A Handbook of Roman Antiquities, Tr. from the Germ. Version of Dr. Hoffa by R.B. Paul, Ed. with Notes by T.K. Arnold (Abridged, Paperback, Abridged edition)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1848 Excerpt: ... A which the eighth is wanting; a collection of excerpta of some value. We have also as Grammarians, Festus (who abridged the work of Verrius Fiaccus, de Verborum Significations), and SElius Donatus. Macrobius, in the first half of the fifth century. A Commentary on the Somnium Scipionis; and Saturnalia, a work of the same sort as the Nodes Atticce of Gellius. As a Jurist we may notice Gajus, under the Antonines; Libri Institutionum IV. B There lived also during this period the Fathers of the Church, Tertullianus, Arnobius, Lactantius, Ambrosius, Hieronymus (Jerome), Augustinus, &c. 16. Sixth Period. 177 After the destruction of the Western Empire, learning rapidly declined, and even the language lost more and more of its ancient character. Literature dragged on a lingering existence, chiefly in encyclopaedias and grammatical works. Among the writers of this period we may mention Boethius, A.d. 470--524 (Numerous works on philosophical and mathematical subjects, and commentaries on the writings of the ancient philosophers). Contemporarily with him c flourished Cassiodorus, also in the reign of Theodoric. His principal work is a collection of Letters; Variarum Libri XII. of some historical value. About the same time lived the grammarian Priscianus Ccesariensis. APPENDIX. 17. The Alphabet, Writing Materials, Books, Libraries. 178 The Roman alphabet is borrowed from the Greek9. The orthography of the language was for a long time uncertain, as we find by the ancient coins and inscriptions. The substances on which laws, agreements, &c. were inscribed, were at first stone, bronze, and other metals, or wood (album, tabula). The Romans also employed at an early period the 9 According to the legend, the alphabet was brought into Italy by Evauder. bark o...