The Translator Of Histories

This chapter looks at Claude de Seyssel’s translations of ancient histories. It determines exactly how Seyssel's translations could accomplish this. Seyssel took very seriously the information on war gathered from ancient histories because so much of the Monarchie de France is dedicated to the art of war and is based on the examples found in these histories. The only history which focuses on Rome is that of Appian, because, according to Seyssel, he is the only Greek or Roman writer who has given the fullest account of their ‘dissensions, seditions and intestine or civil wars’. In his history translations, Seyssel provided counsel intended to influence policy decisions. The task of a history translator was to provide knowledge beneficial to the state in a way that mirrored a diplomat’s acquisition of foreign intelligence.Keywords: ancient history translations; civil wars; Claude de Seyssel; Monarchie de France; Roman writer