Common types of primary sources include works of literature, historical documents, original philosophical writings, and religious texts. This is the second volume to appear in the projected set of commentaries on the whole of the bibliotheca historica of diodorus siculus an ambitious scholarly undertaking announced in an introductory volume by the same author, in collaboration with two other members of the team d. This paper explores the function of geographical and historical patterning in diodorus work, in particular parallels between sicily and mainland greece. Diodorus failure to attack herodotus repeatedly by name strongly suggests th. Sacks, diodorus siculus and the first century, princeton 1990, 2336 has.
The first section books 16 cover the carious myths in a historical way and are divided geographically. The historical library diodorus siculus 1st c bce book i. Diodorus lived in the time of julius caesar and augustus, and his own statements make it clear that he traveled in. Diodorus siculuss most popular book is library of history, volume i. Diodorus siculus, greek historian, the author of a universal history, bibliotheke library. Since the nineteenth century his bibliotheke has been dismissed as a derivative work produced by an incompetent compiler, useful often only in so far as one can mine his text for lost and, evidently, far superior works of history. Writing social commentary in the bibliotheke diodorus siculus has not enjoyed a positive reputation among historians of antiquity. Megasthenes on india, berossus on babylon and manetho on egypt. See table of contents for some information about how this translation has been produced, and key to translations for an explanation of the format. Stylianou, a historical commentary on diodorus siculus 15 oxford, 1998, 49. Project muse a historical commentary on diodorus siculus.
Mar 31, 2017 author of bibliotheca historica, diodorus of sicily, diodorus siculus, bibliothecae historicae libri qui supersunt, e recensione petri wesselingii, cum interpretatione latina laur. The findings of this investigation are then applied in commenting on book 15, which deals with the crucial years between the kings peace, concluded in 3876 bc, and the aftermath of the battle of mantinea fought in 362 bc. Discover book depositorys huge selection of siculus diodorus books online. A primary source is a work that is being studied, or that provides firsthand or direct evidence on a topic. Diodorus siculus diodorus, siculus the online books page. He is known for writing the monumental universal history bibliotheca historica, much of which survives, between 60 and 30 bc. Diodorus siculus project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Diodorus siculus was a greek historian from sicily whose sole suriving work, the historial library, aimed to relate the mytholoy and history of the whole world. Ancient history encyclopedia receives a small commission. For that reason his book is divided into three sections. This study is, as the dust jacket informs us, the fullest ever undertaken for any part of diodorus. He does refer to subsequent theban attacks on plataea, thespiae, and. Browse the worlds largest ebookstore and start reading today on the web, tablet, phone, or ereader. Diodorus opens the fourth book \ith a defence of his exposition of.
Stylianou, a historical commentary on diodorus stculus book 15, oxford. P j stylianou for long stretches of greek history in the classical period, diodorus siculus provides the only surviving continuous narrative of events. A case study in the reliability of diodorus siculus and. The first to be handed down by tradition to history and memory for us as. The historical library of diodorus siculus is a detailed account of greek and roman history down to the authors own time about 60 b. A commentary with a frontispiece volume 29 of monographs and textbooks on pure and applied mathematics etudes preliminaires aux religions orientales dans lempire romain etudes preliminaires aux religions orientales dans lempire. A historical commentary on diodorus siculus, book 15 p. Diodorus covers a lot of ground from the period before the trojan war to julius caesars gallic campaigns. Diodorus siculus, library, book xii, contents of the twelfth. A historical commentary on diodorus siculus book 15 bryn mawr. Diodorus siculus, greek historian of agyrium in sicily. Diodorus siculus, greek historian of agyrium in sicily, ca. Diodorus siculus is recognized for his attention to detail and faithful text compilation. University of glasgow, 31st august 2nd september, 2011.
For this narrative he summarized, however incompetently, the work of earlier and greater historians whose original texts are lost to us. The findings of this investigation are then applied in commenting on book 15, which deals with the crucial years between the kings peace, concluded in. Table of contents for diodorus siculus, books 1112. Diodorus siculus simple english wikipedia, the free. Arguing for a thorough critical reappraisal of diodorus as a minor but far from idiotic historian himself, peter green published diodorus siculus, books 1112. Islam, the quran, and the five pillars all without a flamewar. The historical library of diodorus the sicilian, in fifteen books london. Although he does not attack any of his predecessors nominatim, he makes it clear. This visit was marked by his witnessing an angry mob demand the death of a roman citizen who had accidentally killed a cat, an animal sacred to the ancient egyptians bibliotheca historica 1. The first part covers mythic history up to the destruction of troy. A historical commentary on diodorus siculus, book 15 by p. For long stretches of greek history in the classical period, diodorus siculus provides the only surviving continuous narrative of events. The findings of this investigation are then appliedin commenting on book 15, a particularly important book which deals with the crucial years between the kings peace, concluded in 3876 bc, and the aftermath of the battle of mantinea fought. The historical library of diodorus the sicilian html with commentary at perseus diodorus, siculus.
The irony is that all this huffandpuff over quellenforschung makes scarcely any difference to the high value of st. A historical commentary on diodorus siculus, book 15. Diodorus siculus, book 36 fragments covering the period 104 98 b. Open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. We would like to show you a description here but the site wont allow us. Asdrubal, the gaulish uprising, and the second punic war book xxv. The earliest date diodorus mentions is his visit to egypt in the 180th olympiad between 60 and 56 bc. In book iv, diodorus discusses the history of the argonauts in rationalizing style. A historical commentary on diodorus siculus lexile find. Uterary sources, a history of sicily and the western. The causes of the peloponnesian war constitute such a persistent theme in discussions of fifthcentury greek history, in part because of the complexity of the aetiological view of our earliest source, thucydides. It is arranged geographically, describing regions around the world.
Diodorus siculus has 81 books on goodreads with 23 ratings. Diodorus siculus has not enjoyed a positive reputation among historians of antiquity. It would be a pity if potential readers were to be put off using what is fundamentally a splendid work of scholarship by st. Diodorus siculus or diodorus of sicily was a greek historian. This study, the fullest ever undertaken of diodorus, examines his aims, sources, and methods in detail. A commentary volume 1 of diodorus siculus volume 1 of diodorus siculus.
Diodorus strong conviction on the role of fate in the course of history does not. The library of history includes both vivid descriptions, and evidence of historical works that are now lost, such as the writings of ephorus, philistus, and apollodorus. Geographical and historical patterning in diodorus siculus. Unfortunately the second half books 2140 has only survived in fragments, but even these fragments represent one of the most important sources for the history of the period that they cover. Diodorus of sicily, with an english translation by c. Stylianou, a historical commentary on diodorus siculus 15 oxford. Diodoros sikeliotes or diodorus of sicily was a greek historian. Books by diodorus siculus author of library of history.
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