A Continuation of Aufidius Bassus' History

A Continuation of Aufidius Bassus' History is a lost historical work by Pliny the Elder that covered Roman history from where Bassus' account ended (around 31 CE) up to Pliny's own time. The text chronicled events during the reigns of Claudius and Nero, extending through the Year of Four Emperors. Though the original work has not survived, references to it exist in other ancient sources, including mentions by Pliny himself in his Natural History. Pliny wrote this history near the end of his life, drawing on his experiences as a military commander and imperial official under multiple emperors. The work consisted of 31 books and aimed to maintain the historical record established by his predecessor Bassus. The work represents an important link in Roman historiography between the Julio-Claudian and Flavian dynasties, reflecting both the author's commitment to factual documentation and his position within the empire's administrative structure.

This book appears to have no available reader reviews or ratings on Goodreads, Amazon, or other major book platforms. As a historical text that has not survived to the present day, only fragments and references to it exist through other ancient sources. Modern readers cannot directly access or review the work, as it was lost to history. The text was a continuation of Aufidius Bassus' historical account and covered events of the Roman Empire, but its complete contents remain unknown. (Note: I aimed to be direct and honest about the lack of available reader reviews rather than fabricating or speculating about reactions to this lost historical text. Please let me know if you would like me to take a different approach with works that lack accessible reader feedback.)

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🏺 The original work consisted of 31 books and picked up where the historian Aufidius Bassus left off, covering events from around 47 CE until the end of Nero's reign in 68 CE. 📜 This book is now lost to history, but fragments and references to it survive in other ancient works, particularly in Tacitus' writings. ⚔️ Pliny the Elder served as a cavalry commander in Germany during some of the events he described in this work, making him an eyewitness to certain historical episodes. 👑 The work was one of the primary sources about Emperor Nero's reign and was considered more reliable than many other accounts because Pliny wrote it shortly after the events occurred. 📚 Pliny's nephew, Pliny the Younger, mentioned that his uncle had left him 160 volumes of selected passages from this historical work, written on both sides in very small handwriting.