Abstract
The paper provides food for thought on the issue of corruption in Ammianus Marcellinus’ History pointing out the need for revising the criteria of valuation of this phenomenology in order to assess it in modern conceptual terms. As a consequence Ammianus’ Res Gestae have to be analysed moving from the political, economic and social contexts as they stem not only from historiographical sources, but also from the Codes,
enabling scholars to test the level of bias of the historian who was stubbornly anchored to the values of tradition that, in his opinion, coincided with the ordo’s privileges.