Authority and Tradition in Ancient Historiography

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.

'The best treatment of ancient historiography currently available … Well written and intelligently argued, it is an indispensable work.' T. P. Wiseman, Emeritus Professor of Classics and Ancient History at the University of Exeter
'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

JOHN MARINCOLA is Leon Golden Professor Emeritus of Classics at Florida State University. He has held fellowships at Munich, Edinburgh, Oxford, and the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton. He is the author of numerous books, which include Greek Historians (2001), Greek and Roman Historiography (2011), and On Writing History from Herodotus to Herodian (2017).

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