authors
data
Product: Book
ISBN-10: 0-14-044809-8
ISBN-13: 9780140448092
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Country:
Year: June 25, 2002
Edition: Revised
Size: 12.80 x 19.61 x 2.39cm
Number of pages: 528
Weight: 181gr
Binding: Paperback
ISBN-10: 0-14-044809-8
ISBN-13: 9780140448092
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Country:
Year: June 25, 2002
Edition: Revised
Size: 12.80 x 19.61 x 2.39cm
Number of pages: 528
Weight: 181gr
Binding: Paperback
editions
Titus Livy, Robert M. Ogilvie (introduction), Aubrey De Selincourt (translator)
Penguin Classics; 1960
Paperback
Titus Livius Livy, Aubrey De Selincourt (Eds.)
Penguin Classics; 1965
Paperback
2.) The Early History of Rome
Titus Livius Livy, Aubrey De Selincourt (translator)
Gannon Distributing Company; 1984
Library Binding
order
description
Product Description
With stylistic brilliance and historical imagination, the first five books of Livy's monumental history of Rome record events from the foundation of Rome through the history of the seven kings, the establishment of the Republic and its internal struggles, up to Rome's recovery after the fierce Gallic invasion of the fourth century bc. Livy vividly depicts the great characters, legends, and tales, including the story of Romulus and Remus. Reprinting Robert Ogilvie's lucid 1971 introduction, this highly regarded edition now boasts a new preface, examining the text in light of recent Livy scholarship, informative maps, bibliography, and an index. Translated by Aubrey de Sélincourt with an introduction by Robert Ogilvie.
With stylistic brilliance and historical imagination, the first five books of Livy's monumental history of Rome record events from the foundation of Rome through the history of the seven kings, the establishment of the Republic and its internal struggles, up to Rome's recovery after the fierce Gallic invasion of the fourth century bc. Livy vividly depicts the great characters, legends, and tales, including the story of Romulus and Remus. Reprinting Robert Ogilvie's lucid 1971 introduction, this highly regarded edition now boasts a new preface, examining the text in light of recent Livy scholarship, informative maps, bibliography, and an index. Translated by Aubrey de Sélincourt with an introduction by Robert Ogilvie.
reviews
Overcharged! 
Okay, nothing bad to say about Livy, it would be like calling the sky or sun bad, but my gripe is with penguin's mercenary tactics (modern library too for that matter 1300pgs of gibbon but feel the need to split up Plutarch?), come on give us a break and start bundling these endless volumes of 250-300pgs into more affordable sets, why not have Livy in 3 vols instead of 4 or rather for 30bux instead of 40? there is no excuse for splitting up 1-10 into »early history 1-5" and «Rome and Italy 6-10" especially with Cammilus spanning both volumes (why not split up the Hannibal book too more $$$$), not to mention the excessive use of footnotes in the second of these books (6-10). Unfortunately there is no cheaper recourse, undoubtedly their excuse is that two different translators were involved, , alas this rant is more at the state of modern reading habits than penguin, thank god for them, if more people desired to read these books instead of »having« to read them for school hence the gouging, there would be more diverse editions, otherwise i love it!:P
Okay, nothing bad to say about Livy, it would be like calling the sky or sun bad, but my gripe is with penguin's mercenary tactics (modern library too for that matter 1300pgs of gibbon but feel the need to split up Plutarch?), come on give us a break and start bundling these endless volumes of 250-300pgs into more affordable sets, why not have Livy in 3 vols instead of 4 or rather for 30bux instead of 40? there is no excuse for splitting up 1-10 into »early history 1-5" and «Rome and Italy 6-10" especially with Cammilus spanning both volumes (why not split up the Hannibal book too more $$$$), not to mention the excessive use of footnotes in the second of these books (6-10). Unfortunately there is no cheaper recourse, undoubtedly their excuse is that two different translators were involved, , alas this rant is more at the state of modern reading habits than penguin, thank god for them, if more people desired to read these books instead of »having« to read them for school hence the gouging, there would be more diverse editions, otherwise i love it!:P
Rome's Greatest Prose Work 
The Romans looked upon Vergil's Aeneid as their greatest work of literature, and it became a focal point of their entire culture, replacing Ennius' earlier epic of Rome's origins so thoroughly that Rome's older central epic has not survived the years. Livy's ten book set devoted to the war with Hannibal has a similar status in prose to the Aeneid's in verse. In fact, one of the three major tales being told simultaneously in the Aeneid is that of the war with Carthage. The point being that the Second Punic War was the defining moment in Roman history. It was the only time the Romans had really met their match. Their superior political, military and economic systems enabled them to outperform the older civilizations of the Mediterranean and gradually gobble them up, but Carthage was the one, and only one, true rival to Rome in the Mediterranean world during entire ancient period. And it has been stated many times that Rome eventually fell from within due to dissatisfaction with mismanaged despotism, rather than being overrun by outside forces. The Western Empire »fell« to Romano-Germanic military units working within and for the Empire. The period of the Second Punic War was