Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1899 edition. Excerpt: ... Reduced Facsimile, Vatican MS. Gr. 141. XII Century. Of Author's Preface First Pace Vastness! and Age! and Memories of Eld! Silence! and Desolation ! and dim Night! I feel ye now -- I feel ye in your strength -- O spells more sure than e'er Judaean King Taught in the gardens of Gethsemane! O charms more potent than the rapt Chaldee Ever drew down from out the quiet stars. EDGAR A. POE. TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE My reasons for translating the works of Appian are that they constitute an indispensable part of Roman history, that they are not accessible in English, and that none of the persons more competent to perform the task have seen fit to undertake it. The last English translation, made in 1679, is not now obtainable, and would not be readable if obtainable. All that we know about Appian as an individual is gleaned from his own writings and from the letters of Fronto, the tutor of Marcus Aurelius. It is supposed that he was born about A.d. 9o, and that he died about A.d. 16o. He left an autobiography, as he tells us at the conclusion of his Preface, but it was lost early. It was not known to Photius in the ninth century, although Appian's historical works were all extant at that time. He tells us in his Preface also that he was a native of Alexandria,1 in Egypt, and that he came to Rome where he practised the profession of an advocate in the courts of the emperors until they appointed him. procurator. As he says in the same paragraph that he had reached the highest place in his own country, it is inferred that he was procurator of Egypt. A fragment of his works, brought to 1 A papyrus recently unearthed and published by the Egypt Exploration Fund (Oxyrhynchus Papyri, Part I. p. 62, London, 1898) contains the record of the arraignme
