24. For in view of the flood of data, and the difficulties encountered, given such abundant material, by those who wish to plunge into accounts of the history,
25. we have aimed to please those who prefer simply to read, to make it easy for the studious who wish to commit things to memory, and to be helpful to all.
26. For us who have undertaken the labor of making this digest, the task, far from being easy, is one of sweat and of sleepless nights.
27. Just so, the preparation of a festive banquet is no light matter for one who seeks to give enjoyment to others. Similarly, to win the gratitude of many we will gladly endure this labor,
28. leaving the responsibility for exact details to the historian, and confining our efforts to presenting only a summary outline.
29. As the architect of a new house must pay attention to the whole structure, while the one who undertakes the decoration and the frescoes has to be concerned only with what is needed for ornamentation, so I think it is with us.
30. To enter into questions and examine them from all sides and to be busy about details is the task of the historian;