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"The fates ordained the founding of this great city and the beginning of the world's mightiest empire, second only to the power of the gods"Romulus and Remus, the rape of Lucretia, Horatius at the bridge, the saga of Coriolanus, Cincinnatus called from his farm to save the state - these and many more are stories which, immortalized by Livy in his history of early Rome, have become part of our cultural heritage.The historian's huge work, written between 20 BC and AD 17, ran to 12 books, beginning with Rome's founding in 753 BC and coming down to Livy's own lifetime (9 BC). Books 1-5 cover the period from Rome's beginnings to her first great foreign conquest, the capture of the Etruscan city of Veii and, a few years later, to her first major defeat, the sack of the city by the Gauls in 390 BC.About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
This work investigates the foundational myths and early historical development of Rome, tracing the city's trajectory from its legendary origins to its emergence as a regional power. Livy, a prominent Roman historian writing during the reign of Augustus, utilizes a combination of oral tradition, earlier annalistic accounts, and moralistic storytelling to construct a narrative of the Roman state. His framework emphasizes the character of early Roman leaders and the perceived virtues that allowed the city to survive internal strife and external threats. By documenting the period from 753 BC to 390 BC, the author seeks to establish a coherent national identity for his contemporaries.
What You Will Find
Experts regard this volume as a foundational text for understanding how the Romans viewed their own origins and moral development. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which is balanced by the inclusion of comprehensive notes that clarify the historical and cultural context for modern students.
Page Count:
416
Publication Date:
2009-07-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0199540047
ISBN-13:
9780199540044
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