Herodian or Herodianus lived between the years 170 and 240. He wrote a history in Greek titled History of the Empire from Marcus onwards. The origin of this author remains one of the great mysteries of classical scholarship. Some scholars argue he came from Syria, while others point to Alexandria in Egypt. A third group believes his home was Asia Minor. One passage suggests he viewed the Alps as larger than anything in his part of the world. This description has led some to believe he was not Italian. Another theory links him to Caracalla's massacre of Alexandria. Yet errors in his account speak against this specific origin. He calls Alexandria the second city of the empire, but also applies that title to Antioch and Carthage. A proposal exists that he was the son of Aelius Herodianus, an Alexandrian grammarian. That fits chronologically, yet no other evidence supports it. A popular speculation identifies him as Syrian, perhaps from Antioch. He describes Syrians as quick-witted and mentions them twice more. However, gaps in his knowledge of Syrian affairs suggest otherwise. He confuses two Parthian kings and gets the geography of the Parthian campaign in 197 through 198 deeply flawed. An inhabitant of Syria should have had access to such knowledge. The third hypothesis places his home in western Asia Minor. This assumption relies on frequent mentions of cities there. It also rests on the fact that he makes no factual errors in those passages. Since its first publication in the mid-20th century, this view has become the most widely accepted. F. Cássola considers Herodian's origins in western Asia Minor to be the most likely solution. Unless an inscription is discovered, his place of birth will never be known for certain.
Life And Service
Herodian writes that events described in his history occurred during his lifetime. One can assume he must have reached the age of ten by the year 180 due to attentive detail in descriptions. He states he had a personal share in some events during imperial and public service. All available information concerning his life derives from what he himself wrote. Evidence remains scarce throughout the historical record. One notion suggests he finished writing around 240, which would make him about 70 years old. His description of Gordian III is less than flattering. It is doubtful he released such a negative review of a current emperor. Logic suggests his history was finished in 244 at the earliest when Gordian III died. In his first book, Herodian mentions the games of Commodus in 192. The third book discusses the Secular Games of Septimius Severus in 204. If Herodian attended the games of Commodus, he had been at least 14 at the time. This means he was born in 178 at the latest. Neither occupation nor social status is known with certainty. News of the senatus consultum tacitum leaked by senators contradicts claims of secret knowledge. It certainly would not have remained hidden for the entirety of his lifetime. A possibility exists that Herodian was a freedman. That fits the profile perfectly as he might not care for larger political issues. Instead, he would concentrate on personalities and intricacies. He could have been an apparitor, scribe, or attendant to the emperor. Such roles suited him well since they provided access to senatorial documents. They allowed extensive travel and knowledge in fiscal affairs. Herodian repetitively stressed fiscal matters throughout his history. Bartolomeo Borghesi suggested CIL 10, 7286 refers to a legate of Sicily in his honor.