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Secondary sourceBook

Roman History attributed to Ammianus Marcellinus

Cassius Dio

A later Roman historical text with an inconsistent attribution between Cassius Dio and Ammianus Marcellinus.

A secondary Roman history text, of uncertain authorship, that likely discusses events from Caesar's era.

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Full text (Wikisource)

About this source

What it is

This work is listed on Wikisource under the name of Cassius Dio but titled for Ammianus Marcellinus, a Roman soldier and historian who lived centuries after Julius Caesar. The record itself is inconsistent, so what exactly this text covers and who wrote it is unclear.

Why it matters

Because of the confusion in attribution, this source should be used carefully. Roman historians like Cassius Dio and Ammianus Marcellinus wrote about earlier periods of Roman history, including the age of Caesar, often long after the events, shaping how later generations understood Rome's past.

Look closer

  • Why might two different ancient authors' names be attached to the same text?
  • How might writing about events centuries later change what a historian includes or leaves out?
  • What problems can arise when the authorship of a historical text is uncertain?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Julius Caesar and Augustus on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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