Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from Velleius Paterculus Compendium of Roman History: Res Gestae Divi Augusti; With an English Translation
Of the equestrian order who ardently supported it without any Of the yearnings felt by the senatorial class for the Old régime as it existed in the days before the empire had shorn them Of their former governmental powers.
As has already been said, the work is a com memorative volume as well as an historical abridge ment, and under this pardonable pretext the author feels free to depart from historical Objectivity and give his work a personal note. Thus he honours Vinicius not merely by the dedication, but by addressing him frequently in the vocative case, by bringing the more important dates into chronological relation with his consulship, and by bringing into prominence the ancestors of Vinicius who had played any historical role worthy Of consideration. Vinicius, who like the author himself was an Official Of the administration, would also lend sympathetic ears to his rhapsodic eulogy of his Old commander, now the emperor Tiberius, and Of his prime minister Sejanus, then in the heyday Of his power and the virtual head Of the government. In doing the honours, in this commemorative volume, he also takes occasion to mention, as something in which his friend would be interested, the participation Of the author's own ancestors in the events which he is narrating, and, when he reaches his own times, like the painters Of the Renaissance he sees no harm in introducing him self into the canvas as one of the minor participants in the historical pageant.
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