Authority and Tradition in Ancient Historiography

This reissued classic shows how Greek and Roman historians claimed a place in tradition while also delineating their individual achievement.

John Marincola (Author), Christopher Pelling (Foreword by)

9781009478342, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 6 February 2025

412 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.4 cm, 0.774 kg

'This is a book of extraordinary scope and ambition … An enormously useful, enormously learned guide to many of the most central questions of ancient historiography.' Thomas Harrison, Formerly Rathbone Professor of Ancient History and Classical Archaeology at the University of Liverpool

How did Greek and Roman historians claim the authority to narrate the deeds embraced by their histories? In this acclaimed and influential book, John Marincola examines all aspects of their self-presentation, surveying the entire field from Herodotus (fifth century BCE) to Ammianus Marcellinus (fourth century CE). He shows how each historian claimed veracity by imitating, modifying, and manipulating the traditions established by his predecessors. After discussing the tension between individuality and imitation, he analyses the recurring style used to establish the historian's authority: how he came to write history; the qualifications brought to the task; the inquiries and efforts he made in his research; and his claims to possess a reliable character. By showing how each historian used the tradition to claim and maintain his own authority, the book – now including a substantial new Introduction – helps us better understand the complex nature of ancient historiography.

Foreword
Preface
List of abbreviations
Introduction to the second edition
Introduction
1. The call to history
2. The historian's inquiry
3. The historian's character
4. The historian's deeds
5. The 'lonely' historian: contrast and continuity
Appendices
Bibliography
Index locorum
Index of Greek words
General index.

Subject Areas: Classical history / classical civilisation [HBLA1]