The Later Roman Empire (A.D. 354-378)

Written in Latin by a fourth-century soldier turned historian, this account carries the story of Rome's late decades forward to 378. Much of the original work has been lost; what survives is the final eighteen books, covering the years from 353 onward. The author drew on his own service in the imperial army, in Gaul and in Persia, and on a later life that took him from the eastern provinces to Rome itself. His portrait of the empire is sharp and often unflattering. He writes about heavy taxation, a government he considers corrupt, the strain of endless wars, and a society losing its strength. Yet he also works hard to be fair and detailed, which is why historians prize him. Readers come to these pages to see an empire near the edge of collapse, described by someone who was close enough to watch it happen.