History of Rome

History of Rome is Livy's large-scale history of ancient Rome, written in Latin in the early imperial period. It is an account of Rome’s past that moves from the city’s legendary beginnings through its founding and early political changes, and continues up to the writer’s own era under Augustus. In form, it is historiography rather than fiction: a work built to record, organize, and interpret Roman history instead of telling a plotted story.

This book suits readers interested in Roman history, classical literature, and ancient sources, especially those who want to see how a Roman historian framed the story of his own city. It is dense and demands patience, but it offers a broad view of Rome across a very long span of time and a direct window into Roman historical writing. Readers who enjoy long, structured historical texts and a strong sense of antiquity will likely get the most from it.