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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