The memorable doings and sayings runs to nine books. The frustrating thing is that valerius maximus doesnt name his sources so you are left wondering where he got his information from. Oxford university press clarendon ancient history series. Notable absentees from the bibliography cited in the introduction are c. Putting torture and valerius maximus to the test 1 the. One book every two years or so hardly constitutes a critical flood. Nothing is known of his personal history except that his family was poor and undistinguished, and that he owed everything to sextus pompeius consul ad 14, proconsul of asia, whom he accompanied to the east in 27. He resigned his commission, and went to his house, greeted by the applause of the people. Valerius maximus stands alone as an extant prose author of the early principate who devoted specific interest to the romans attitude to religion.
The exposition exhibits strongly the two currents of feeling which are intermingled by almost every roman writer of the empirethe. Valerius maximus author of memorable doings and sayings. Valerius maximus, memorable doings and sayings, volume i. Memorable doings and sayings, volume ii valerius maximus. In 1992miriam griffin suggested to me that i might like to do a book of valerius maximus for the clarendon ancient history series, of which she was one of the editors.
Valerius maximus, flourished ad 30, roman historian and moralist who wrote an important book of historical anecdotes for the use of rhetoricians born into a poor family, valerius maximus owed everything to sextus pompeius consul ad 14 and proconsul of asia, his friend and patron, whom he accompanied to the east about ad 2425. Valerius maximus compiled his handbook of notable deeds and sayings in the reign of. This is the first english translation of, and commentary on, valerius maximus, an early first century ad author. Skidmore, clive, practical ethics for roman gentlemen exeter 1996. Walker has produced a version of valerius maximus that reflects the originals wide sweep, but in walkers hands valerius tells a seamless story in multiple parts. Shackleton bailey, valerius maximus memorable doings and sayings, vol. Memorable doings and sayings, volume ii valerius maximus, d. Valerius maximus collection of exempla has received attention from modern scholars as a window into the morality of the early imperial period at rome. Dubochet, 1850, also by marcus junianus justinus, quintus curtius rufus, julius obsequens, and cornelius nepos, ed. Valerius was to me one of those authors into whom historians dip for minor details, not one to be read continuously or to be evaluated in his own right. Memorable deeds and sayings by valerius maximus, 1998. Valerius maximus finished this great collection of almost one thousand stories from the roman world in a. This is the first english translation of, and commentary on, valerius maximus, an early first century.
Valerius maximus compiled his handbook of notable deeds and sayings during the reign of tiberius 14. Factorum ac dictorum memorabilium libri ix wikipedia. In eight chapters he presents a variety of material selected from earlier authors, such as cicero, livy, and varro, to illustrate central areas ofroman religious thought and practice. Wardle produced a translation of book i only, valerius maximus. Email citation the introduction has sections on the author, the date of the work, contents, construction and purpose, sources, text and transmission, and roman religion in book 1. Factorum ac dictorum memorabilium libri ix nine books of memorable deeds and sayings, also. Memorable doings and sayings, volume ii, books 69 loeb. Sep 15, 2000 valerius maximus compiled his handbook of notable deeds and sayings during the reign of tiberius 1437 ce. Read the fulltext online edition of memorable deeds and sayings 1998. Yet to date there has been no modern english translation of memorable doings and sayings. See also time of writing, translations and commentaries, and sources. Aug 01, 2000 memorable doings and sayings, volume ii book.
Of the many merits of walkers translation, i would cite especially its readability. Valerius maximus compiled his handbook of notable deeds and sayings in the reign of tiberius 1437. Shackleton bailey translator, maximus valerius maximus. The work was widely popular, especially as a source for writers and. This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain. Valeriuss professedly practical work contains a clear moral element and is informative about firstcentury ce roman attitudes toward religion and morality.
Valerius maximus article about valerius maximus by the. Selected anecdotes by valerius maximus anecdotes from antiquity. The mellon foundation provided support for entering this text. Licinius highpriest thought fit to give the lash to a vestalvirgin, for that one night she had been negligent of the holy fire. There has been no english translation ofvalerius since that by. Valerius maximus academic dictionaries and encyclopedias.
