Valerius Antias

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Valerius Antias, Roman annalist, a younger contemporary of Quadrigarius, wrote the history of Rome from the earliest times, in a voluminous work consisting seventy-five books.

He is notorious for his wilful exaggerance, both in narrative and numerical statements. For instance, he asserts the number of the Sabine virgins to have been exactly seven; again, in a certain year when no Greek or Latin writers mention any important campaign, Antias speaks of a big battle with enormous casualties.

Nevertheless, Livy at first made use of him as one of his chief authorities, until he became convinced of his untrustworthiness.

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This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.