I was also lucky enough to have landed with my editor, Colleen Lawrie, at PublicAffairs. She not only said yes to the project in the first place, but provided expert advice and guidance as we took the manuscript from a blank piece of paper to a completed manuscript. The rest of the team at PublicAffairs has also been fantastic—especially for a first-time author. Managing editor Katie Haigler, publicist Kristina Fazzalaro, copy editor Bill Warhop, designer Linda Mark, marketing coordinator Miguel Cervantes, and marketing director Lindsay Fradkoff were all a pleasure to work with. The book is better for all of their hard work.
For research, I am incredibly grateful to the University of Wisconsin, which is a bastion of enlightened civic engagement. UW offers residents of the state of Wisconsin full run of their libraries and unlimited access to otherwise impossible-to-find academic journals. Without these resources I would have been lost. The Wisconsin Idea of fostering a collaborative educational network linking academics, public servants, and citizens is among the most noble endeavors in the history of western civilization. In 1905, UW president Charles Van Hise said, “I shall never be content until the beneficent influence of the University reaches every family of the state.” I cannot speak for everyone, but the beneficent influence of the university has certainly reached me.
I am also eternally indebted to the community of classical academics and enthusiasts who maintain online databases of ancient literary sources—fully searchable and instantly available. In particular, I relied on the work of the Perseus Digital Library at Tufts University, Jona Lendering and Livius.org, Bill Thayer and his LacusCurtius archives, and Andrew Smith at Attalus.org. This book would have been a poor effort were it not for their efforts.
Finally, I would like to thank every single listener of the History of Rome and Revolutions podcasts, who truly made all this possible. I will remain forever grateful that you have allowed me to turn a passion for history into a career in history. I hope you liked the book.
MIKE DUNCAN is one of the foremost history podcasters in the world. His award-winning series The History of Rome chronologically narrated the entire history of the Roman Empire over 189 weekly episodes. Originally produced between 2007 and 2012, The History of Rome remains one of the most popular history podcasts in the world. Duncan has continued this success with his current series Revolutions, a show that explores the great political revolutions in modern history. Thanks to the worldwide popularity of his podcasts, Duncan has led a number of sold-out guided tours of Italy, England, and France to visit historic sites from ancient Rome to the French Revolution. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, he now lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with his family.
THE ANCIENT SOURCES
STANDARD ABBREVIATIONS FOR the ancient sources use the Latin title of the work. For example, the first entry under Appian is “BC,” which is short for Bellum Civile—translated as The Civil Wars. Both Varro and Cato the Elder wrote works titled On Agriculture, which in Latin is Re Rustica, and thus abbreviated RR. This reference table moves straight from the Latin abbreviation to the English translation.
The translations of the cited works come from the original editions of the Loeb Classical Library. These editions are now in the public domain and available at several online databases of classical literature. The primary databases utilized were the Perseus Digital Library, LacusCurtius, Livius.org, and Attalus.org. I encourage everyone who is interested in learning more about Roman history to dive headlong into the ancient sources. They are the root of all knowledge.
XII
The Law of the Twelve Tables
1–12
indicates Table
Amm.
Ammianus Marcelinus
RG
Things Done
App.
Appian
BC
The Civil Wars
Gall.
The Gallic Wars
Han.
The Hannibalic War
Iber.
The Wars in Spain
Ill.
The Illyrian Wars
Isl.
The Wars in Sicily and Other Islands
Mac.
The Macedonian Wars
Mith.
The Mithridatic Wars
Pun.
The Punic Wars
Reg.
The Wars of the Kings
Samn.
The Samnite Wars
Ascon.
Asconius
Orat. Cic.
Commentaries on Five Speeches of Cicero
Athen.
Athenaeus
Dei.
Banquet of Scholars
Caes.
Julius Caesar
BC
Commentaries on the Civil War
BG
Commentaries on the Gallic War
“Caes.”
Pseudo-Caesar
BA
The African War
CAH
Cambridge Ancient History
Cato
Cato the Elder
RR
On Agriculture
Cic.
Cicero
Amic.
On Friendship
Arch.
For Archias
Att.
To Atticus
Balb.
For Balbus
Brut.
Brutus
Cael.
For Caelius
Cat.
Cataline Orations
Clu.
For Aulus Cluentius
Deiot.
For King Deiotarus
Div.
On Divination
Div. Caec.
