Translations
These are English translations of some sources for Greek and Roman history from 323 to 30 B.C.
Translations of some other Greek and Latin authors can be found via the additional translations page.
Translations marked with a † have been created especially for this website.
Links to collections of inscriptions and papyri can be found on the documents index page; links to translations of Greek and Latin poetry can be found on the poetry index page; and links to translations on other websites can be found in the list of sources and translations.
- Alexander Romance ("Pseudo-Callisthenes")
A widely-read fictional account of the life of Alexander the Great
- Aristeas, Letter to Philocrates
A fanciful account of the translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek
- Athenaeus, Deipnosophists
A compilation of table talk, full of information about life in ancient Greece
- Cicero, Brutus
Candid descriptions of the leading Roman orators, down to the time of Cicero
- Cicero, De Oratore
A dialogue with many anecdotes about Roman orators, set in the year 91 B.C.
- Cicero, Letters to and from Cassius
Letters sent before and after the assassination of Caesar
- Cicero, On the Republic
A dialogue featuring Scipio Aemilianus, set in the year 129 B.C.
- Cicero, Speeches
Selected speeches by Rome's most famous orator.
- Diodorus Siculus, Historical Library - Books 33 - 40
Fragments of the last section of Diodorus' history of the world, from 145 B.C. onwards
- Diogenes Laertius, Lives of the Philosophers :
Book 7 (life of Zenon) and Book 10 (life of Epicurus)
- † Eusebius: Chronicle
Here Eusebius presents the evidence for the dates in his chronological tables
- † Excerpta Latina Barbari
- pages 32A - 36B, 44A, 46A - 55A
An eccentric chronicle, dating from about 500 A.D.
- † Exsuperantius
A very short history of the period 107 to 72 B.C.
- † Extracts from Other Authors
Galen on the Alexandrian library,
Augustus on the deification of Julius Caesar; . . .
- † Fasti Capitolini
A list of the consuls and other Roman magistrates for each year
- † Fasti Triumphales
A list of Roman Triumphs, down to the reign of Augustus
- Festus, Breviarium
A brief summary of how the Romans won their empire
- † Granius Licinianus
Parts of a History of Rome, describing various events from 163 B.C. onwards.
- † Greek Chronicles
Apollodorus,
Chronicon Paschale,
Malalas, etc.
- † Greek Historians
Fragments of Arrianus,
Philochorus,
Poseidonius etc.
- † St. Jerome ( Hieronymus ): Chronological Tables
- Olympiads 111 to 203
The fullest ancient chronicle, based on Eusebius' chronological tables
- Josephus, Jewish Antiquities
Part of long history of the Jews: books 12-15
- Josephus, Jewish War
A history of the Jews from 170 B.C. onwards: book 1
- Justinus: Epitome of Pompeius Trogus' histories
A history of the world, with an emphasis on Hellenistic history
- † Lives of the Hellenistic poets
Short lives of Apollonius, Aratus, Lycophron, Menander and Theocritus
- 1st Book of Maccabees
The Maccabean family leads the Jews to independence, 175-134 B.C.
- 2nd Book of Maccabees
Another account of the Maccabean revolt, 180-160 B.C.
- 3rd Book of Maccabees
The Jews escape from persecution by the Egyptian king, in 217 B.C.
- 4th Book of Maccabees
Two episodes in the persecution of the Jews by Antiochus Epiphanes
- Megillat Taanit (Scroll of Fasts)
A list of 35 memorable days in Jewish history
- † Memnon: History of Heracleia
A local history, containing much unique material
- Cornelius Nepos, Great Generals of Foreign Nations
Brief biographies of famous generals
- Cornelius Nepos, Life of Atticus
A life of Cicero's friend, mostly written during his lifetime
- Nicolaus of Damascus, Life of Augustus
Excerpts from a biography of Augustus, up to the year 44 B.C.
- Julius Obsequens, Book of Prodigies
A list of many prodigies and omens during the years 190-11 B.C.
- Orosius, Histories against the Pagans
A history of Rome, from the earliest times until the 5th century A.D.
- Philodemus, On Hellenistic Philosophers
Histories of three philosophical schools, and a biography of Philonides
- Plutarch, Lives of the Ten Orators
Athenian orators, most of whom lived in the 4th century B.C.
- Plutarch, Sayings of kings and commanders
A varied collection of sayings, attributed to famous Greeks and Romans
- Polyaenus: Stratagems
Hundreds of stories of how Greek and Roman generals outwitted their enemies
- † Porphyrius: Comments on the book of Daniel
- FGrH_260
An attempt to explain Daniel by reference to Hellenistic history
- † Sallust (Sallustius Crispus): Histories
Fragments of a detailed history of the Roman world from 78 to 67 B.C.
- † Scholia Bobiensia
Extracts from an ancient commentary on the speeches of Cicero
- Valerius Maximus: Memorable Deeds and Sayings
900 examples of virtues and vices, mostly taken from Roman history
Many of these translations are new; and the others have all been re-edited, before being put on this website. So don't be surprised if they contain errors - please e-mail any corrections to attalus.org .
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