History of Rome
by Livy · Ab Urbe Condita
Assigned by 3 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- c. 27 BCE-17 CE
- Era
- Roman Empire
- Form
- History
- Language
- Latin
- Length
- Epic · 2000 ppover 700 pages
- Difficulty
- Moderate2 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendThe Early History of Rome, translated by Aubrey de SélincourtPenguin Classics, 2002Books I to V, the part programs assign, in a readable translation with R. M. Ogilvie's introduction.
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Livy's history of Rome from its founding in 753 BCE to his own day, written under Augustus in 142 books, of which 35 survive. The first five books tell the legends of Romulus and Remus, the rape of Lucretia and the expulsion of the kings, the founding of the republic, the struggle between patricians and plebeians, Coriolanus, Cincinnatus, the Twelve Tables, and the sack of Rome by the Gauls. Livy offers Roman history as a gallery of examples of virtue and its decline.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns History of Rome are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
