History of the Empire from the Death of Marcus by Herodian is about Roman history after the rule of Marcus Aurelius in which there were battles over the frontier and the coexistence of a wide variety of cultures. Herodian writes that the events described in his history occurred during his lifetime. Photius (Codex 99) gives an outline of the contents of this work and passes a flattering encomium on the style of Herodian, which he describes as clear, vigorous, agreeable, and preserving a happy medium between an utter disregard of art and elegance and a profuse employment of the artifices and prettinesses which were known under the name of Atticism.
