Morbid Romantic

Book Review & Personal Blog

Title: The Early History of Rome, Books I-V
Author(s): Livy
Genre: Nonfiction – History
Finished: February 20, 2010
Rating: 3 Stars

What can one possibly say about one of the classics of Roman history? Writing in the time of Augustus, Livy was an imperial historian writing about Roman’s foundation and early history. His writing is a combination of truth, rumor, legend, and personal interpretation. To say that Livy has given a direct history of Rome is to give him too much credit, but one has to take into account how history was told then as compared to today. Though Livy’s various stories are interjected with made up speeches and events, and he now and then slips in a statement to legitimize his contemporary world, he still exercises a distinct awareness of source use and interpretation of evidence. Countless times throughout the text Livy compares different accounts of the same event to reach a conclusion, which shows he had a concern for portraying the relative truth to his audience.

Is it sitting around the house pleasure reading? No, definitely not. The audience is students and scholars of Roman history. The language in the text can get a bit confusing and you will find yourself now and then flipping around to sort out the details and events. However, there is a lot going on that is exciting if you can get through the language. You have founders disappearing is clouds, animals dropping from the sky, and Kings killing each other off. It’s exciting! And, of course, it is essential to the study of Roman history. If you want to know Roman history, you have to read Livy sooner or later.
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Disclaimer(s):

- More can be found in my Reviews section or on my Biblio page. If you would like to see my book list for 2009, go here.

- If you would like me to review your book, send an email to me at morbidromantic@gmail.com. Read my Book Review Policy for more information.

Title: A Critical History of Early Rome: From Prehistory to the First Punic War
Author(s): Gary Forsythe
Genre: Nonfiction – History
Finished: February 13, 2010
Rating: 3 Stars

Gary Forsythe looks at the disputed beginnings of early Rome, tracing its archaic roots through the age of kings and finally to the illustrious Republic. Evidence for much of what he recreates is scarce, and that is particularly what Forsythe wants to address in his very critical work. What we have available, as Forsythe notes, is archeology lacking context and sources such as Livy that contain as much fiction as they truth. Sifting through the sources, Forsythe weights evidence against truth, compares documents, and disputes much of what we know about early Rome.

The book is invaluable to anyone who wants to learn about Rome, and moreso, Roman historiography. However, I think that Forsythe was a bit too extreme in his critical analysis. His constant discussions of reputable sources and information leads one with a wholly unsatisfied feeling. He disputes entirely too much, yet historically we know that he must. In the end, though, as a reader and a student of history I felt like I knew nothing more about Rome. All I knew were the various interpretations and no final conclusion to sum it all up. While this without a doubt speaks to the complexity of early Roman history and the complications of sources to creating an historical narrative.

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Disclaimer(s):

- More can be found in my Reviews section or on my Biblio page. If you would like to see my book list for 2009, go here.

- If you would like me to review your book, send an email to me at morbidromantic@gmail.com. Read my Book Review Policy for more information.