Originally published on February 17, 2025 (Episode 396)
Introduction
Lists of important Roman historians usually include cerebral Polybius, the friendly court historian Titus Livius, the austere Tacitus, and the gossipy Suetonius. To one extent or another, all of them were participant observers—actors as well as recorders of Roman life and politics.
Rarely added to this pantheon is Cassius Dio. Born in the mid-second century, Dio was Greek by birth but Roman by office. As a senator during one of the most tumultuous periods of the Empire, he witnessed upheaval firsthand. His massive Roman History spans from Rome’s legendary beginnings to his own day, making him our only source for many events. But should we think of him as merely a Tacitus imitator, or as an important historian in his own right?
With me to talk about Cassius Dio is Colin Elliott, Professor of History at Indiana University and host of the Pax Romana Podcast.
About the Guest
Colin Elliott is Associate Professor of History at Indiana University, specializing in Roman economic and social history. His most recent book is Pox Romana: The Plague That Shook the Roman World. He also hosts the Pax Romana Podcast, where he explores the complexities of Roman society and historiography. This is his second appearance on Historically Thinking.
For Further Investigation
Cassius Dio, Roman History (Loeb Classical Library)
Fergus Millar, A Study of Cassius Dio (Clarendon, 1964)
Clifford Ando, Imperial Rome AD 193 to 284: The Critical Century (Edinburgh, 2012)
Related Episodes
Adrian Goldsworthy on Julius Caesar as Historian
Listen & Discuss
Is Cassius Dio Rome’s most underrated historian—or just a verbose footnote to Tacitus? Share your thoughts in the comments, and pass this episode along to a fellow history enthusiast who loves rethinking the “canon.”
