AMAIIANUS MARCELI.INUS,a valuable Roman ]his torian. He entered early into the military profession : he attached himself to Ursicinus, master of the horse to Constantius, and accompanied him, about 370, in several expeditions to the East. On these occasions, he ren dered some essential services to his patron, having dis tinguished himself both as a gallant soldier and a skil ful negociator ; thus bringing into union qualities which are not always found combined. He afterwards accom panied Julian, who is his favourite hero, in his expedi tion against the Persians. Ile remained at Antioch, his native city, during the reign of Valens ; and afterwards removed to Rome, where he composed his history. This work consisted originally of thirty-one hooks, and embraced a period extending from the reign of Nerva to the death of Valens. The first thirteen hooks are lost ; the eighteen which remain, are more distinguished for candour and impartiality, than for elegance of com position. Ilis latinity is rough and unpolished, though, in this respect, he is, perhaps, little behind the other writers of the age in which he lived ; and it must be re membered, that though he writes in Latin, he was originally a (,reek, and on that account, perhaps, was unable to reach the elegancies of that language which he adopt«I. Ile is of showing that he was a Greek :
thus in the 22(1 book of his history, he says, Euz(I.0, GraTi dicimus stultnm : and in the 23(1, transirr, c)‘at':ccrverv, di CiMUS GraYi. It is elident, from his writings that he was a pagan ; yet lie praises the Christians with such impartiality, whenever they appear to deserve it, and heals such honourable testimony to the purity of Chris tian morality, that some have even imagined that he was a Christian : thus, lib. xxii. c. 11. speaking of the Cnristian mart) rs, he says, ylli deviare a •eligion(' com p:11[cl pt•thl. re cruciabile• Jtanns, adasque gloriosam mor tem c ntemerata fide progres?,i ; and a little before, talk ing of one of the degenerate Christian bishops, lie thus characterizes him, Pro/i.ssionis 87Ite OblitUs, (pia' justuni snarler' ti lent-, ad delatorum ausa Praha destisce ba t (1,1