Penulis: Florus

Lucius Annaeus Florus, an enigmatic figure whose precise historical details remain obscured by the passing of millennia, is conventionally placed in the transitional period straddling the first and second centuries AD. Despite the paucity of biographical data, Florus has secured a distinctive berth in classical literary canon by virtue of his principal work, the “Epitome of Roman History” (also known as “Epitome Rerum Romanarum”). This condensed historical account is renowned for its vivid brevity, tracing the grandeur of Rome from its mythic inception through to the principate of Augustus, approximately covering the periods of the city”s regal era to the end of the civil wars. Florus”s narrative, which is more poetic than comprehensive, is expressed in a rhetorically embellished style, laden with moral judgments casting Rome”s imperial ambitions in a glorified light. He has been criticized for historical inaccuracies and his penchant for moral didacticism but lauded for his literary fluency. His work, often serving as a didactic tool in medieval and Renaissance education, influenced the shaping of Roman history in European thought. While Florus”s text may not suffice as a standalone historical reference, it remains a valuable testament to Roman historiography and its enduring tradition of melding historical record with moral and literary expression.