The primary sources of Diodorus Siculus in the description of the Samnite Wars: A new approach to the old problem

Abstract

The issue of the primary sources of Diodorus Siculus in the description of the Samnite Wars and Roman events in general is the essence of a two-century problem in historiography. In the course of long searches, experts put forward more than a dozen different hypotheses based on the "single source theory", its modernized version, "multiple sources theory", differentiated approach, but consensus was not reach. That is why, in order to overcome the emerging methodological crisis in the issue of primary sources, the article proposes the "new differentiated approach" aimed at identifying historical traditions within the framework of narrative blocks. Based on the proposed approach using internal and comparative analysis, the article examines 14 narrative blocks related with the least studied events of the Samnite Wars. It is concluded that Diodorus relied on the early annalistic tradition in narrative blocks under 354, 318, 310 BC and indirectly under 313 BC, middle annalistic - under 306 BC, middle or late annalistic - under 316, 314 and 308 BC, late annalistic - under 315, 311, 305 BC and indirectly under 304 BC, early Greek - under 295 BC. Limiting the range of sources to one tradition in each narrative block also allowed in some cases to identify the potential author: Duris (under 295 BC), Fabius Pictor (under 310 BC), Claudius Quadrigarius (under 315 BC), Valerius Antias (under 311 BC), Licinius Macer or Aelius Tubero (under 305 BC), Terentius Varro or Pomponius Atticus (under 304 BC). In only one case of 312 BC, it was not possible to determine the tradition, but in other episodes, the new approach allowed to establish the degree of reliability of Diodorus' information. One way or another, the precariousness of identification the exact source within the framework of narrative blocks offsets by the determining of wider historical traditions, which allow establishing the degree of reliability of the information in individual parts of Diodorus' work without identifying a specific author. The only narrative block in which it was not possible to determine the tradition due to the brevity of the note and the lack of specific ethnonyms refers to the events of 312 BC, however, in all other cases, the new approach gave positive results. Diodorus, constantly changing sources throughout the entire narrative of the Samnite Wars, sought to use as many authors as possible, based on his concept of the "Historical Library", i.e. collections of not only diverse information about the past, but also various historical works.