Valerius Maximus

, an ancient Latin writer, of whom remain “libri novem factorum dictorumque memorabilium,” dedicated to Tiberius Caesar, appears to have been a Roman, and lived under the reign of Tiberius Caesar, probably about 32 of the Christian usra; for, he treats the memory of Sejanus with scorn and abhorrence, though he does not expressly mention him. His style is not so pure as might be expected from the age he lived in; and therefore many learned men conjectured, that what we have is not the original work, but only an epitome made by some later writer. Fabricius calls it “opus jucundum, varium, utiLe,” as indeed it is; and many eminent critics have employed their lucubrations upon it. The first | edition, of uncommon rarity and price, is that printed atMentz, 1471, fol. It was reprinted at Venice in the same year. The best editions since are, that by Thysius “cum Notis Variorum,” 1670, 8vo; that “in usum Delphini,” 1679, 4to; that by Torrenius at Leyden, 1726, in 2 vols. 4to, “cum notis integris Lipsii, Pighii, Vorstii, Perizonii, &c.” and that by Kappius, at Leipsic, 1782, 8vo. ¹