Morbid Romantic

Book Review & Personal Blog

Title: The War with Hannibal: The History of Rome from Its Foundation, Books XXI-XXX
Author(s): Livy
Genre: Nonfiction – History
Finished: February 27, 2010
Rating: 3 Stars

The three Punic Wars Rome fought against Carthage were as iconic to the Romans as they are to us. Romans passed on the stories as part of their historical tradition and even threatened their misbehaving kids with Hannibal the way that we do the boogeyman. The most popular of those three wars saw Hannibal crossing the Alps with his elephants, and then proceeding all the way to Rome. Collecting old Roman allies, Hannibal proves that while he is a good tactician, his strategy skills are lacking. Nevertheless, he is the sort of leader than the Romans can respect even as they fear him. Livy pays homage to this war in typical Livy style, less about the battles and maneuvers than about the dynamics and implications. This text is a great deal easier to read than some of Livy’s other writings, complete with dramatic battle scenes and impressive tactics. It is at times emotional, at times heated, and at times you will wonder who the good buy and bad guys are regardless of Livy’s intent (he does, after all, say there is nothing better than being a Roman). Clearly, in the end, the Romans win and fight the good fight.

But before you begin to think that this is a mere make believe story loosely based on fact, think again. You will get a distinct sense of what it means for a Roman to be a Roman, and come to understand the virtues they prized and vices they condemned. Livy also, whether intentional or not, shows us how the Romans saw the outside world and the other peoples surrounding them. Also, within the social and political context, we see events taking place that were true to life and will have lasting impacts on the political order of Rome later. For instance, the ending of the law that limited terms to once every 10 years. By necessity of war, the law had to be thrown out of the proverbial window. This will have a very negative impact on the Republic and contribute to the later chaos with men like Marius.

You’ll love the Romans and feel nothing but awe for Hannibal despite his overall failure… Livy certainly does!

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Disclaimer(s):

- More can be found in my Reviews section.
- 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: 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.
- 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.