TROGUS, POMPEIUS

flourished 1st century BC Roman historian whose work, though not completely preserved, is important for Hellenistic studies. Trogus was a Vocontian Gaul from Gallia Narbonensis whose grandfather gained Roman citizenship (and the name Pompeius) from Pompey and whose father was secretary to Julius Caesar. Trogus wrote a zoological work, De animalibus, quoted by the elder Pliny, and a history, Historiae Philippicae, in 44 books, so called because the Macedonian empire founded by Philip II is its central theme. This work treated the ancient kingdoms from Assyria and Persia to Macedonia and the Hellenistic monarchies, followed by Parthia, Rome under the kings, and Gaul and Spain. Trogus probably took the bulk of his material from the History of Kings of Timagenes, his contemporary in Rome. In contrast to Livy's tradition, his perspective is cosmopolitan and Greek, not patriotic and Roman. The original work is lost, but its character is preserved in Justin's Epitome, the prologi (or summaries of books), and some fragments.