always looked back at by Romans as their nation's most trying and revealing moment. All the republican institutions were put to the test under the absolutely most difficult circumstances. No doubt one major reason for the lingering attachment to the Punic War era in imperial times and beyond was how the history of the time preserved a solid working memory of the old republican ways. Livy's history was an instant success, with the first set of ten books too remaining very popular through the years. These two sets of his history were well known and honoured in the Middle Ages, and they played a huge role in the formation of modern republicanism and democracy. I find it kind of odd that I came to Livy's »Hannibalia« a long time after becoming interested in ancient history. This book really is the centre piece of Roman prose literature. Granted, Cicero's works held higher status for their practicality as writing and speaking models, but Livy has more than mere rhetoric in his work. There is rhetoric to be sure, and that makes it all the more fun to read, but he balances it with plenty of quite decent history, drama and political science to boot. A very respectable piece of work to tell your greatest national story. Lots to learn about politics, speaking, statecraft and war here.
The Romans looked upon Vergil's Aeneid as their greatest work of literature, and it became a focal point of their entire culture, replacing Ennius' earlier epic of Rome's origins so thoroughly that Rome's older central epic has not survived the years. Livy's ten book set devoted to the war with Hannibal has a similar status in prose to the Aeneid's in verse. In fact, one of the three major tales being told simultaneously in the Aeneid is that of the war with Carthage. The point being that the Second Punic War was the defining moment in Roman history. It was the only time the Romans had really met their match. Their superior political, military and economic systems enabled them to outperform the older civilizations of the Mediterranean and gradually gobble them up, but Carthage was the one, and only one, true rival to Rome in the Mediterranean world during entire ancient period. And it has been stated many times that Rome eventually fell from within due to dissatisfaction with mismanaged despotism, rather than being overrun by outside forces. The Western Empire »fell« to Romano-Germanic military units working within and for the Empire. The period of the Second Punic War was always looked back at by Romans as their nation's most trying and revealing moment. All the republican institutions were put to the test under the absolutely most difficult circumstances. No doubt one major reason for the lingering attachment to the Punic War era in imperial times and beyond was how the history of the time preserved a solid working memory of the old republican ways. Livy's history was an instant success, with the first set of ten books too remaining very popular through the years. These two sets of his history were well known and honoured in the Middle Ages, and they played a huge role in the formation of modern republicanism and democracy. I find it kind of odd that I came to Livy's »Hannibalia« a long time after becoming interested in ancient history. This book really is the centre piece of Roman prose literature. Granted, Cicero's works held higher status for their practicality as writing and speaking models, but Livy has more than mere rhetoric in his work. There is rhetoric to be sure, and that makes it all the more fun to read, but he balances it with plenty of quite decent history, drama and political science to boot. A very respectable piece of work to tell your greatest national story. Lots to learn about politics, speaking, statecraft and war here.
Raw History or How to Be an Imperialist and Not Feel Shame About It. 
Pages filled with lots of details and accounts of almost daily life in the Roman Empire around 200 BC. It's about 700 pages long, not at all pithy mind you. Every important battle or event seems to be introduced with parragraphs on the different augurs, premonitions and superstitions the Romans had before a big event took place. Livy wastes a little too much ink on those details. What is also a little tedious is the constant mentioning of names of personages who occupied different offices during the times of the events in question. He could have done without that too. But take this out, and skip that other thing, the book is an invaluable testimony of the times, a great canvas of the Roman Empire at its greatest moment: the duel with Carthage; Scipio vs Hannibal. It's like reading a daily of more than 2000 years ago, only better. You get to see what was going on in the Italian peninsula, Hispania, north of Africa. The movement of troops here and there, the decision making in the Roman Senate and accross the Empire, the little barbarian rulers trying to maintain their particular fiefdoms while deciding which neighbor they should pay tribute to: Rome eventually being the better choice. I was delighted to see the Iberian leaders portrayed with a human face, balancing the pros and cons of which empire to follow, Rome or Carthage. It was like geopolitcs for dummies, only 200 BC. Facts, action, facts, action. May be too much, with no time to pause and meditate. To be read in small takes, digesting it well, otherwise … If you don't get discouraged with so much information, irrelevant to us much of it, it will get to be a fully satisfying experience at the end. You'll think you've been in all those places, you sweat, and even hurt yourself while running away from one of those African elephants. Oh, my!
