The Buried Tradition of Programmatic Titulature among Republican Historians: Polybius’ Πραγματεία, Asellio’s Res Gestae , and Sisenna’s Redefinition of Historiae

Abstract

In entitling his historical work res gestae (not historiae ), Sempronius Asellio advertises his adaptation of the Polybian model, which is more comprehensive than has been acknowledged. Asellio thus joins a group of innovative Roman historians who employed programmatic and contrastive titulature to mark their novel historiographical approaches. Among them stands L. Cornelius Sisenna, whose Historiae are limited to contemporary history; their title is redefined accordingly. Doubts about the existence of original titulature among republican historians in general seem unfounded.