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.The Early History of Rome: Bks. 1-5 (Penguin Classics)

by: Livy

March 28, 2002
Other reviewers have dismissed this because of the 'inaccuracy' of the history, but the very idea of history in classical times was different from our definition: there was no strict divide between literature, history and (moral) philosophy and so we shouldn't judge ancient works by the same criteria that we might use of modern history books. Livy, writing under Augustus, was, like his contemporary Vergil, mythologising about the foundation of Rome, and his story of where the Romans came from and how the Roman character was formed, tells us more about Roman self-identity (or the way they wanted to see themselves) at the turning point between the Republic and the principate than about the past.

Having said that, Livy tells a fabulous ... Read More:
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.The War with Hannibal: The History of Rome from Its Foundation Bks. 21-30 (Classics)

by: Titus Livy

July 25, 1974
There is no better way of learning about Ancient Rome than to go the historians who lived in it. It will be very surprising to those not accustomed to reading ancient authors how approachable Livy's books are. Livy had a knack for telling a good story, and the ancient practice of re-creating, and in some cases, inventing speeches for key characters to deliver at key moments, is surprisingly effective. In fact, there is much wisdom in such a practice, for through such speeches we get the more subjective, emotional reality behind events. We could use some of that in our contemporary historical writing, which tends be very fact-based and yet missing the very important emotional context. Take the Iraqi war, for example. No doubt the history books ... Read More:
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.History of Rome from Its Foundation: Rome and the Mediterranean (Penguin Classics)

by: Titus Livy

May 27, 1976
There is no better way of learning about Ancient Rome than to go the historians who lived in it. It will be very surprising to those not accustomed to reading ancient authors how approachable Livy's books are. Livy had a knack for telling a good story, and the ancient practice of re-creating, and in some cases, inventing speeches for key characters to deliver at key moments, is surprisingly effective. In fact, there is much wisdom in such a practice, for through such speeches we get the more subjective, emotional reality behind events. We could use some of that in our contemporary historical writing, which tends be very fact-based and yet missing the very important emotional context. Take the Iraqi war, for example. No doubt the history books ... Read More:
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.The Rise of the Roman Empire (Penguin Classics)

by: Polybius

October 25, 1979
I realise this is advertised as a selection, but if you're interested in Hellenistic history as much as Roman, it is pretty disappointing what's been left out. However, there is a 2-vol. 1889 translation by Shuckburgh of all the surviving text that you can pick up for around £30 on Amazon marketplace. I do think Penguin or maybe Oxford World's classics should bring out a complete translation, though - 120 years since the last one is a little shaming.
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.The Civil War: Together with the Alexandrian War, the African War, and the Spanish War (Classics)

by: Julius Caesar

August 26, 1976
I realise this is advertised as a selection, but if you're interested in Hellenistic history as much as Roman, it is pretty disappointing what's been left out. However, there is a 2-vol. 1889 translation by Shuckburgh of all the surviving text that you can pick up for around £30 on Amazon marketplace. I do think Penguin or maybe Oxford World's classics should bring out a complete translation, though - 120 years since the last one is a little shaming.
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.The Civil Wars

by: Appian

June 27, 1996
Appian's account of the Roman Civil Wars seems to be a much ignored text. He wasn't a witness to the events like Caesar, and he wasn't a great biographical writer like Plutarch. Yet his work stands as the only unbroken account of the years 133 to 70 BC, making his history a rather special one.

The book doesn't end in 70 BC, but rather it covers everything to the defeat of Sextus Pompeius, Pompey Magnus's son. Along the way Appian describes the revolt of Spartacus, the Catiline conspiracy, the rise and fall of the First Triumvirate, Julius Caesar's crossing of the Rubicon, and the rise of the Second Triumvirate and the terrible proscriptions that followed.

Appian isn't the best writer of the Classical World, but his book is still worth a ... Read More:
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.The Fall of the Roman Republic (Penguin Classics)

by: Plutarch

February 23, 2006
Plutarch's 6 biographies of Roman politicians/generals give a fair picture of a decadent Rome in the 1st century B.C.: mighty unequal distribution of wealth and `legal safeguards inadequate to deter the forces of law and order from murder.' `Since the whole state was rotten within itself, it was in the power of any bold man to overthrow it.' Bold were men like the generals, `who had risen to the top by violence.'

Plutarch's portraits of `Gaius Marius' and `Crassus' are very superficial.
On the contrary, his picture of `Sulla', the first Roman dictator, is very clear-cut: `Sulla, a butcher. (He got) immunity for all his past acts, while for the future he was to have the power of life and death, the power to confiscate property, to found new cities ... Read More:
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.The Dawn of the Roman Empire: Bks.31-40 (Oxford World's Classics)

by: Livy

July 06, 2000
Plutarch's 6 biographies of Roman politicians/generals give a fair picture of a decadent Rome in the 1st century B.C.: mighty unequal distribution of wealth and `legal safeguards inadequate to deter the forces of law and order from murder.' `Since the whole state was rotten within itself, it was in the power of any bold man to overthrow it.' Bold were men like the generals, `who had risen to the top by violence.'

Plutarch's portraits of `Gaius Marius' and `Crassus' are very superficial.
On the contrary, his picture of `Sulla', the first Roman dictator, is very clear-cut: `Sulla, a butcher. (He got) immunity for all his past acts, while for the future he was to have the power of life and death, the power to confiscate property, to found new cities ... Read More:
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.The Annals of Imperial Rome (Classics)

by: Cornelius Tacitus

July 26, 1973
This is a must for history students and buffs alike. In fact is is a great read full stop! Many books of this genre are dry but Tacitus takes you there and his commentary is both concise, and at times caustic and witty.
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.The Roman History: The Reign of Augustus (Classics)

by: Cassius Cocceianus Dio

February 26, 1987
In addition to the above, Dio covers the Varian disaster of 9 AD in Teutoburger Wald, where 3 Roman legions were lost under the leadership of the Governor Publius Quintillius Varus. Varus had been appointed governor by Augustus on the strength of family ties and a talent for extracting taxes rather than military ability, and Augustus bitterly regretted it later.

Fascinating to read about the Emperor's reaction to the news, and his grasp of the ultimate significance of the loss (i.e., Germany became too dangerous to invade, and so was excluded from the Romanised world). This book not only gives a superbly detailed account of the first Emperor, but also shows how the seeds of Rome's downfall were sown in the first 10 years of the christian calendar. You can ... Read More:
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