Aurelius Victor
Encyclopedia
Sextus Aurelius Victor was a historian and politician of the Roman Empire
.
Aurelius Victor was the author of a History of Rome from Augustus
to Julian
(360), published ca. 361. Julian honoured him and appointed him prefect of Pannonia Secunda
. Possibly he is the same person who was consul
in 369, jointly with the son of Valentinian I
, and the prefect of the city of Rome (389).
The four have generally been published together under the name Historia Romana, but the fourth piece is a rechauffé of the third. The second was first printed at Naples
about 1472, in four tomes, under the name of Pliny the Younger
, and the fourth in Strasbourg
in 1505.
The first edition of all four books was that of Andreas Schottus
(8 volumes, Antwerp, 1579). A recent edition of the De Caesaribus is by Pierre Dufraigne (Collection Budé
, 1975).
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
.
Aurelius Victor was the author of a History of Rome from Augustus
Augustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
to Julian
Julian the Apostate
Julian "the Apostate" , commonly known as Julian, or also Julian the Philosopher, was Roman Emperor from 361 to 363 and a noted philosopher and Greek writer....
(360), published ca. 361. Julian honoured him and appointed him prefect of Pannonia Secunda
Pannonia Secunda
The Pannonia Secunda was one of the provinces of the Roman Empire. It was formed in the year 296, during the reign of emperor Diocletian. The capital of the province was Sirmium...
. Possibly he is the same person who was consul
Consul
Consul was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire. The title was also used in other city states and also revived in modern states, notably in the First French Republic...
in 369, jointly with the son of Valentinian I
Valentinian I
Valentinian I , also known as Valentinian the Great, was Roman emperor from 364 to 375. Upon becoming emperor he made his brother Valens his co-emperor, giving him rule of the eastern provinces while Valentinian retained the west....
, and the prefect of the city of Rome (389).
Works
Four small historical works have been ascribed to him on more or less doubtful grounds:- Origo Gentis RomanaeOrigo gentis romanaeThe Origo Gentis Romanae is a short historiographic literary compilation. It narrates the origins of the Roman people. It starts with Saturn and finishes with Romulus. The work was earlier associated with Aurelius Victor, but it is no longer believed to be by his hand....
- De Viris IllustribusDe viris illustribusDe viris illustribus, meaning "On Illustrious / Famous Men", represents a trope of ancient Roman exemplary literature that was revived during the Italian Renaissance and inspired the assembly or commissioning of series of portraits of outstanding men— and sometimes, by the sixteenth century, of...
Romae - De Caesaribus (for which Aurelius Victor used the Enmannsche KaisergeschichteEnmannsche KaisergeschichteThe Enmannsche Kaisergeschichte is a modern term for a hypothesized Latin historical work, written in the 4th century but now lost....
) - Epitome de CaesaribusEpitome de CaesaribusThe Epitome de Caesaribus is the name for a Latin historical work, written at the end of the 4th century.It is a brief account of the reigns of the emperors from Augustus to Theodosius the Great. It is attributed to Aurelius Victor, but was written by an anonymous author who was very likely a pagan...
(falsely attributed to Victor)
The four have generally been published together under the name Historia Romana, but the fourth piece is a rechauffé of the third. The second was first printed at Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
about 1472, in four tomes, under the name of Pliny the Younger
Pliny the Younger
Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, born Gaius Caecilius or Gaius Caecilius Cilo , better known as Pliny the Younger, was a lawyer, author, and magistrate of Ancient Rome. Pliny's uncle, Pliny the Elder, helped raise and educate him...
, and the fourth in Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
in 1505.
The first edition of all four books was that of Andreas Schottus
Andreas Schottus
André Schott was a Flemish Jesuit priest, academic, linguist, translator and editor....
(8 volumes, Antwerp, 1579). A recent edition of the De Caesaribus is by Pierre Dufraigne (Collection Budé
Collection Budé
The Collection Budé, or the Collection des Universités de France, is a series of books comprising the Greek and Latin classics up to the middle of the 6th century...
, 1975).
See also
- SirmiumSirmiumSirmium was a city in ancient Roman Pannonia. Firstly mentioned in the 4th century BC and originally inhabited by the Illyrians and Celts, it was conquered by the Romans in the 1st century BC and subsequently became the capital of the Roman province of Lower Pannonia. In 294 AD, Sirmium was...
- Sremska MitrovicaSremska MitrovicaSremska Mitrovica is a city and municipality located in the Vojvodina province of Serbia, on the left bank of the Sava river. As of 2002 the town had a total population of 39,041, while Sremska Mitrovica municipality had a population of 85,605...
- SyrmiaSyrmiaSyrmia is a fertile region of the Pannonian Plain in Europe, between the Danube and Sava rivers. It is divided between Serbia in the east and Croatia in the west....
- TetrarchyTetrarchyThe term Tetrarchy describes any system of government where power is divided among four individuals, but usually refers to the tetrarchy instituted by Roman Emperor Diocletian in 293, marking the end of the Crisis of the Third Century and the recovery of the Roman Empire...
- Praetorian prefecturePraetorian prefectureThe praetorian prefecture was the largest administrative division of the late Roman Empire, above the mid-level dioceses and the low-level provinces. Praetorian prefectures originated in the reign of Constantine I The praetorian prefecture was the largest administrative division of the late Roman...
- Praetorian prefecture of IllyricumPraetorian prefecture of IllyricumThe praetorian prefecture of Illyricum was one of four praetorian prefectures into which the Late Roman Empire was divided.The administrative centre of the prefecture was Sirmium , and, after 379, Thessalonica...
- Roman provinces
- Roman EmpireRoman EmpireThe Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
External links
- Liber de Caesaribus (Latin text)