The Aims of Appian (II)—Enjoyment and Instruction

Abstract This chapter continues to explore the question of what the Roman History is intended to achieve. Appian’s account of the trial of Scipio Africanus in the Syrian History suggests that the production of pleasure, astonishment, and other strong emotions are important to Appianic historiography, as is vividness of narration, but this is not the whole story. The Roman History does present a picture of a world heading towards the happy state of Appian’s own second-century ce Roman Empire, but Appian seems much less keen on straightforward apologia for the present than the likes of Velleius Paterculus. Moral instruction—in particular, the importance of not giving up hope—emerges as an important theme in some of Appian’s stories—once again, however, there are long stretches of the work where a moralizing tinge is absent. The chapter concludes that the Roman History has multiple agenda that do not exclude each other: the production of strong emotions, vividness of narration, Antonine prosperity, the importance of Alexandria, and moral didacticism all appear, in different places.