A Greek Lawgiver in the Epitome of Pompeius Trogus

This paper aims to explore the perception of the “other” in Latin historiography, analyzing a passage on a Greek lawgiver, Lycurgus of Sparta, in Justin's Epitome of Pompeius Trogus. The purpose is to examine how a Latin writer defines and describes an ancient lawgiver from the Greek tradition, and how Lycurgus can be relevant for the Roman readers during the Imperial Age. In his Epitome of Pompeius Trogus, Justin summarizes, in fact, some crucial information on Lycurgus and his constitution. In the account from the third book, the author provides a biographical sketch on the lawgiver and a summary of the traditional Spartan laws (such as frugal customs, land distribution, the prohibition of gold and silver coins). A closer look at Justin's exposition reveals some elements that this text has in common with Plutarch and other Greek sources. Since Trogus was presumably active during the Augustan age, it is also important to remark that Plutarch’s Life of Lycurgus is a later text than the Historiae of Trogus. A re-examination of Justin's text might, therefore, help us to clarify which traditions about Sparta's kosmos the imperial author had selected and included in his Epitome. The taste for anecdotes and moralizing contents is probably one of the reasons why Justin preserves, in the summary of the third book, not only the laws of Sparta but also biographical details on Lycurgus. Thus, this account testifies an interest in the Greek lawgiver as a moral exemplum in the imperial age, appropriate for both Trogus' and Justin's period.