Appian’s Roman History, Vol. IV: Greek Text

Centuries after the fall of Rome, the only means by which we can learn from one of the greatest empires is through its surviving pieces. While Appian draws from other historians and writers, his Roman History remains the only surviving account of the Roman civil wars, the period between the reigns of Polybius and Cicero, and the third Punic War and destruction of Carthage. Like many ancient historians, Appian gives a rare glimpse into the psyches, ideologies, and moralities of key people through speeches he himself constructed. To the modern historian, this creative license contaminates the facts, while to the ancient historian, conveying the political intentions and moral principles that inspired the world’s great leaders were every bit as important as the facts themselves. While his sources are not formally provided, scholars conclude from references within his writings that Appian’s original sources likely include the works of Polybius, Paulus Claudius, Hieronymus, Caesar Augustus, and Asinius Pollio. Of the original 24 books of Appian’s Roman History, only half have survived. Those that remain provide invaluable insight into Roman culture, politics, and history found nowhere else. Appian picks up where Dionysius leaves off, diving into the Punic Wars in volume 1, and ending with the civil wars. This volume contains the Greek text of the second half of “The Civil Wars” from Appian’s Roman History.