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
Breviariumto 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,…
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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 13 December 2024.]