toria]), Dio Cassius had dedicated to the emperor
Severus an account of various dreams and prodigies which had presaged
his elevation to the throne (perhaps the [Greek: Enodia] attributed to
Dio by Suidas), and had also written a biography of his
fellow-countryman Arrian. The history of Rome, which consisted of
eighty books,--and, after the example of Livy, was divided into
decades,--began with the landing of Aeneas in Italy, and was continued
as far as the reign of Alexander Severus (222-235). Of this great work
we possess books 36-60, containing the history of events from 68
B.C.-A.D. 47; books 36 and 55-60 are imperfect. We also have part of 35
and 36-80 in the epitome of John Xiphilinus, an 11th-century Byzantine
monk. For the earlier period the loss of Dio's work is partly supplied
by the history of Zonaras, who followed him closely. Numerous fragments
are also contained in the excerpts of Constantine Porphyrogenitus. Dio's
work is a most important authority for the history of the last years of
the republic and the early empire. His industry was great and the
various important offices he held afforded him ample opportunities for
historical investigation. His style, though marred by Latinisms, is
clearer than that of his model Thucydides, and his narrative shows the
hand of the practised soldier and politician; the language is correct
and free from affectation. But he displays a superstitious regard for
miracles and prophecies; he has nothing to say against the arbitrary
acts of the emperors, which he seems to take as a matter of course; and
his work, although far more than a mere compilation, is not remarkable
for impartiality, vigour of judgment or critical historical faculty.

The best edition with notes is that of H. S. Reimar (1750-1752), new
ed. by F. G. Sturz (1824-1836); text by I. Melber (1890 foll.), with
account of previous editions, and U. P. Boissevain (1895-1901);
translation by H. B. Foster (Troy, New York, 1905 foll.), with full
bibliography; see also W. Christ, _Geschichte der griechischen
Litteratur_ (1898), p. 675; E. Schwartz in Pauly-Wissowa's
_Realencyclopadie_, iii. pt. 2 (1899); C. Wachsmuth, _Einleitung in
das Studium der alten Geschichte_ (1895).

DIOCESE (formed on Fr. _diocese_, in place of the Eng. form
_diocess_--current until the 19th century--from Lat. _dioecesis_, med.
Lat. variant _diocesis_, from Gr. [Greek: dioikesis], "housekeeping,"
"administration," [Gree