Evaluation Of A Primary Source By The Herodian Of Syria

Source evaluation: This is a primary source written by the Herodian of Syria on the emperors Didus Julianus who used his military influence to gain power. This source provides the Syrian perspective as it was written by the Herodian of Syria. The source has a negative attitude towards the Roman nation as he expresses a view that the nation had corrupted leadership as it states, “he promised the troops a large sum of money as they could ever require or receive.” This was useful as it enabled to justify the thesis on how the political system caused many adverse effects in ancient Rome. This perspective is also shared by professor Ferguson, 2006 as he attests that the emperors used the military in order to obtain power, thus demonstrating that the emperors use individual allegiances with the military in order to obtain power, thus proving this aspect of the thesis.

Columbia University. (1955). Emperor Diocletian, Price Edict 301 A.D. In Roman Civilization, vol. 2,. In N. L. Reinhold (Ed.), Roman Civilization vol 2 (pp. pp. 463-73.). New York: Columbia University Press. Retrieved July 30 , 2017

Source evaluation: Columbian university provides a speech from the emperor Diocletian. This source was recorded in 301 AD, regarding the price edict enforced by Diocletian. Although primary source commonly hold bias they are useful in providing

This source is written with bias as the essay is persuading the audience towards the perspective that the Roman empire declined under economic pressures and this was the reason for the decline of the Roman empire, thereby the reliability is somewhat reduced. Furthermore, the source provides a reference list from universities and historical sources further enhancing the