Editing Barthold Georg Niebuhr (section)

==Evaluation and opinion==
Niebuhr's ''Roman History'' counts among epoch-making histories both as marking an era in the study of its special subject and for its momentous influence on the general conception of history. [[Leonhard Schmitz]], in his 1861 preface to the English version of [[Theodor Mommsen|Mommsen]]'s ''History'', wrote:<blockquote>"The main results arrived at by the inquiries of Niebuhr, such as his views of the ancient population of Rome, the origin of the [[plebs]], the relation between the patricians and plebeians, the real nature of the [[ager publicus]], and many other points of interest, have been acknowledged by all his successors."<ref>L. Schmitz, 'Preface', in T. Mommsen, ed. & transl. W.P. Dickson, ''The History of Rome'', 4 vols (Richard Bentley, London 1862-1866), I, [https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_History_of_Rome_(Mommsen)/Preface pp. iii-v, at Wikisource].</ref></blockquote> The ''Encyclopedia Britannica'' (1911) continues, "Other alleged discoveries, such as the construction of early Roman history out of still earlier ballads, have not been equally fortunate; but if every positive conclusion of Niebuhr's had been refuted, his claim to be considered the first who dealt with the ancient history of Rome in a scientific spirit would remain unimpaired, and the new principles introduced by him into historical research would lose nothing of their importance. He suggested, though he did not elaborate, the theory of the myth, so potent an instrument for good and ill in modern historical [[criticism]]. He brought in inference to supply the place of discredited tradition, and showed the possibility of writing history in the absence of original records. By his theory of the disputes between the patricians and plebeians arising from original differences of race he drew attention to the immense importance of ethnological distinctions, and contributed to the revival of these divergences as factors in modern history. More than all, perhaps, since his conception of ancient Roman story made laws and manners of more account than shadowy lawgivers, he undesignedly influenced history by popularizing that conception of it which lays stress on institutions, tendencies and social traits to the neglect of individuals."{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=668}}

More modern perspectives on Niebuhr's work maintain that, although some of his hypotheses were extravagant, and his conclusions mistaken, he introduced a constructive, scientific approach to the critical and sceptical consideration of ancient literary sources, especially with regard to their poetic and mythical embellishments.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Barthold Georg Niebuhr |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Barthold-Georg-Niebuhr |year=2022 |orig-year=Last major revision 1998 |access-date=2022-03-08 |website=Encyclopaedia Britannica |language=en}}</ref> The influence of scientific racism upon some of his theories has been considered.<ref>Cornell (1995) p 244. (Source not identified).</ref>{{cn|date=May 2023}}