Series:

Philological and Historical Commentary on Ammianus Marcellinus

6 primary works • 7 total works

Book 3

Cover of Philological and Historical Commentary on Ammianus Marcellinus XXII

Book 4

Cover of Philological and Historical Commentary on Ammianus Marcellinus XXIII

Book 6

Cover of Philological and Historical Commentary on Ammianus Marcellinus XXV
Book 25 of Ammianus Marcellinus' Res Gestae is the final part of the trilogy (books 23-25) on the emperor Julian's Persian expedition. Covering a period of eight months, from June 17, 363 to February 17, 364, it contains a series of momentous events: the death of Julian on June 26, the surprising appointment of the unexperienced Jovian as his successor, the dramatic and difficult return of the Roman army, the painful surrender of Roman territory around the upper course of the Tigris to the Persian king Sapor, and finally Jovian's sudden death. The contrast between Julian, who for all his shortcomings was a true leader of men, and Jovian, who lacked this stature and who failed to defend the integrity of the Roman Empire, gives the book the character of a diptych.

Book 8

Cover of Philological and Historical Commentary on Ammianus Marcellinus XXVII
Book 27 deals with events between 365 and 370. Military operations in the western and eastern half of the Empire take up a large part of the available space. Apart from military matters Ammianus deals with internal affairs. He discusses the terms of office of four Roman urban prefects and paints a picture of Petronius Probus, the mightiest civil official of the period. The most striking part of the book contains a portrait of the emperor Valentinian. This passage forms the centre of the book, which therefore has the structure of a triptych: of the two outer parts each contains military affairs in the West and the East and reports on some notable non-military events, whilst in the central panel Valentinian takes pride of place.

Book 9

Cover of Philological and Historical Commentary on Ammianus Marcellinus XXVIII
In Book 28 Ammianus describes the military activity of Valentinian on the Rhine. The historian speaks with admiration about his efforts to strengthen the northwestern border of the empire. He shows a similar esteem for the general Theodosius, who re-established order in Britain. However, in the greater part of Book 28 there is an air of gloom. Ammianus writes reluctantly about the judicial terror inflicted on the Roman aristocracy by powerful magistrates. In his digression about Roman manners he speaks with contempt about the senatorial elite and the Roman plebs, because they fail to live up to the standards of their ancestors. The final chapter illustrates the disastrous effects of the mismanagement of the province of Tripolis by corrupt officials.

Book 11

Cover of Philological and Historical Commentary on Ammianus Marcellinus XXX
The first part of Book 30 of Ammianus Marcellinus' Res Gestae is devoted to the military and diplomatic struggle for Armenia between Valens, emperor of the East, and king Sapor II of Persia. The Romans successfully defend their position, until they are forced to deal with the Goths who threaten to cross the Danube border. The second half of Book 30 is dominated by Valentinian I, emperor of the West. Ammianus presents a kaleidoscopic picture of this emperor alternating between admiration for his military qualities and devotion to his duty and bitter criticism of his avarice and cruelty. The account of his death forms the conclusion of Ammianus' treatment of the history of the western half of the Empire.

Cover of Philological and Historical Commentary on Ammianus Marcellinus (18 vols. SET)
After the diligent work of P. de Jonge, who wrote commentaries on books 14 -19 from the 1930s till the 1980s, J. den Boeft, D. den Hengst, H.C. Teitler and, starting 1995, J.W. Drijvers have steadily worked on the commentaries to the remaining books 20 - 31 of Ammianus Marcellinus' Res Gestae. Their collaborative work has received much praise in the international scholarly world.
With the publication of the Philological and Historical Commentary on Ammianus Marcellinus volume XXXI, this series has been completed. The entire set is now available in print, containing 18 commentary volumes.