Quintus Curtius Rufus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Quintus Curtius Rufus
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Quintus Curtius Rufus. Historia Alexandri Magni. Leiden: Elzevier, 1664.
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| Occupation | Historian |
| Language | Latin |
| Citizenship | Roman Empire |
| Period | 1st century |
| Genres | Biography, history |
| Subject | Life and times of Alexander the Great |
| Literary movement | Silver age of Latin literature |
| Notable work | Histories of Alexander the Great |
Quintus Curtius Rufus was an ancient Roman historian. He probably lived in the 1st century AD. He is famous for his only known book, Histories of Alexander the Great. This book tells the story of Alexander the Great, a famous ancient king.
Most of Curtius's book is missing today. We also don't know much about Curtius himself. Because of this, some people wonder if he used a different name. But for now, we know him as Quintus Curtius Rufus, the historian.
Contents
When Did Curtius Write His History?
Historians try to figure out when Quintus Curtius Rufus lived. They look for clues inside his book. It's like being a detective!
Clues from the Roman Empire
In his book, Curtius praises the peace of the Roman Empire. He talks about how the empire brought an end to civil wars. This suggests he lived when the Roman Empire was strong. The Roman Empire began around 63 BC.
He also mentions the Parthian Empire. This was a powerful empire to the east of Rome. It existed from 247 BC to 224 AD. So, Curtius must have written his book sometime between 63 BC and 224 AD.
A Clue About an Emperor
Curtius compares the civil wars after Alexander's death to a Roman event. He describes a time when a new emperor was chosen quickly, stopping a civil war. This sounds like the night of January 24, 41 AD.
On that night, the emperor Caligula was killed. The Roman Senate thought about bringing back the Roman Republic. But the Praetorian Guard, who were the emperor's bodyguards, made them choose Claudius as the new emperor. Claudius then worked hard to bring back peace. If Curtius wrote about this event, his book must be from after 41 AD.
Tyre and the End Date
Another clue is when Curtius mentions the city of Tyre. He says it was still doing well under Roman rule. The peace of the Roman Empire started to end around 43 AD. This was when Claudius invaded Britain.
So, putting all these clues together, many experts believe Curtius wrote his book in the middle or late part of the 1st century AD.
Who Was Quintus Curtius Rufus?
The name Quintus Curtius Rufus belonged to a noble Roman family. However, Roman families sometimes adopted people. This means not everyone with the name was related by blood. Also, names were often repeated in families.
A Possible Match
Given the time frame of the mid-1st century, there's a good candidate for who Curtius might have been. This person was a Curtius Rufus. He became a Roman consul (a high-ranking official) in 43 AD under Emperor Claudius.
This Curtius Rufus was supported by Emperor Tiberius before him. Some historians believe he might have written the Histories a year or two before becoming consul. He was in Africa at the time, which means he could have used the famous Library of Alexandria. This library had many books about Alexander the Great.
It's also said that Emperor Tiberius admired Curtius Rufus. Tiberius even called him a "self-made man" because he came from a humble background. Some stories say he was the son of a gladiator. If this is true, he must have been adopted into the noble Curtius family.
If this Curtius Rufus is our historian, he was likely born in the early 1st century AD.
The Book: Histories of Alexander the Great
Curtius's book, Histories of Alexander the Great, is very important. It tells us a lot about Alexander's life.
Copies and Editions
There are 123 old copies of Curtius's book. They all come from one original copy made in the 9th century. The original book had ten "books" or chapters. But the first two books are missing. There are also gaps in other parts of the book.
The book was very popular in the High Middle Ages. People used it to write stories about Alexander, called the Alexander Romance. These stories were like epic poems, similar to Virgil's Aeneid. The book also became popular during the Renaissance, especially in Italy. Famous painters like Paolo Veronese and Charles Le Brun even painted scenes from Curtius's work.
The first printed version of the book was made in 1470 or 1471. Since then, many new versions have been published.
Where Did Curtius Get His Information?
Curtius usually doesn't say where he got his facts from. The missing first two books might have had this information. Historians have tried to guess his sources by studying his writing.
He does mention a few people by name:
- Cleitarchus: A historian who was with Alexander's army.
- Ptolemy: One of Alexander's generals who later became a king.
- Timagenes: Another ancient historian.
These people were alive during Alexander's time. So, their writings are considered "primary sources." This means they were eyewitnesses or got their information directly from people who were there. Accounts based on these sources are sometimes called "the Vulgate."
See also
- Curtius Rufus
