Cassius Dio
Cassius Dio was a Roman senator and Greek-language historian whose 80-book Roman History narrates Rome’s past from its legendary foundation to 229 CE.
Roman Senate: Rome’s deliberative governing body, whose membership and influence changed across the Republic and Empire. Dio’s senatorial career gave him direct experience of imperial government.
Ab urbe condita: A Latin dating phrase meaning “from the founding of the City,” traditionally Rome’s foundation. Dio begins his account with Rome’s legendary foundation.
Septimius Severus: Roman emperor from 193 to 211 CE, founder of the Severan dynasty. Dio served under Severus and described his reign as an eyewitness senator.
Battle of Actium: The naval battle of 31 BCE in which Octavian defeated Mark Antony and Cleopatra’s forces. Dio’s narrative makes Actium a decisive step toward Octavian’s sole rule.
Roman historiography: The writing of Rome’s history, from annalistic records to later narrative accounts. Dio’s work belongs to this tradition while preserving a Greek-language perspective.
Roman annalistic tradition: Roman historical writing organized year by year, often recording magistrates, wars, and public events. Dio inherited chronological conventions while shaping them into extended narrative.
Caracalla: Roman emperor from 211 to 217 CE, remembered for military campaigns and extending citizenship to free inhabitants of the empire. Dio’s account presents Caracalla’s rule as violent and politically destabilizing.
Constitutio Antoniniana: Caracalla’s edict of 212 CE granting Roman citizenship to nearly all free inhabitants of the empire. Dio discusses the edict and offers a skeptical explanation of Caracalla’s motives.
Greek historiography: The tradition of historical writing in ancient Greek, shaped by authors such as Herodotus and Thucydides. Dio used Greek historical prose to recount Rome’s political past.
Roman Republic: The period of Roman government before Augustus established the Principate, conventionally dated 509–27 BCE. Dio narrates the Republic’s conflicts and transformation into imperial rule.