This work is now added to the loeb classical library, a freshly edited latin text facing d. Valerius maximus compiled a book of nearly one thousand historical. The introduction has sections on the author, the date of the work, contents, construction and purpose, sources, text and transmission, and roman religion in book 1. This is the first english translation of, and commentary on, valerius maximus. It is a collection of approximately a thousand short stories that valerius wrote during the reign of tiberius 42 bce ce 37. His factorum ac dictorum memorabilium libri ix nine books of memorable deeds and sayings was written c. Memorable doings and sayings, volume ii, books 69 loeb 42 copies. Books 15 by valerius maximus, d r shackleton bailey translator, d r shackleton bailey editor online at alibris. The peeping of a mouse being overheard, was the reason that fabius maximus quitted the dicta. Valerius maximus, facta et dicta memorabilia, liber primvs. This translation will be easily used by students in the classroom and by scholars. His collection of examples of roman religious practice and thought offers a unique perspective from the early principate on roman beliefs about their religious heritage. In ad 2, a statue of marcus valerius maximus was erected in the forum of augustus alongside other great men of rome, under which was an elogia.
I cambridge, ma, 2000, 281 blurs this emphasis by making vengeance the active donor of pleasure. He worked during the reign of tiberius 14 ad to 37 ad. Memorable deeds and sayings by valerius maximus, 1998 online. Valerius maximus was a latin writer and author of a collection of historical anecdotes. Memorable doings and sayings by valerius maximus book. Books 15 loeb classical library 53 copies valerius maximus. All search options view abbreviations home collectionstexts perseus catalog research grants open source about help. Greek and roman arabic germanic 19thcentury american renaissance richmond times italian poetry. A list of ancient greek and latin authors, with links to online translations. Stories about ancient customs, military discipline, the right to. This translation was produced in the first half of the fourteenth century, as early as 26 or shortly. Much remains to be done, and, thanks to the appearance of new texts and translations, valerian.
This work is now added to the loeb classical library, a freshly valerius maximus compiled his handbook of notable deeds and sayings during the reign of tiberius 1437 ce. Valerius maximus, facta et dicta memorabilia, book 8. Valerius s professedly practical work contains a clear moral element and is informative about firstcentury ce roman attitudes toward religion and morality. A livian source is supposed by one of the most important scholars to discuss the ending of the first punic war g. Valerius maximus, memorable deeds and sayings, vii.
Wardle, valerius maximus memorable deeds and sayings book, oxford, 1998, p. The collection was very popular in the renaissance and has recently attracted renewed scholarly attention. Valerius maximus compiled his handbook of notable deeds and sayings in the reign of tiberius 1437 ce. Valerius maximus compiled his handbook of notable deeds and sayings during the reign of tiberius 1437 ce. Ms harley 43753, a translation of valerius maximus facta et dicta memorabilia memorable doings and sayings. Apart from the fact that he was a close friend of a consul, we know almost nothing about valerius. Memorable deeds and sayings valerius maximus, valerius. Little has been said, however, about the possible formal philosophical context of valerius work since the. Roman soldiers california state university, northridge. Valerius maximus likes to gather the sayings under thematic headings like modesty, bravery, discipline, ingratitude, etc.
Valerius maximus memorable deeds and sayings valerius. At the capture of syracuse marcellus had been aware that his victory had been held up much and long by archimedes machines. He flourished in the reign of tiberius personal history of valerius maximus. Martin bloomer, valerius maximus and the rhetoric of the new nobility chapel hill, 1992, clive skidmore, practical ethics for roman. Two recent monographs on valerius,martin bloomer s valerius maximus and the. Valerius maximus search for documents in search only in valerius maximus. Shackleton bailey published by loeb classical library 2000. Valerius maximus and the end of the first punic war. Valerius maximus compiled a book of nearly one thousand historical anecdotes in rome during the reign of tiberius. Text, introduction, and commentary john briscoe there is no modern commentary on the whole of valerius maximusfacta et dicta memorabilia, though commentaries on books 1 and 2 have been published by, respectively, david wardle 1998 and andrea themannsteinke. Shackleton baileys pleasing and authoritative translation. Valerius maximus is the author of memorable doings and sayings, volume i 3. Memorable doings and sayings, volume ii harvard university press.
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