Source edition
Appianus. Appiani Historia romana, Volume 1. Mendelssohn, Ludwig, editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1879.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA (per Perseus's terms)
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This work is a collection of historical fragments depicting the conflicts and military clashes between Rome and neighboring powers over Sicily and other Mediterranean islands. The first part describes the severe financial difficulties of both Rome and Carthage toward the end of the First Punic War, the failed mediation attempt by Ptolemy II, and the war's conclusion under harsh peace terms following the episode of Regulus. It also details the immediate outbreak of the subsequent Libyan War (Mercenary War). The latter part focuses on the conflicts surrounding Syracuse, the military operations of the Roman general Marcellus, and the Roman conquest of Crete led by Metellus. Concluding with intriguing domestic episodes such as Clodius's infamous infiltration of a sacred ritual disguised as a woman, the work offers a vivid glimpse into the turbulent struggles for Mediterranean hegemony and contemporary Roman society.