Ammianus Marcellinus

J. W. Mackail

doi:10.2307/295797

Ammianus Marcellinus

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 September 2012

J. W. Mackail

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Ammianus Marcellinus has in this country long suffered undue and unfortunate neglect. No edition of him, so far as I know, has ever been produced in England. A translation executed between thirty and forty years ago by the late Professor C. D. Yonge, for Bohn's Classical Library, is, I think, not now readily accessible. Mr. Fisher, before he was called from the University of Sheffield to a larger and more laborious sphere, had bestowed much study on him; some of its results appeared in an article in the Quarterly Review for July 1918, which was last year republished in his volume of Studies in History and Politics. The Teubner text edited by Gardthausen in 1874–5 has long been out of print.

Type: Research Article
Information: The Journal of Roman Studies , Volume 10 , November 1920 , pp. 103 - 118

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/295797 [Opens in a new window]
Copyright: Copyright © J. W. Mackail 1920. Exclusive Licence to Publish: The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies

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^{page 104 note 1} This figure is based on the conclusions reached by Professor Firth, Cromwell's Army, pp. 188–9.

^{page 105 note 1} xxvi, 5, 14.

^{page 105 note 2} xxxi, 16, 9.

^{page 105 note 3} xvi, 2, 10.

^{page 105 note 4} xvi, 12, 12.

^{page 105 note 5} xxix, I, II.

^{page 105 note 6} xvii, 7, 9–14; xix, 4; xx, 3; xx, 11, 26–30.

^{page 105 note 7} xxi, 1, 7–14; xxi, 14, 2–5; xiv, 11, 25.

^{page 105 note 8} Good instances may be found in the opening paragraphs of xiv and xxiv. Others are frequent.

^{page 105 note 9} Liv. ix, 17.

^{page 105 note 10} It is fair to observe—and the remark applies to all ancient writings—that nowadays such digressions would not be incorporated in the text of a history, but relegated to notes or appendices, where, whatever their value might be, they would at all events not be felt as irritating interruptions.

^{page 105 note 11} xvi, 1, 1; cf. xxvii, 11, 1.

^{page 106 note 1} Herod. v, 3.

^{page 107 note 1} xxv, 9, 9.

^{page 107 note 2} xxi, 6, 1.

^{page 107 note 3} De Monarchia, ii, 13.

^{page 108 note 1} xiv, 11; xv, 1.

^{page 108 note 2} xxi, 6, 4. She died soon after, ‘as good as she was beautiful.’

^{page 108 note 3} xxxi, 1, 1.

^{page 109 note 1} xx, 4, 4.

^{page 109 note 2} xviii, 6, 20.

^{page 109 note 3} It is so named eleven times in Ammianus.

^{page 109 note 4} xv. 6, 6; xiv, 6, 5; xiv, 6, 23; xxvi, 1, 14; xxvii, 3, 3; xvii, 4, 12.

^{page 110 note 1} xxv, 3, 18.

^{page 110 note 2} xxvii, 6, 6.

^{page 110 note 3} xxv, 4, 14.

^{page 110 note 4} Under date 23rd February, 1814.

^{page 110 note 5} xxi, 16, 18.

^{page 111 note 1} xxii, 5, 3.

^{page 111 note 2} xxii, 10, 7; xxv, 4, 20.

^{page 111 note 3} xxvii, 3, 13.

^{page 111 note 4} xxvii, 3, 14–15.

^{page 111 note 5} S. R. Gardiner, vol. vii, p. 158 (under date of 1629).

^{page 111 note 6} xxx, 9, 5.

^{page 111 note 7} xxvii, 3, 15.

^{page 111 note 8} xviii, 7, 7.

^{page 111 note 9} ‘He believes,’ Professor Bury says, ‘in progress and the enlightenment of his age.’ But this obiter dictum, in a note to Gibbon, must be taken with some qualification; see in particular the introductory chapter of The Idea of Progress.

^{page 112 note 1} xvii, 1, 8.

^{page 112 note 2} xxiii, 4; xix, 5, 1; xxiv, 4, 17 and 28.

^{page 112 note 3} xxi, 13, 7.

^{page 112 note 4} xxi, 6, 1.

^{page 113 note 1} Digest, xlvii, 20, 3. ‘There is no occasion,’ he grimly adds, ‘to enumerate instances.’

^{page 113 note 2} xxvii, 7, 6; xiv, 7, 17; xxix, 5, 50. Dozens and scores of similar citations could be made. The accounts are almost too horrible to read.

^{page 113 note 3} xxviii, 1, 26.

^{page 113 note 4} xxviii, 6, 20.

^{page 113 note 5} xxviii, 1, 26.

^{page 113 note 6} xxviii, 1; xxix, 1 and 2.

^{page 114 note 1} xxix, 2, 4.

^{page 114 note 2} xiv, 6.

^{page 114 note 3} xxvii, 9, 10; xvi, 4, 14–15.

^{page 114 note 4} xiv, 6, 19–20; xvi, 12, 57; xxvi, 6, 15.

^{page 114 note 5} xiv, 6, 23.

^{page 114 note 6} xiv, 6, 18, lyrae ad speciem carpentorum ingentes.

^{page 114 note 7} xiv, 6, 26; xxviii, 4, 14.

^{page 114 note 8} xiv, 1, 9; xiv, 8, 8.

^{page 114 note 9} xxii, 16, 17–18.

^{page 114 note 10} Through Arabic translations, his works had an important influence on medical science and practice in the rich civilisation of the Khalifat. Like Ammianus, he was an adherent of the ancient faith. It was he who brought back to Julian from Delphi the well-known lines announcing the extinction of the oracle, which may be called the swan-song of the old religion.

^{page 114 note 11} xxiii, 6, 60.

^{page 114 note 12} xxiii, 6, 67.

^{page 115 note 1} xxii, 7, 10; P.R. iv, 74–6.

^{page 115 note 2} xiv, 3, 3.

^{page 115 note 3} For this last, see particularly xvi, 12, 12; xviii, 2, 17; xxvii, 2, 5, and 5, 3; xxviii, 5, 3; xxix, 5, 15; xxx, 5, 13; xxxi, 10, 9 and 14. In the phrase cited above, triumphaturas aquilas et vexilla victricia, the voice of Rome speaks.

^{page 115 note 4} xvi, 10, 4–17.

^{page 115 note 5} xvi; 2, 1.

^{page 115 note 6} Scriptt. Rer. Franc. ii, 414.

^{page 115 note 7} xxv. 4, 25.

^{page 115 note 8} xvi, 2, 12.

^{page 115 note 9} xxv, 8, 11; 10, 6.

^{page 116 note 1} Römische Geschichte, Band v, Buch viii, 4 sub finem.

^{page 116 note 2} xxx, 7, 7: cf. xxvii, 10, 4.

^{page 116 note 3} xxviii, 5, 4–7.

^{page 116 note 4} xxxi, 16, 8.

^{page 116 note 5} xxx, 1, 19; cf. xxix, 6, 5.

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