Divinatio Against Quintus Caecilius
Dom.
Speech for His House to the Priests
Fam.
Letters to Friends
Fin.
On the Ends of Good and Evil
Flacc.
For Flaccus
Font.
For Fonto
Har. Resp.
On the Responses of the Haruspices
Leg.
On the Laws
Leg. Agr.
On Agrarian Laws
Leg. Man.
For the Manilian Law
Luc.
Lucullus
Milo
For Milo
Mur.
For Lucius Murena
Nat. Deo.
On the Nature of the Gods
Off.
On Duties
Orat.
On the Orator
Phil.
Philippics
Pis.
Against Piso
Planc.
For Planciuso
Pro. Cons.
On Consular Provinces
Quint.
Letters to/from Quintus
Rab. Perd.
Defense of Rabirus for Treason
Rab. Post.
For Rabirius Postumus
Red. Pop.
Return Address to the People
Red. Sen.
Return Address to the Senate
Rep.
On the Republic
Rosc. Am.
For Sextus Roscius of Ameria
Scaur.
For Scaurus
Sest.
For Sestius
Tusc.
Tusculan Disputations
Verr.
Against Verres
“Cic.”
Pseudo-Cicero
Rhet. Her.
Rhetoric for Herrenius
CIL
Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum
Dio
Cassius Dio
Hist.
The Roman Histories
Diod.
Diodorus Siculus
Bib. Hist.
Library of Roman History
Diony.
Dionysius of Halicarnassus
Rom. Ant.
Roman Antiquities
Eur.
Euripides
Phoen.
Phoenissae
Eutr.
Eutropius
Brev.
Abridgement of Roman History
FC
Fasti Capitolini
Fest.
Festus
Brev.
Summary of the Achievements of the Roman People
Flor.
Florus
Epit.
Epitome of Roman History
Front.
Frontius
Strat.
Strategems
FT
Fasti Triumphales
Gell.
Aulus Gellius
Att.
Attic Nights
Gran.
Granius Licinianus
Hist.
History of Rome
Hor.
Horace
Odes
Odes
Just.
Justin
Phil.
Philippic Histories
Juv.
Juvenal
Sat.
Satires
Livy
Livy
Ab. Urb.
Books from the Foundation of the City
Per.
Periochae
Macr.
Macrobius
Sat.
Saturnalia
Obseq.
Julius Obsequens
Prod.
Book of Prodigies
ORF
Oratorum Romanorum Fragmenta
Oros.
Orosius
Adv. Pag.
History Against the Pagans
Paus.
Pausanias
Desc.
Description of Greece
Pliny
Pliny the Elder
NH
Natural History
Pliny Min.
Pliny the Younger
Lett.
Letters
Plut.
Plutarch
Aem. Paul.
Aemilius Paullus
Ant.
Marc Antony
Caes.
Julius Caesar
Cam.
Camillus
Cato Maj.
Cato the Elder
Cato Min.
Cato the Younger
CG
Gaius Gracchus
Cor.
Coriolanus
Cras.
Crassus
Dem.
Demetrius
Fab. Max.
Fabius Maximus
Flam.
Flaminius
Luc.
Lucullus
Mar.
Marius
Marc.
Lucullus
Mor.
Roman Questions
Num.
Numa
Pomp.
Pompey
Pub.
Publicola
Rom.
Romulus
Sert.
Sertorius
Sulla
Sulla
TG
“Plut.”
Pseudo-Plutarch
Apoph.
Sayings of the Romans
Polyb.
Polybius
Hist.
Histories
Sall.
Sallust
Cat.
Conspiracy of Catiline
Hist.
The Histories (Fragments)
Jug.
The Jugurthine War
Seut.
Seutonius
Aug.
Augustus
Caes.
Julius Caesar
Tib.
Tiberius
Strabo
Strabo
Geo.
Geography
Tac.
Tacitus
Ann.
Annals
Germ.
Germania
Hist.
Histories
Orat.
Dialogue on Oratory
Ulp.
Ulpian
Dig.
The Digest of Justinian
Val. Max.
Valerius Maximus
Fact. Dict.
Memorable Deeds and Sayings
Varro
Varro
LL
On the Latin Language
RR
On Agriculture
Vell. Pat.
Velleius Paterculus
Hist.
The Roman History
“Vict.”
Pseudo–Aurelius Victor
Vir. Ill.
On Illustrious Men
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