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Appian began writing his history around the middle of the second century AD.
Only sections from half of the original 24 books survive today of a much larger history known as ''The Roman History'', namely books 6-7, much of 8, 9, and 11, and 12-17 (only fragments of books 1-5 and of the remainder of 8 and 9 are preserved, while books 10 and 18-24 are lost entirely).<ref name=OCD>{{cite encyclopedia |encyclopedia=[[Oxford Classical Dictionary]] |edition=3rd |editor-first1=Simon |editor-last1=Hornblower |editor-first2=Antony |editor-last2=Spawforth |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1996 |title=Appian |page=130 |first=Kai |last=Brodersen }}</ref> The section of this history known as ''The Civil Wars'' comprises books 13–17 of the original 24 of the ''Roman History''. This history narrates the history of the Romans from the time of the [[Gracchi|Gracchan tribunates]], through the civil wars of [[Gaius Marius|Marius]], [[Sulla]], [[Caesar]] and [[Pompey]], to break off in the time of the [[Second Triumvirate]]. These five books stand out because they are one of the few comprehensive histories available on the transition of the Roman state from Republic to Empire and the ensuing civil and military strife.
Besides Appian, this period is also covered by a handful of ancient authors with varying degrees of detail and viewpoints. The commentaries of Julius Caesar record his personal, mainly military, observations of the [[Gallic Wars]]. [[Plutarch]]'s Roman biographies sketch the lives of the major leaders of the late Republican period, recording events Plutarch thought interesting and give only a perfunctory explanation of historic events. The Roman author [[Marcus Velleius Paterculus|Velleius]]' history examines Roman history from the city's foundation until AD 29. This history is more detailed in the late Republic and early Empire period, while the earlier history is condensed. The ''Epitome of Roman History'' by [[Florus]], also covers Roman history from mythical times until the 5th century AD in an extremely condensed format. The history of [[Diodorus Siculus|Diodorus]] of Sicily also covers Roman history until the Gallic Wars, but his history becomes fragmentary after around 300 BC.
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[[File:Salida de los vacceos contra los romanos, Eugenio Oliva.jpg|thumb|Painting by [[Eugenio Oliva]] depicting the [[Vaccaei]] going out to defend [[Palencia]] from the troops of [[Lucius Licinius Lucullus (consul 151 BC)|Lucius Licinius Lucullus]] in 151 BC. The historian Appian is depicted at right recording events; this is a poetic fiction, as Appian was writing from a standpoint three centuries in the future.]]
Another work of Appian's history which still survives mostly extant is called ''The Foreign Wars''. This history describes the wars the Romans fought against other cultures throughout their history. The mostly extant work narrates the wars in Spain (book 6), the [[Punic Wars]] in both Italy and Africa (books 7 and 8), the wars against the [[Seleucid Empire]] (book 11), and the [[Mithridatic Wars]] (book 12). Several small fragments also survive, describing the early [[Roman kingdom]] (book 1) and the wars against the central Italians (book 2), [[Samnites]] (book 3), [[Illyrians]] (book 9), Macedonians (book 9), [[Numidians]] (book 8), and the Gauls (book 4).<ref name=OCD/> Especially notable is this work's [[ethnographic]] structure. Appian most likely used this structure to facilitate his readers' orientation through the sequence of events, which are united only by their relationship to Rome. For example, the chapter on Spain recounts Roman history in Spain chronologically with the Romans' first intervention in Spain during the War with [[Hannibal]]. The book goes on to describe the Roman conquest of several regions of Spain, followed by their wars with Spanish tribes and the [[Numantine War]]. The chapter on Spain concludes with the war against [[Sertorius]] in roughly 61 BC. Likewise, the chapter on the Hannibalic wars only recounts the battles that took place on the Italian Peninsula during the second Punic war, while the chapters on the Punic War recount all the action that occurred in northern Africa during the first and second Punic war.
Of the books which are now entirely lost, book 10 described the wars in Greece and [[Ionia]], books 18-21 discussed Egypt, book 22 covered the history of the Empire up to the reign of [[Trajan]], book 23 covered Trajan's wars [[Trajan's Dacian Wars|against the Dacians]], [[Kitos War|the Jews]], and [[Trajan's Parthian campaign|the Parthians]], and book 24 described his annexation of [[Arabia Petraea]].<ref name=OCD/>
===Sources===
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