Herodian facts for kids

Herodian or Herodianus (Greek: Ἡρωδιανός) was a Roman writer from Syria. He lived from about 170 AD to 240 AD. Sometimes people call him "Herodian of Antioch." He was a minor Roman government worker.

Herodian wrote an interesting history book in Greek. It was called History of the Empire from the Death of Marcus. This book had eight parts and covered the years 180 AD to 238 AD. His work is not always perfectly accurate. However, his story about Elagabalus is seen as more fair than the one by Cassius Dio. Herodian probably lived in Rome for a long time, but he might not have held any big public jobs. We know he was still alive and quite old when Gordianus III became emperor in 238 AD. We don't know much else about his life.

Herodian wrote that the events in his history happened during his lifetime. A writer named Photius praised Herodian's writing style. He said it was clear, strong, and pleasant to read. Herodian seemed to use Thucydides as a model for his writing. He often included speeches that were partly or completely made up. Even with some small mistakes in dates and places, his story is mostly true and fair. Some people think he was too kind to Pertinax.

Who Was Herodian?

When Was Herodian Born and When Did He Die?

We don't know the exact dates when Herodian was born or died. We only know what he wrote about himself, so there isn't much information. He must have been at least 10 years old by 180 AD. This is because he described events from that time in great detail.

One idea is that Herodian finished his book around 240 AD. This would mean he was about 70 years old then. He wrote, "My goal is to write a detailed account of events over seventy years. This covers the reigns of several emperors, which I experienced myself." This suggests he was around 70 when he wrote it. It also confirms that the events happened during his life.

However, it's possible he wrote his history later. Herodian's descriptions of Gordian III are not very kind. It's unlikely he would have published such negative views about an emperor who was still ruling. So, his history might have been finished in 244 AD or later, after Gordian III died.

Where Was Herodian From?

Herodian's home country is also not clear. He was not from Italy. He said the Alps mountains were bigger than anything "in our part of the world." This suggests he was from somewhere else.

Some people think Herodian was from Alexandria. This is because he wrote a lot about Caracalla's terrible attack on that city. He might have even seen these attacks himself. Herodian called Alexandria the second most important city in the Roman Empire. But he also used this title for Antioch and Carthage.

It has been suggested that Herodian was the son of Aelius Herodianus, a grammarian from Alexandria. This fits the timeline, but there's no other proof. The most common guess is that Herodian was from Antioch in Syria. He described Syrians as quick-witted. But there are also gaps in his knowledge about Syria. For example, he mixed up two Parthian kings. His dates and places for the Parthian war in 197–198 AD were wrong. These mistakes could mean he wasn't from that area. We will likely never know for sure where Herodian was born unless new information is found.

What Was Herodian's Job and Social Status?

We don't know Herodian's job or how important he was in society. Herodian wrote, "I have written a history of the events after the death of Marcus Aurelius. I saw and heard these events during my lifetime. I was personally involved in some of these events during my work for the empire and the public."

Some think Herodian was a senator. This is because he knew about a secret decision by the senate to choose emperors Pupienus and Balbinus. But news of this secret was leaked by some senators. So, it wouldn't have stayed a secret for Herodian's whole life.

It's possible Herodian was a freedman. A freedman was a former slave who gained freedom. This fits because he might have focused on people's personalities rather than big political issues. Another idea is that Herodian was an apparitor. This was a scribe or assistant to the emperor. This would make sense. He would have had access to important documents. He would have traveled a lot. And he would have known a lot about money matters, which he often wrote about.

What Did Herodian Accomplish?

Herodian's Roman History is a collection of eight books. It covers the time from the death of Marcus Aurelius in 180 AD to the start of Gordian III's rule in 238 AD. It gives a firsthand account of a very changing time in the Roman Empire.

• The first book describes the rule of Commodus (180 to 192 AD).
• The second book talks about the Year of the Five Emperors in 193 AD.
• Book Three covers the rule of Septimius Severus (193 to 211 AD).
• Book Four discusses the rule of Caracalla (211 to 217 AD).
• Book Five is about the rule of Elagabalus (218 to 222 AD).
• Book Six deals with the rule of Severus Alexander (222 to 235 AD).
• The seventh book tells about the rule of Maximinus Thrax (235 to 238 AD).
• The final book describes the Year of the Six Emperors in 238 AD.

Herodian was probably writing for people in the eastern part of the empire. He often explained Roman customs and beliefs that would have seemed new to them.

How Was Herodian's Work Seen by Others?

Scholars have both praised and criticized Herodian. The first person to review Herodian's work was Photius, a church leader from the 800s AD. Photius wrote that Herodian "neither exaggerates nor leaves out anything important." He added that "few men are better than him" at writing history.

Other historians like Zosimus and John of Antioch used Herodian's work as a source. An English translator in 1705 wrote that Herodian "still keeps a greatness suitable to his important topic." He said Herodian had "something so pleasing and proper, that perhaps all the skill of other men can never reach."

However, not all views of Herodian were positive. Some criticized him for not being critical enough. While the writer of the Historia Augusta used Herodian's work, he also said Herodian was biased. Joannes Zonaras only used Herodian's history when Cassius Dio's work ended.

For a long time, Herodian was criticized for not being historically accurate. But newer studies tend to agree with him, saying his facts are often correct. Herodian said his goal was to "narrate only the most important and final actions separately and in order of time." Because of this, he sometimes combined many events into just one or two sentences. For example, all of Caracalla's military actions in the north from 213 to 214 AD are mentioned in only two short sentences.

Herodian also sometimes made mistakes in geography. He confused two different parts of Arabia. He also wrongly claimed that Issus was where the final battle and capture of Darius III happened.

When comparing Herodian to Cassius Dio, both historians made mistakes. Dio is known for his knowledge of the senate. But Herodian disagreed with Dio's description of how people reacted when Septimius Severus became emperor. Dio's work is not always more accurate than Herodian's.

See also

In Spanish: Herodiano para niños