6.1186) during his urban prefecture (389?).
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