he
corrupt condition of the Roman state. The _Historiarum Libri_ is a
history of his own age, from the fall of Galba to the death of Domitian,
and was probably designed to embrace the reigns of Nerva and Trajan. A
small portion only of this work is preserved. The _Annales_ relate the
history of Rome from the death of Augustus to that of Nero, but are also
imperfect. A treatise upon the orators is also attributed to the
historian. Tacitus and Juvenal are the last great names in Roman
literature.

Quintus Curtius Rufus, an interesting writer, who lived perhaps under
Claudius or Tiberius, his true period being uncertain, wrote, in ten
books, an account of the exploits of Alexander the Great. He was
succeeded by C. Suetonius Tranquillus, who came to Rome during the reign
of Domitian, and there studied rhetoric and grammar. Under Hadrian he
fell into disgrace and went into exile: the period of his death is
unknown. Suetonius wrote the lives of the twelve Caesars, ending with
Domitian. His language is good, and he paints with uncommon minuteness
the vices as well as the virtues of his subjects; he abounds, too, in
particulars which throw light upon the manners of the Romans. Suetonius
also wrote several short treatises, while various biographies have been
attributed to him which probably belong to inferior writers.

L. Annaeus Florus, who perhaps lived under Trajan, wrote an epitome of
Roman history. Justin, whose period is unknown, wrote or abridged from
an earlier author, _Trogus_, a history of the world. The _Scriptores
Historiae Augustae_ is a collection of writers of little merit, who
flourished in different periods of the empire. Aurelius Victor, who was
probably Praefect of Rome under Theodosius, wrote _Origo Gentis Romanae_,
only a small portion of which has been preserved, and several other
historical works. Eutropius, who served under Julian against the
Persians, composed a brief history of Rome, written in a pure and
natural style.

Ammianus Marcellinus, who lived under Valens, Valentinian, and
Theodosius until A.D. 410, and was a Greek by birth, wrote a history of
the empire from Nerva to the death of Valens, A.D. 378. A large part of
this work is lost. Ammianus abounds in digressions and descriptions, and
is, on that account, the more entertaining. His manner can not be
praised.

The Spaniard Orosius concludes the list of the Latin historians. Orosius
was a Christian presbyter, and, while defending Christian