The Lives of the Twelve Caesars, written by Suetoniik. will prepare the way for the study of the works of Taci tus; and, together with the Epistles of Pliny, will afford a pretty clear insight into the state of society, and manners of the Roman empire at this period.
Tacitus wrote annals of the public affairs from the death of Augustus nearly to the end of the reign of Nero ; but only a small portion of them have come down to us, viz. the four first books; a small part of the 5th; all the 6th from the 1 1 th to the 15th; and part of the 16th. There is also a history, by the same author, which extends from the be ginning of the reign of Galba to the end of that of Domi tian. His work on the manners of the Germans is particu larly interesting and instinctive, as a preparatory study to the modern history of the northern and middle states of Et'. rope. His life of Agricola is perhaps the finest specimen of biographical writing extant. Tacitus justly deserves the name of a philosophical historian : his insight into human nature, especially into the sources and workings of the worst passions, is deep and penetrating : his style is un commonly dense.
On the times of servility that succeeded the period in which Tacitus lived, a dim light is shed by the works of Aurelius Victor, Herodian, the six compilers who are commonly known by the name of Scrilttores Romani, Eu tropius, Zosimus, Zonaras, Jornandes, Ammianus Marcel Procopins, Agathias Nicetas, Nicephorus Gregoras, and Joannes Cantacuzenus. Procopins, &c. are distin guished by the appellation of the Byzantine historians. Tlieir works relate to the history of the Greek or Eastern Empire to the period of its destruction by the Turks. Of all these authors, the only two that possess much merit are Herodian and Ammianus Ma•cellinus. The former wrote the history of his own times from the death of Antonine to the reign of B.dbinus and Pupienus, A D. 238. His man ner of narrating events is uncommonly engaging and happy. Every scene, with its causes and effects, is pre sented in the clearest and best point of view. Simplicity and elegance characterise his style. Ammianus Marcelli nus wrote 31 books, from the beginning of the reign of Nerva to the death of Valens, in whose court he lived ; but of those, the first thirteen, a superficial epitome of 257 years, are now lost. In those which are extant, lie begins with Gallus Caesar, about the year of Christ 353, and large ly describes the actions of Constantius, Cesar, Julian, Jo vial), Valentinian, and Valens—a period or 25 years, bring.
ing down the history of Rome to the year of Christ 378. He was the last subject of Rome, who composed a profane history in the Latin language. Ile well deserves the cha racter and the praise which Gibbon gives hint : It is not without the most sincere regret (says that am hot) that I must now take leave of an accurate and faithful guide, who has composed the history of his own times, without indulg ing the prejudices and the passions which usually affect the mind of a contemporary." (Gibbon's Roman Eintirr,Vol. 1V. chap. xxvi. p. 8vo. edition.) A most impoi taut series of events, connecting ancient and modern history, is supplied by Gibbon's History of the Dreline and Fall of' the Roman Empire. This work com meores with a view of the policy which swayed the Roman cubit in the time of Augustus. Rapidly passing on to the agc of time Antonines, A. D. 130, it exhibits the extent and military force, the union and internal prosperity, and the of the empire, at that period. It then be gins to nssnine the lorm of a history in detail, which is brought down to the total extinction of the Roman Empire in the west ; is afterwards continued to the taking of Con stantinople by the Turks, A. D. 1453; and concludes at the establishment or the Papal power in the city of Rome. and the adjacent tem ritory. The minute and extensive learning displayed in this important work not only supports the au thenticity of the facts which it records, hut also enables the author to discuss many correlative or incidental subjects, which elucidate either the manners. customs, laws, and state of society, at the different periods of which be treats, or those institutions that even at present characterize and distinguish the principal nations of Europe. His style is by no means chaste ; the unremitting pomp of his periods fatigues his readers; and he deserves unqualified and severe censure, for the disingenuous manner in which he has in sinuated his animadversions on the Christian religion. But, after all these deductions from the merit and value of this work, it is highly useful; and indeed the only work for the reader who wishes to obtain a clear, full, and interesting view of history, and the state of society between the period of the declension of the Roman empire and the infancy of the principal European states.