Rufus Festus, Breviarium rerum gestarum populi Romani

Constance Sleeth (University of Otago)
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The

Breviarium Rerum Gestarum Populi Romani

, or more simply the

Breviarium

, is a very brief history of the Roman world from the foundation of Rome to the events of the mid-fourth century A.D. This breviary was written by a certain Festus, a bureaucrat working in the employ of the Emperor Valens. There remains controversy over the identification of Festus, although most scholars are now inclined to identify him with one Festus of Tridentum, a proconsul of Asia who appears in the work of Ammianus Marcellinus (the most recent synopsis and discussion of Festus’ identity is Kelly 2010). Festus dedicated his

Breviarium

to both Valens and Valentinian I, but the work was written primarily with the Emperor Valens in mind, for it was likely written in the winter of 369 or the spring of 370,…

502 words

Citation: Sleeth, Constance. "Breviarium rerum gestarum populi Romani". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 06 September 2012 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=33493, accessed 28 March 2024.]

33493 Breviarium rerum gestarum populi Romani 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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