Epitome of the Philippic History of Pompeius Trogus

Epitome of the Philippic History of Pompeius Trogus
Title page of a 1688 edition
DateLate 2nd or early 3rd century AD, probably prior to 226 (disputed)[1]
Place of originRome[1]
Language(s)Latin, Late Latin[1]
Author(s)Justin
Format44 brief books and a preface
ContentsEpitome of the Historia Philippicae

The Epitome of the Philippic History of Pompeius Trogus[2] (Latin Epitoma Historiarum Philippicarum Pompei Trogi)[3] by the second-century Roman writer Justin is an abridgment of the Augustan historian Pompeius Trogus' lengthy work the Historiae Philippicae, which has not survived. Justin's epitome is the only surviving source for Trogus' original work.[1]

The principal work was intended to cover human history from the beginning until the time of the Caesars, focused on Greece and her rulers, nations and peoples, and it was from this base that Justin created his Epitome, slimming it down by focusing on "whatever [parts] was most worthy of being known" and removing parts which "were neither attractive for the pleasure of reading, nor necessary by way of example",[4] resulting in a work approximately one-sixth the length of the original[5] and described as a "capricious anthology" rather than a regular epitome.[6]

Despite its altered nature, the work stands as an important piece of history, both as a connection to the sole pre-Christian work of world history written in Latin and as one of the few written sources into several notable Hellenistic figures.

  1. ^ a b c d Bartlett, Brett (July 2014). "Justin's Epitome: The Unlikely Adaptation of Trogus' World History" (PDF). Histos. 8: 246–283. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  2. ^ Full title of 1853 translation: "Marcus Junianus Justinus, Epitome of the Philippic History of Pompeius Trogus translated, with notes, by the Rev. John Selby Watson." London: Henry G. Bohn, 1853 Text[usurped]
  3. ^ Full title of 1915 edition: "M. Iuniani Iustini Epitoma historiarum Philippicarum Pompei Trogi ex recensione Francisci Ruehl": Leipzig: Teubner
  4. ^ Justin. "Preface". Epitome of the Philippic History of Pompeius Trogus. Translated by Watson, John.
  5. ^ "Pompeius Trogus". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  6. ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Justin" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 15 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 596.