Gavin Kelly

Adrien de Valois and the Chapter Headings in Ammianus Marcellinus

In an important article in the hundredth volume of Classical Philology, Richard Burgess reexamines the relationship between various extant Latin sources for the later fourth century of our era.1 He sets out significant parallels between Jerome, Eutropius, Festus, Ammianus, and the Epitome de Caesaribus for the period 358– 378, and attributes them to their common use of successive continuations of the lost Kaisergeschichte. The existence of this work, posited by Alexander Enmann in 1884 to explain the shared features of Aurelius Victor and Eutropius, is widely accepted, but it has not hitherto been argued that anybody wrote a continuation beyond 357.2 This is a bold conclusion, as Burgess admits, and significant in its implications, not least for his own earlier work on the Kaisergeschichte.3 Further debate on several fronts seems likely.4 This note has a narrower focus. In a speculative digression, Burgess observes that the chapter headings found in modern editions of Ammianus Marcellinus on occasion provide factual details and linguistic usages that are absent from the actual history, but that can be paralleled by Eutropius’ Breviarium, Jerome’s Chronicle, and (less markedly) the Epitome de Caesaribus; he suggests that their author, “agreed to be . . . a later editor and not Ammianus himself,” may have gained this additional information from the Kaisergeschichte. 5 I shall explain why this theory (which does not affect Burgess’ central argument) cannot be right, and add a few remarks on the characteristics, sources, and reception of the chapter headings. Modern editions of Ammianus do not enlighten their readers on the subject, and indeed sometimes mislead them, but the chapter headings are not to be found anywhere in the manuscripts.6 The current divisions of chapters were devised, and the chapter titles composed, by Adrien de Valois (Hadrianus Valesius, 1607–92) for his edition of 1681.7 Adrien presented his work as an editio posterior of the brilliant text and commentary that his late brother Henri de Valois (Henricus Valesius, 1603–76)

The Hersfeldensis and the Fuldensis of Ammianus Marcellinus: A reconsideration

The only two authoritative manuscripts of Ammianus Marcellinus to survive to the present day were produced in Germany in the first half of the ninth century: Vaticanus Latinus 1873 from Fulda (V), and a fragmentary manuscript from Hersfeld now preserved in Kassel (M). This article challenges the consensus that V is a copy of M; taking into account recently uncovered fragments of M (new transcriptions of which are offered in the appendix), we argue that both are copies of the same damaged original, and discuss the implications for the editing of Ammianus and for our understanding of Carolingian scholarship.

M. Maas, Readings in Late Antiquity: a Sourcebook . London/New York: Routledge, 2000. Pp. lxviii + 375, 17 maps, ISBN 0-415-15987-3 (bound); 0-415-15988-1 (paper). £60.00 (bound); £19.99 (paper).

1. The Romans Empire 2. The Roman Army 3. Christianity 4. Polytheism 5. Jews 6. Domestic Life 7. Women 8. Law 9. Medicine 10. Philosophy 11. Persia 12. Germanic Invaders and Successor States 13. Steppe People Slavs 14. Islam New material in this edition includes: 1.2.1 The emperor comes to town Ammianus Marcellinus, History 16.10.5-10 Ammianus Marcellinus, 22.2.3-5 1.2.9 The image of the emperor Theophilus, A Homily on the Virgin 1.3.11 A picture of the Roman Empire Eumenius, For the Restoration of the Schools .20 1.3.12 The condition and use of Roman roads Theodosian Code 15.3.4 1.3.13 Roman roads after Rome Cassiodorus, Variae XII.18 Gregory of Tours, The History of the Franks VI.11 1.4.3 The colossal wealth of aristocrats Olympiodorus of Thebes, Fragment 41.2 1.4.4 What to do with wealth? Anonymous, On Riches, 6.3, 20.1-2 1.4.5 Poverty Libanius, Oration, 7.1-3 1.4.9 The great estates and the rise of patrons Theodosian Code 11.24.2 Code of Justinian II.54.1 1.4.10 Exploitation of peasant farmers in Syria and Egypt John Chrysostom, Homily in Matthew LXI.3 1.4.11 Dependence upon a landlord on an Egyptian estate Oxyrhynchus Papyrus 1.130, lines 1-10 1.4.15 Landlocked peasants Synesius, Epistles, 148 2.3.8 Christian condemnation of games and public entertainments John Chrysostom, Homily on Matthew 37.6 2.3.11 Taking a bath Inscription of the Empress Eudocia Clement of Alexandria, Paedagogus 3.9 2.7.6 Christian Theory of Empire Paul the Silentiary, Description of Hagia Sophia 4.4.5 A bishop demands respect, even from an empress Philostorgius, Suda, A 254, Leontius 4.8.2 Extreme asceticism Canons of the Council of Gangra, 343 4.11.2 Pope Gregory explains the Bible Pope Gregory I, Moralia 20.1.1 4.11.3 Teaching the Bible through paintings in church Paulinus of Nola, Carmina XXVII, 512-595 5.2.2 Divination Sortes Sangallenses 6, 14, 54, 57-60, 88, 106-7 5.2.11 Manichaeism Prayer of the Emanations CHAPTER 8 Domestic Life 9.3 Torture Augustine, City of God Against the Pagans, 19.6 12.1.7 Julians fatal invasion of Mesopotamia Ammianus Marcellinus, 24.7.1 and 3-6 12.1.10 An Armenian obituary of Khusro Khusros obituary 13.1.12 Theoderics New World Order Cassiodorus, Variae III.3 Cassiodorus, Variae III.4 13.1.20 Venantius Fortunatus Poetry of Venantius Fortunatus 13.2.1 The origin of the Goths Jordanes, The Gothic History, 4.25-29 13.2.2 Maintaining tribal identity Procopius, Wars, VII.ii.1-3 13.2.3 A view of the Franks from Constantinople Agathias, Histories, I.2.1 1.2.3-4 13.2.4 What gives different peoples their distinguishing characteristics? Isidore of Seville, Etymologies 9.2.105 14.2.7 After Attilas death Jordanes, Getica L, 261 = Priscus fr. 25 15.3.15 A Christians explanation of Islam before the capture of Jerusalem Sophronius of Jerusalem, Sermon on the Epiphany