100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

🏆Don't forget Father's Day this Sunday! Auckland Bookstore open 8:30am-5:00pm Sat & Sun 🎉

Historical Miscellany

By Aelian
Series: Loeb Classical Library
0.0 (0 reviews)
3.81 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating. ( 54 ratings, 11 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Historical Miscellany by Aelian is a captivating collection of anecdotes, retellings, and descriptive pieces from early third-century Rome. It reveals stories about renowned Greek philosophers, poets, historians, and playwrights, along with moral tales, cultural customs, and insights into Greek painting. The work combines Stoic philosophy with a profound appreciation of Greek culture, offering unique information unavailable elsewhere.
Read More
Format: Hardback
$5999
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 3-4 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for enthusiasts of classical literature, historians of ancient Greece and Rome, and readers interested in cultural anecdotes and Stoic philosophy. Suitable for both scholars and general readers seeking a glimpse into antiquity.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Aelian’s Historical Miscellany (Varia Historia) is a pleasurable example of light reading for Romans of the early third century. Offering engaging anecdotes about historical figures, retellings of legendary events, and enjoyable descriptive pieces, Aelian’s collection of nuggets and narratives appealed to a wide reading public.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Aelian's Historical Miscellany is a pleasurable example of light reading for Romans of the early third century. Offering engaging anecdotes about historical figures, retellings of legendary events, and enjoyable descriptive pieces, Aelian's collection of nuggets and narratives appealed to a wide reading public.

Here then are anecdotes about the famous Greek philosophers, poets, historians, and playwrights; myths instructively retold; moralizing tales about heroes and rulers, athletes and wise men; reports about food and drink, different styles in dress, lovers, gift-giving, entertainments, religious beliefs, and death customs; and comments on Greek painting. Some of the information is not preserved in any other source.

Underlying it all are Aelian's Stoic ideals as well as this Roman's great admiration for the culture of the Greeks (whose language he borrowed for his writings).

Series: Loeb Classical Library

View all
  • Callirhoe
    Chariton's Callirhoe, subtitled Love Story in Syracuse, is the oldest extant novel. It is a fast-paced historical romance with ageless charm. Chariton narrates the adventures of an exceptionally beautiful young bride named Callirhoe, beginning with her abduction by pirates—adventures that take her as far as the court of the Persian king Artaxerxes and involve shipwrecks, several ardent suitors, an embarrassing...
    By Chariton
    Hardback
    $5999
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • Confessions, Volume I
    Aurelius Augustine (354-430 CE), one of the most important figures in the development of Western Christianity and philosophy, was the son of a pagan, Patricius of Tagaste, and his Christian wife, Monnica. While studying to become a rhetorician, he plunged into a turmoil of philosophical and psychological doubts, leading him to Manichaeism. In 383, he moved to Rome and then...
    By Augustine
    Hardback
    $5999
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • Historia Augusta, Volume I
    The Historia Augusta is a biographical work, roughly following the model of the imperial biographer Suetonius, and covering the lives of the Roman emperors from Hadrian (r. 117–138) to Carinus (r. 283–285), with a lacuna between the lives of the Gordians and the Valerians. Although the work comes down to us as a collection of thirty books written by six...
    Hardback
    $5999
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • Historia Augusta, Volume II
    The Historia Augusta is a biographical work roughly following the model of the imperial biographer Suetonius and covers the lives of the Roman emperors from Hadrian (r. 117–138) to Carinus (r. 283–285), with a lacuna between the lives of the Gordians and the Valerians. Although the work comes down to us as a collection of thirty books written by six...
    Hardback
    $5999