Pages filled with lots of details and accounts of almost daily life in the Roman Empire around 200 BC. It's about 700 pages long, not at all pithy mind you. Every important battle or event seems to be introduced with parragraphs on the different augurs, premonitions and superstitions the Romans had before a big event took place. Livy wastes a little too much ink on those details. What is also a little tedious is the constant mentioning of names of personages who occupied different offices during the times of the events in question. He could have done without that too. But take this out, and skip that other thing, the book is an invaluable testimony of the times, a great canvas of the Roman Empire at its greatest moment: the duel with Carthage; Scipio vs Hannibal. It's like reading a daily of more than 2000 years ago, only better. You get to see what was going on in the Italian peninsula, Hispania, north of Africa. The movement of troops here and there, the decision making in the Roman Senate and accross the Empire, the little barbarian rulers trying to maintain their particular fiefdoms while deciding which neighbor they should pay tribute to: Rome eventually being the better choice. I was delighted to see the Iberian leaders portrayed with a human face, balancing the pros and cons of which empire to follow, Rome or Carthage. It was like geopolitcs for dummies, only 200 BC. Facts, action, facts, action. May be too much, with no time to pause and meditate. To be read in small takes, digesting it well, otherwise … If you don't get discouraged with so much information, irrelevant to us much of it, it will get to be a fully satisfying experience at the end. You'll think you've been in all those places, you sweat, and even hurt yourself while running away from one of those African elephants. Oh, my!
Good book
A great book … The only problem??? well part of the saga where lost … Such a shame …
A great book … The only problem??? well part of the saga where lost … Such a shame …
excellant primary source
I'm an amateur of classical Roman history. Nothing published, no letters after my name … just a passion for all things Roman. It makes a perfect excuse for an european vacation … and when you know the back ground of the sites you are visiting, the whole thing comes alive! One thing I really learned in this text is that history, espically ancient history, is a mixture of reality and myth. You may learn some facts about events, but moreso, you see how these events were precieved by the participants based on their world view. This book has done that perfectly. The writting is smooth and its an easy read. In it you find the drama and passion and glory of Roman thru Roman eyes and watch as the … Culture, not just the city or the army, grows into a world power. Its everything you will find in any TV drama … deception, hurbris, cunning, avrice … and a the glory that was once Rome!
I'm an amateur of classical Roman history. Nothing published, no letters after my name … just a passion for all things Roman. It makes a perfect excuse for an european vacation … and when you know the back ground of the sites you are visiting, the whole thing comes alive! One thing I really learned in this text is that history, espically ancient history, is a mixture of reality and myth. You may learn some facts about events, but moreso, you see how these events were precieved by the participants based on their world view. This book has done that perfectly. The writting is smooth and its an easy read. In it you find the drama and passion and glory of Roman thru Roman eyes and watch as the … Culture, not just the city or the army, grows into a world power. Its everything you will find in any TV drama … deception, hurbris, cunning, avrice … and a the glory that was once Rome!
keywords
related products
Titus Livy, A. H. McDonald (introduction), Henry Bettenson (translator)
Penguin Classics; 1976
Paperback
Polybius, F. W. Walbank (introduction), Ian Scott-Kilvert (translator)
Penguin Classics; 1980
Paperback
2.) Rome and Italy
Titus Livy, Betty Radice (Eds.), Robert M. Ogilvie (introduction)
Penguin Classics; 1982
Paperback
Plutarch, Robin Seager (Eds.), Rex Warner (translator)
Penguin Classics; 2006
Paperback
Suetonius, James Rives (Eds.), Robert Graves (translator)
Penguin Classics; 2007
Paperback
© 1994–2010 Sascha Hendel
last update: 3/16/2010
URL: http://www.book-info.com/isbn/0-14-044809-8.htm
- search