Cassius Dio has enjoyed a less than stellar reputation. Whether his opus is compared unfavourably to Tacitus and others, or his authorial position is seen as being coloured excessively by his own life experience, Dio has traditionally been viewed as a second-rate historian of questionable value. This situation has evolved recently, thanks to an international network examining Dio's method and perspective as well as his historical and literary contexts. It is fitting, then, that one of this network's architects has written a stand-alone monograph as part of Bloomsbury's Ancients in Action series: a concise introduction to Dio that assumes no previous knowledge.
The volume is divided into three main chapters. After discussing Dio's reputation in the introduction and arguing for a recognition of his importance as a source, Chapter 1 explores the agenda underpinning Dio's work, notably his musing on the ideal form of government. Chapter 2 considers how Dio crafted his narrative to emphasise the inherent instability of democracy, also focusing on his elevation of Augustus as an ideal monarch. Chapter 3 examines how we may use Dio as a source for Roman history. M. draws together numerous threads, including Dio's impact upon later writers, the coherence of Dio's argument across his work and, finally, offering case studies for which Dio's prose is crucial to our understanding. The volume is rounded off with a persuasively written conclusion, where Dio's project is viewed as an altogether more ambitious one than previously assumed: one that considers the ideal constitution for the Roman state, but also offers a consistent vision of how Roman politics evolved and developed.
M.'s aims are to offer an accessible entry to Dio, while demonstrating value and complexity often overlooked therein. He does this remarkably well. His prose is clear and uncomplicated; his central thesis surrounding Dio's politicised agenda gathers momentum with each section. M. guides his reader through thorny topics confidently. Most impressive to this reader was how he navigates the complex characterisation of Julius Caesar and how he explains Dio's reference to Octavian-Augustus’ cold brutality at the siege of Perusia, in what is otherwise an idealised portrait of the first emperor. M.'s success in making Dio digestible renders the book useful to new students as well as a handy refresher for others.
Some minor inconsistencies in assumed knowledge might confuse new readers. For example, the location of Parthia is given an explanation in modern geographical terms (p. 107); Bithynia receives no such geolocation. Another potentially unusual choice is to refer to Severus’ rival in 196–7 ce as D. Septimius Albinus. This is technically correct, but it might have been simpler to employ the more commonly used Clodius Albinus for the uninitiated. These criticisms, however, are so small as to be almost insignificant.
Overall, this is a timely and successful introduction to an author whose reputation is being actively re-examined and rehabilitated. It contains a surprising depth of information in its slender cover and yet remains readable and accessible. M. is to be congratulated on balancing these two qualities carefully.
