Aurelius Victor: De Caesaribus (Translated Texts for Historians, 17)

by Aurelius Victor

This is the first full-scale translation and commentary in English of Aurelius Victor's De Caesaribus, which provides a brief survey of the emperors of Rome from Octavian Augustus in 30 BC to Constantius II in AD 360.

Genres: History, Ancient History

240 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1994

Reviews

[Evan Leach · Rating 2 out of 5]

This fourth century history provides a brief, matter-of-fact look at the reigns of the Roman emperors from August down to Constantius II. The actual body of the text is less than 60 pages; the amount of time devoted to specific rulers is brief, and the descriptions of their rule can feel rather cursory.

There are some tantalizing historical details not available elsewhere, especially in the third and fourth centuries. But even when Victor is at his best, the book's format limits its appeal for modern readers looking for more than a series of encyclopedia-style biographies. Overall, this was a pretty uninspired effort. 2.0 stars, recommended for specialists only.

[Santiago González · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me ha gustado más que Eutropio, con el que comparte muchas cosas, porque al tratar menos periodo puede ser algo más profundo, aunque es verdad que es algo menos claro no lo he notado muy mal, quizá la traducción me haya mitigado esa parte de su estilo.

[Mete Oguz · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was rather dull compared to the Historia Augusta - which goes into much more detail on events. This work, by Sextus Aurelius Victor, really focuses on the 'personal lives' of the emperors from Octavian to his own day, and their personalities etc. and our author has strong opinions of them, reflecting his own contemporary perspective which is the 4th century.

I found it a slog to read compared to 'Historia Augusta' or even Ammianus Marcellinus' text.