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • Historia Augusta, Volume III
    The Historia Augusta is a biographical work roughly following the model of the imperial biographer Suetonius (LCL 31, 38) and covering the lives of the Roman emperors from Hadrian (r. 117–138) to Carinus (r. 283–285), with a lacuna between the lives of the Gordians and the Valerians. Although the work comes down to us as a collection of thirty books...
    Hardback
    $5999
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • Letters to Friends, Volume I
    Cicero was a prodigious letter writer, and happily, a splendid treasury of his letters has come down to us. Collected and in part published not long after his death, over 800 of them were rediscovered by Petrarch and other humanists in the fourteenth century. Among classical texts, this correspondence is unparalleled; nowhere else do we get such an intimate look...
    By Cicero
    Hardback
    $5999
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • Pro Quinctio. Pro Roscio Amerino. Pro Roscio Comoedo. Pro Tullio. De Lege Agraria
    The early speeches. Cicero (Marcus Tullius, 106–43 BC), Roman lawyer, orator, politician, and philosopher, of whom we know more than of any other Roman, lived through the stirring era that saw the rise, dictatorship, and death of Julius Caesar in a tottering republic. In his political speeches especially, and in his correspondence, we see the excitement, tension, and intrigue of...
    By Cicero
    Hardback
    $5999
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • Euthydemus. Gorgias
    Socrates against sophistry. Plato of Athens, who laid the foundations of the Western philosophical tradition and in range and depth ranks among its greatest practitioners, was born to a prosperous and politically active family circa 427 BC. In early life, an admirer of Socrates, Plato later founded the first institution of higher learning in the West, the Academy, among whose...
    By Plato
    Hardback
    $5999
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • Hippocrates, Volume III
    The definitive English edition of the Father of Medicine. This is the third volume in the Loeb Classical Library's complete edition of Hippocrates' invaluable texts, which provide essential information about the practice of medicine in antiquity and about Greek theories concerning the human body. The five treatises in this volume, integral parts of the Hippocratic collection, are devoted to the...
    By Hippocrates
    Hardback
    $5999
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • Gallic War
    The conquest that begot the Roman Empire. Caesar (C. Iulius, 102-44 BC), a statesman and soldier, defied the dictator Sulla; served in the Mithridatic wars and in Spain; entered Roman politics as a "democrat" against the senatorial government; was the real leader of the coalition with Pompey and Crassus; conquered all Gaul for Rome; attacked Britain twice; was forced into...
    By Caesar
    Hardback
    $5999
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • Aetia. Iambi. Lyric Poems
    Callimachus (ca. 303–ca. 235 BC), a proud and well-born native of Cyrene in Libya, arrived as a young man at the court of the Ptolemies in Alexandria. Here, he composed poetry for the royal family, helped establish the Library and Museum as a world centre of literature, science, and scholarship, and wrote an estimated 800 volumes of poetry and prose...
    By Callimachus
    Hardback
    $5999
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • Art of Rhetoric
    Aristotle (384–322 BC), the great Greek thinker, researcher, and educator, ranks among the most important and influential figures in the history of philosophy, theology, and science. He joined Plato's Academy in Athens in 367 and remained there for twenty years. After spending three years at the Asian court of a former pupil, Hermeias, he was appointed by Philip of Macedon...
    By Aristotle
    Hardback
    $5999
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Critics praise Wilson's translation for its clarity and elegance, capturing Aelian's straightforward yet engaging style. Robert J. Penella notes it as an entertaining and instructive resource for 3rd-century educated readers, while A. J. Podlecki highlights the translation’s accuracy and eloquence, making this ancient bedside book accessible to modern readers.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780674995352

