- For the grammarian, see Aelius
Herodianus. For the dynasty, see Herodian Dynasty. For the saint
numbered among the Seventy Disciples, see Herodion of Patras.
Herodian or
Herodianus of Syria
(ca.
170–240) was a minor Roman civil servant who wrote a colourful
history in Greek titled History of the Empire from the Death of
Marcus in eight books covering the years 180 to 238.
His work is not entirely reliable although his relatively unbiased
account of
Elagabalus is more useful than
that of
Cassius Dio. He was a Greek
(perhaps from Antioch) who appears to have lived for a
considerable period of time in Rome, but possibly without holding
any public office. From his extant work, we gather that he was
still living at an advanced age during the reign of
Gordianus III, who ascended the throne in 238.
Beyond this, nothing is known of his life.
Herodian writes (i.1.§ 3, ii.15.§ 7) that the events described in
his history occurred during his lifetime.
Photius (Codex 99) gives an
outline of the contents of this work and passes a flattering
encomium on the style of Herodian, which he
describes as clear, vigorous, agreeable, and 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. He appears to have used
Thucydides as a model to some extent, both for
style and for the general composition of his work, often
introducing speeches wholly or in part imaginary. In spite of
occasional inaccuracies in chronology and geography, his narrative
is in the main truthful and impartial . However, some charge him
with showing too great a partiality for
Pertinax.
Birth, Life, and Death
The dates of the birth and death of Herodian are unknown. All
available information concerning his life is derived from what he
himself wrote, so the evidence is scarce. One can assume that he
must have reached the age of ten by the year 180 due to the
attentive detail in his descriptions of the events of that time.
One notion is that Herodian must have finished writing around 240,
which would have made him about 70. He mentions, “My aim is to
write a systematic account of the events within a period of seventy
years, covering the reigns of several
emperors, of which I have personal
experience.” (2.15.7) This reaffirms the notion that Herodian was
about 70 years of age when this was written and that the actions
did indeed occur during his lifetime. However, it is possible that
his history was composed at a later date. Herodian’s descriptions
of Gordian III are less than flattering, and it is doubtful that he
released such a negative review of a current emperor. Following
this logic, his history was finished in 244 at the earliest, when
Gordian III died. In his first and third books, Herodian mentions
the games of
Commodus in 192, and the
Secular Games of
Septimius Severus in 204. If Herodian did
attend the games of Commodus, he must have been at least 14 at the
time, which is to say that he was born in 178 at the latest.
The nationality of Herodian is also unclear.
He was not from
Italy
, for he says the Alps were
bigger than anything “in our part of the world.” (2.11.8) It has
been suggested that Herodian was from Alexandria
since he placed such a large emphasis on Caracalla's massacre of this city and its
inhabitants. It is also believed that he could have possibly
been an eyewitness to these attacks .
Herodian does refer to
Alexandria as the second city of the empire; however, this may be disregarded since
he also applies the same title to Antioch
and Carthage
. It
has been proposed that the Herodian was the son of
Aelius Herodianus, an Alexandrian
grammarian. However while this does fit chronologically, there is
no other evidence to support it. The popular speculation, however,
is that Herodian was from Antioch. Herodian describes the character
of the Syrians as quick-witted and mentions them twice more.
However, there are also gaps in Herodian's knowledge of Syrian
affairs which lead one to believe that he might not have been from
the region at all. For example, he confuses two
Parthian kings, and his chronology and geography of
the Parthian campaign in 197–198 are deeply flawed. These flaws
could be mended due to a lack of knowledge of a small part of the
empire; however one would assume that an inhabitant of Syria would
have had access to this knowledge. In short, unless an inscription
is discovered, Herodian’s place of birth will never be known for
certain.
Occupation and Social Status
Neither the occupation nor the social status of Herodian is known.
Herodian mentions, “I have written a history of the events
following the death of
Marcus which
I saw and heard in my lifetime. I had a personal share in some of
these events during my imperial and public service.” (1.2.5) It has
been suggested that Herodian was a senator due to his knowledge of
the
senatus consultum tacitum, which was a secret
declaration by the
senate when they
chose the emperors
Pupienus and
Balbinus. However, it is also stated that news of
this was leaked by some senators, and it certainly would not have
remained a secret for the entirety of Herodian’s lifetime. It is
possible, however, that Herodian was a freedman. This fits the
profile perfectly, for he would not have cared for the larger
political issues, and instead, would have concentrated on
personalities and intricacies. Still yet, Herodian could have been
an
apparitores, a scribe or an attendant to the emperor.
