Roman Historiography

An Introduction to its Basic Aspects and Development

Mehl, Andreas

Blackwell Introductions to the Classical World

1. Edition April 2011
300 Pages, Hardcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd

Short Description

Roman Historiography presents a comprehensive introduction to the development of Roman historical writings in the ancient world. Rooting his survey in the context of its Greek predecessors, and within the broader framework of Roman literature and society, Mehl discusses every historical writer of significance in the ancient Roman era. Also considered are essential themes such as genre, teleology, the idea of Rome, and exemplary moral conduct.

ISBN: 978-1-4051-2183-5

John Wiley & Sons

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Roman Historiography: An Introduction to its Basic Aspects and Development presents a comprehensive introduction to the development of Roman historical writings in both Greek and Latin, from the early annalists to Orosius and Procopius of Byzantium.
* Provides an accessible survey of every historical writer of significance in the Roman world
* Traces the growth of Christian historiography under the influence of its pagan adversaries
* Offers valuable insight into current scholarly trends on Roman historiography
* Includes a user-friendly bibliography, catalog of authors and editions, and index

Translator's Preface

Introduction: The Importance of Ancient Historiography and the Purpose of this Book

1: Ancient Literature and Roman Historiography

2: The Formation and Establishment of Tradition in the Ruling Class of the Early and Middle Roman Republic

3: Early Roman Historiography: Self-Justification and Memory in earlier Annalistic Writing

4: The Historiography of Rome between the Fronts of the Civil Wars

5: Augustan Rome, Roman Empire, and other Peoples and Kingdoms

6: Imperial History and the History of Emperors: Imperial History as the History of Emperors

7: Roman History and Universal History between Classical Religion ("Paganism") and Christianity

8: Some Basic Principles of Ancient Historical Thought

Chronological Table

Select Bibliography

End Notes

Index

"In all, Mehl's Roman Historiography amounts to a helpful handbook for students of the ancient world. It seems an especially good means for readers to gain a quick appraisal of the German approach to its subject. Although some may criticize Mehl's assessments and emphases on occasion, the book presents a concise and readable introduction to work of Roman historians, biographers, chronographers, antiquarians, and kindred authors." (New England Classical Journal, 1 May 2013)

Named CHOICE Outstanding Title for 2012
"Appropriate for advanced undergraduate students, this work provides a foundation for further study of classical historical writing. (Annotation (c)2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)." (Book News, 1 August 2011)

Andreas Mehl is Professor of Ancient History at the Martin Luther University at Halle and Wittenberg. He is the author of Seleukos Nikator und sein Reich (1986); Tacitus über Kaiser Claudius: Die Ereignisse Am Hof (1974); and Römische Geschichtsschreibung: Grundlagen und Entwicklungen: eine Einführung (Stuttgart, 2001).
Hans-Friedrich Mueller is the William D. Williams Professor of Classics at Union College in Schenectady, New York. He is the author of Roman Religion in Valerius Maximus (2002) and the editor of an abridgment of Edward Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (2003).

A. Mehl, University of Halle-Wittenberg, Germany