Where was Lucius Cassius Dio born and what was his family background?
Lucius Cassius Dio was born in the city of Nicaea within the Roman province of Bithynia. His father held the rank of senator and belonged to the ancient Cassia family line.
Questions about Cassius Dio
Short answers, pulled from the story.
How many years did Lucius Cassius Dio spend writing his history and when did it end?
Dio dedicated twenty-two years to composing eighty books covering roughly one thousand years of Roman history. The work ended at 229 AD during the reign of Severus Alexander.
Which Byzantine authors preserved the surviving works of Lucius Cassius Dio?
Joannes Zonaras edited an epitome using Dio's work as a primary source while John Xiphilinus created an abridgment that continues through Book 80. Books 22 through 35 were already lost by the time Zonaras wrote his summary.
What are the four distinct ways fragments of the first thirty-six books of Lucius Cassius Dio have been collected?
Fragmenta Valesiana contains pieces gathered by Henri Valois and Fragmenta Peiresciana includes extracts found by Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc. Fulvio Orsini discovered the manuscript known as Fragmenta Ursiniana in Sicily and Angelo Mai compiled Excerpta Vaticana which holds fragments from Books 1 to 35 and 61 to 80.