This would be suiting, for he would have had access to senatorial
documents, traveled extensively, and been knowledgeable in the
field of fiscal affairs, which Herodian repetitively stressed in
his history.
Accomplishments
Herodian's
Roman History is a collection of eight books
covering the period from the death of Marcus Aurelius in 180 A.D.
to the beginning of Gordian III's reign in 238. It provides a first
person account of one of the most politically diverse times of the
Roman Empire. The first book describes the reign of Commodus from
180 to 192, and the second discusses the
Year of the Five Emperors in 193.
Book Three encompasses the reign of Septimius Severus from 193 to
211, while the fourth discusses the reign of Caracalla from 211 to
217. Book five is about the reign of Elagabalus from 218 through
222, and book six deals with the reign of
Severus Alexander from 222 to 235. The
seventh book recounts the reign of
Maximinus Thrax from 235 to 238, and the
final one describes the
Year of
the Six Emperors in 238. Most likely, Herodian is writing for
an eastern audience, for he often explains different Roman customs
and beliefs that would have seemed foreign to Easterners.
Herodian has been both praised and criticized by scholars. The
first person on record to review Herodian is the ninth-century
patriarch of
Constantinople, Photius. Of Herodian, Photius wrote “he neither
exaggerates with hyperbole nor omits anything essential; in short,
in all the virtues of historiography there are few men who are his
superior.”
Zosimus used him as a source as
did
John of Antioch when writing his
World Chronicle. An English translator of the
Roman
History wrote in 1705 that Herodian "still preserves a Majesty
suitable to the Greatness of the Subject which he treats, and has
something in him so pleasing and comely, as perhaps all the Art and
Labour of other Men can never reach.” Altheim commended Herodian’s
wide vision of the period, and
F.A. Wolf acclaimed Herodian’s lack of bias
and superstition. However, not all views of Herodian are positive.
For example, Wolf also charged Herodian with a deficiency in
critical faculty. While the author of the
Historia Augusta drew from Herodian, he
also censured him for bias, and Herodian was by no means Zosimus’
first choice. Similarly,
John Zonaras
only utilized Herodian where Cassius Dio’s history leaves
off.
Herodian has long been criticized for a lack of historical
accuracy, but recent studies have tended to side with him,
legitimizing his historical facts . In the second book, Herodian
states that his intention was to “narrate only the most important
and conclusive…actions separately and in chronological order.”
(2.15.7) Because of this, Herodian sometimes consolidates a large
number of events into a single reference or two. For example, all
of Caracalla’s campaign in the north during 213 through 214 is
condensed into two short allusions.
Similarly, a single reference to a winter
in Sirmium
sums up
Maximinus’ battles on the Rhine
and Danube in 236 through 238. Herodian also
occasionally falls short in his descriptions of geography.
He
confuses Arabia Scenite with Arabia Felix and claims that Issus
was where the final battle and capture of Darius III took place.
In regards to Cassius Dio, both he and Herodian admittedly make
many errors in their histories. Dio is credited as the expert when
it comes to the senate; however, Herodian challenges Dio on his
description of the people's reaction to the proclamation of
Septimius Severus as their new emperor. Dio's work is not always
the more accurate of the two and must not be immediately chosen
over Herodian’s.
References
Browning, Robert. The Classical Review, New Series, Vol. 21, No. 2
(Jun., 1971), pp.194–196. Oxford: Cambridge University Press,
1995.
Carney, T.F.. The Classical Review, New Series, Vol. 21, No. 2
(Jun., 1971), pp. 194–196Oxford: Cambridge University Press,
1995.
Downey, Glanville. The Classical Journal, Vol. 67, No. 2 (Dec.,
1971 - Jan., 1972), pp.182–184. Northfield: The Classical
Association of the Middle West and South,Inc.
Roos, A.G. The Journal of Roman Studies, Vol. 5, (1915), pp.
191–202. London: Societyfor the Promotion of Roman Studies.
Whittaker, C.R.. Herodian: History of the Empire, Volume I, Books
1–4 (Loeb ClassicalLibrary No. 455). London: Loeb Classical
Library, 1970.
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