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 15 July 1997

Country: United States

Imprint: Harvard University Press

Illustration: Index

Contributors:

  • Translated by N. G. Wilson
  • Translated by N. G. Wilson
  • Translated by N. G. Wilson
  • Translated by Nigel Guy Wilson

Audience: Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 25.0mm

Width: 108.0mm

Height: 162.0mm

Weight: 386g

Pages: 528

Collections

Aelian Arts & Culture Biography & Memoir Global History History & Archaeology History & Military Non-Fiction Series: Loeb Classical Library

About the Author

N. G. Wilson is Emeritus Fellow of Lincoln College, University of Oxford.

Also by Aelian

View all
  • Alciphron. Aelian. Philostratus
    Alciphron. Aelian. Philostratus
    The Letters of Alciphron (second century CE) constitute one of the most attractive products of the Second Sophistic. They are fictitious compositions based on an astonishingly wide variety of circumstances, though the theme of erotic love is constantly sounded. The imagination shown by the author and his convincing realism win him a place of distinction in the early development of...
    By Philostratus and Alciphron and Aelian
    Hardback
    $5999
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks

More from Arts & Culture

View all
  • Dylan's Pick
    Bold Types
    A tribute to 32 truly independent bookshops throughout Aotearoa New Zealand, from north of Auckland down to Dunedin, and coast to coast. Jane Ussher's photographs show every bookstore in its unique nature - including behind the counter, smoko rooms, the mess which tells the hardworking story behind the joy of matching books with customers. Jemma Moreira's careful editing has crafted...
    By Jane Ussher
    Hardback
    $5999
    Elsewhere:
    $7000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    Shirl's Pick Shirl's Pick
    Home Again
    Join rock-legend, former Shihad frontman and lead singer of The Adults, Jon Toogood in this unflinching and no-holds-barred memoir Home Again.This is more than a rock story. Toogood looks back on a 37-year career that helped define New Zealand rock music, and the personal cost that came with it. From a music-obsessed childhood in Wellington to the deafening roar of international stages, this...
    By Jon Toogood
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Disney Moana: The Official Cookbook
    New Release
    Disney Moana: The Official Cookbook
    Embark on a culinary adventure with Moana of Motunui with Pacific recipes inspired by Moana and Moana 2! After a long day of sailing to see how far you’ll go or keeping the demigod Maui out of trouble with Te Fiti, catch a break with the delicious dishes in Moana: The Official Cookbook! Featuring more than 50 recipes spanning the...
    By Monique Fiso
    Hardback
    $4499
    Elsewhere:
    $5299
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • This Angry Pen of Mine
    This Angry Pen of Mine by Layne Staley invites you to dive into the untold creative world of Layne Staley, the legendary voice behind Alice in Chains. This extraordinary collection showcases his handwritten lyrics, deeply personal poetry, stunning original artwork, rare photos, fan tributes, and so much more. Step into the world of Layne Staley like never before. For the...
    By Layne Staley
    Hardback
    $7299
    Elsewhere:
    $8999
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Did I Ever Tell You This?
    In this unexpected memoir, written in a creative burst of just a few months in 2022, Sam Neill tells the story of how he became one of the world’s most celebrated actors, who has worked with everyone from Meryl Streep to Isabel Adjani, from Jeff Goldblum to Sean Connery, from Steven Spielberg to Jane Campion. By his own account, his...
    By Sam Neill
    Paperback
    $3799
    Elsewhere:
    $4500
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • They Bloom Because of You
    Bestselling author and Instagram sensation Jessica Urlichs returns with a new collection of beautifully observed poems about the ever-evolving journey of motherhood - the hard, the magic and the fleeting. ‘A raw and honest read that makes you feel seen and understood in a way that will bring you to tears.’ - Hilary Swank ‘A book to keep close and...
    By Jessica Urlichs
    Paperback
    $3000
    Elsewhere:
    $3600
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Odyssey
    Composed at the rosy-fingered dawn of world literature almost three millennia ago, The Odyssey is a poem about violence and the aftermath of war; about wealth, poverty and power; about marriage and family; about travellers, hospitality, and the yearning for home. This fresh, authoritative translation captures the beauty of this ancient poem as well as the drama of its narrative....
    By Homer
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3599
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • On Sale
    14% off
    Leaves of Grass
    A collectible new Penguin Classics series offers beautiful, slim, clothbound editions of ten favourite poets. In 1855, Walt Whitman published his first collection of poetry, Leaves of Grass. The volume received great praise from leading Transcendentalist poet Ralph Waldo Emerson. This encouragement led to what would become a lifelong project, as Whitman expanded and rewrote the volume until his death...
    By Walt Whitman
    Hardback
    $1900
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    37% off
    Great Writers and the Cats who Owned Them
    Throughout history, cats and writers have bonded together in a magical combination of comfort, companionship and inspiration. The famous authors featured here range from Samuel Johnson, whose cat Hodge dined on oysters, and Edward Lear, whose charismatic cat Foss was missing half his tail, to Margaret Mitchell, L. M. Montgomery and Dorothy L. Sayers, who rescued her kitten Blitz from...
    By Susannah Fullerton
    Hardback
    $2500
    Usually:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Vagabond
    The outrageous, riotous memoir from the cult actor and star of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Clue, and IT. Actor, rock 'n' roll singer, the prince of Halloween, confusing sex symbol. Many labels have been given to the inimitable Tim Curry over the years. All are true, and yet none are quite right. Here, for the first time, Curry reveals...
    By Tim Curry
    Hardback
    $4499
    Elsewhere:
    $6000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Beautiful Chaos
    The Instant Sunday Times Bestseller Selected poems from bestselling author and Instagram poet, Jessica Urlichs. 'These words awaken the magic of life by celebrating the ordinary.' - Giovanna Fletcher Motherhood is messy and beautiful, and hard and humbling. We adore our children and sometimes we miss ourselves. Beautiful Chaos is a collection of raw, honest poems about motherhood, capturing everything...
    By Jessica Urlichs
    Paperback
    $2900
    Elsewhere:
    $3500
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Odyssey
    The Odyssey by Homer is a monumental epic that has enthralled readers for centuries with its rich tapestry of adventure and human struggle. It chronicles the perilous journey of Odysseus, the cunning King of Ithaca, as he strives to return home after the fall of Troy. During this ten-year odyssey, Odysseus confronts myriad dangers, both natural and supernatural, that test...
    By Homer
    Paperback
    $2499
    Elsewhere:
    $2800
    In Stock
    Ships Monday

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.

Arts & Culture lists from the team

Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!

The Latest at Book Hero

View all