[1]

ANCIENT ROME IN
THE ENGLISH NOVEL

A STUDY IN ENGLISH HISTORICAL
FICTION

A THESIS
PRESENTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT
OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE
OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

RANDOLPH FARIES, 2d

PHILADELPHIA
1923

Lyon & Armor, Printers
124 North 7th Street
Philadelphia

[2]

Copyright, 1923,
by
Randolph Faries, 2d,
Philadelphia, Pa.

For some time I have felt the need for a satisfactorydefinition of the “classic” novel,—a definition which shouldinclude novels of value, and exclude innumerable works offiction of little or no value. The want of such a definitionwas evident not only from the vagueness with which literaryhistorians have referred to the “classic” novel, but alsofrom the fact that other students seemed to consider assuch any work of fiction using Greek and Roman names.For a definite selection of theme, I am indebted to Dr. JohnCooper Mendenhall, of the Department of English of theUniversity of Pennsylvania, whose generous advice I wishto acknowledge most gratefully, and whose fine sense forliterary form has been an inspiration to me in my work. Iwish to express my most sincere appreciation for manyhelpful suggestions, to other members of the Department ofEnglish, whose lectures have provided, I feel, a backgroundfor this study. I have also to thank Dr. Eugene StockMcCartney, of the University of Michigan, for freely providingme with a list of titles, which has materially aidedme in making complete my list of all works of fiction dealingwith ancient Rome.

Randolph Faries, 2d.

University of Pennsylvania, May, 1923.