This work investigates the authorship, reliability, and historical context of the 'Historia Augusta', a collection of Roman imperial biographies. Ronald Syme, a preeminent scholar of Roman history, utilizes rigorous prosopographical analysis to challenge the traditional view of the text as a genuine historical record. He argues that the collection is a sophisticated literary forgery created by a single author in the late fourth century, rather than a compilation of six distinct biographers as the text claims. By examining the linguistic patterns and historical inconsistencies, Syme provides a framework for understanding the political motivations behind this deceptive work.

Scholars widely regard this text as a foundational contribution to the study of Roman historiography and the 'Historia Augusta' controversy. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the meticulous nature of Syme's research, which remains essential for those examining the reliability of ancient sources.