Everything about Herodian totally explained
» For the grammarian, see Aelius Herodianus. For the dynasty, see Herodian Dynasty.
Herodian or
Herodianus of
Syria (ca. 170-240) was a minor Roman civil servant who wrote a colourful
Roman History in eight books for the years
180 to
238. His work isn't entirely reliable, although his relatively unbiased account of
Elagabalus is more useful than that of
Cassius Dio. He was a Greek, though he appears to have lived for a considerable period in Rome, but without holding any public office. From his work, which is still extant, we gather that he was still living at an advanced age in the reign of
Gordianus III, who ascended the throne in 238. Beyond this we know nothing respecting his life.
His history extends over the period from the death of
Marcus Aurelius (AD 180) to the commencement of the reign of Gordianus III (AD 238), and bears the title: "History of the Empire From the Death of Marcus". He himself informs us (i.1.§ 3, ii.15.§ 7) that the events of this period had occurred in his own lifetime.
Photius (Codex 99) gives an outline of the contents of the work, and passes a flattering
encomium on the style of Herodian, which he describes as clear, vigorous and agreeable, preserving a happy medium between an utter disregard of art and elegance and a profuse employment of the artifices and prettinesses which were known under the name of
Atticism, as well as between boldness and bombast; adding that not many historical writers are his superiors. He appears to have had
Thucydides before him to some extent as a model, both for style and for the general composition of his work, like him, introducing here and there speeches wholly or in part imaginary. In spite of occasional inaccuracies in chronology and geography, his narrative is in the main truthful and impartial. Some charge him with showing too great a partiality for
Pertinax.
The best editions of Herodian are those by Irmisch, Leipzig, 1789 —1805, 5 vols.; by F. A. Wolf, Halle, 1792; and by Bekker, Berlin, 1826. Notices of other editions will be found in Fabricius (Bibl. Graec. vol. vi. p. 287, &c.) and Hoffmann (Lex. Bibl. vol. ii. p. 362, &c.). (Wolf's
Narratio de Herodiano et Libro ejus, prefixed to his edition of Herodian; Vossius, de Hist. Graec. p. 284, ed. Westermann.)
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