Reading by Example: Valerius Maximus and the Historiography of Exempla.

This article reviews a 2021 edited volume titled *Reading by Example: Valerius Maximus and the Historiography of Exempla*, which presents a collection of scholarly studies on Valerius Maximus’ *Memorable Deeds and Sayings*. The volume explores Valerius as a thinker reflecting Roman social, historical, and political ideas, moving beyond his traditional role as a minor historical source. Contributors analyze his treatment of themes such as friendship, virtue, foreignness, and vice, situating his work within Tiberian political contexts, Roman literary traditions, and later reception, including medieval use. The volume also addresses Valerius’ engagement with philosophical debates and his literary ambitions, while cautioning against overinterpreting irony in his fundamentally pro-imperial, propagandistic text.