Abstract
The Epitoma rerum gestarum Alexandri Magni, more commonly known as the Metz Epitome, was likely composed during the second half of the fourth century or the beginning of the fifth century AD. This text is understudied and often overlooked due to the state of the Latin and its status as a late, abbreviated text. Though the sole manuscript containing the text was destroyed in 1944 during an Allied bombing raid over the city of Metz, the text has survived in several critical editions, with P. H. Thomas’ 1966 edition serving as the standard text for scholarly use. The text itself has been viewed simply as an abridgement of the Cleitarchic tradition and disregarded in favour of more complete narratives. This thesis translates the text and provides a historical commentary of the source. Through the utilisation of a redemptive reading, this thesis investigates the text and its own context. It situates the Metz Epitome in the context of other historical sources of Alexander and refutes the notion that the text was only a simple abridgement of the Cleitarchic tradition. Instead, this thesis argues that the Metz Epitome should be read in light of the epitomator’s agency and historical context.