Before The Republic?

[spittle]

I am new to this subject so please forgive my ignorance.

 

Could anyone suggest sources of information concerning the pre-republican monarchy and/or the pre-Roman civilisations that preceeded and directly lead to Rome. It fascinated me that even at the time of Caesars assassination the Brutus name was already ancient and, by extension, this lead me to the assumption that the earliest days of the republic and the latter days of monarchy must be chronicled in some form.

[Gaius Octavius]

Take a look at the Home Page of this site and then give the Perseus Project a peek.

[Gaius Paulinus Maximus]

Michael Grant's History Of Rome book is a pretty good read, it charts Romes history starting from the Etruscan period right the way through to the eventual decline of the empire, im sure you will find everything you need to know in that book

If not, then like Octavius says try the persus site that too is pretty damn good (when it actually works)

Edited August 25, 2006 by Gaius Paulinus Maximus

[M. Porcius Cato]

A number of commentaries on Livy are useful for your purpose--you can read both what the Romans believed about their own ancient history as well as what modern history, archaeology and linguistics has to offer. Oglivie's A Commentary on Livy is a classic. Also, The Ancient City was simply seminal.

[Gaius Octavius]

A number of commentaries on Livy are useful for your purpose--you can read both what the Romans believed about their own ancient history as well as what modern history, archaeology and linguistics has to offer. Oglivie's A Commentary on Livy is a classic. Also, The Ancient City was simply seminal.

 

'The Ancient City' is a wonderful book. It is an eye-opener with regard to the gods. Anyone with the authors name deserves to be read. As an aside, my copy cost me 95 cents (list). Inflation!

Ever hear of an author of the name Moses Hadas?

[spittle]

Thanks guys (and gals?). I'm new to this subject and I'v just started to read RUBICON by Tom Holland, I chose this over Grants book through pure chance, but it jumps from very sketchy info concerning the latter Kings to the mid-Republic (Grachii).

 

I have difficulty concentrating on the real heavy classics and prefer the easier, modern authors interpretations.

 

Before becoming interested in Rome I spent 3 years reading about Organised Crime (mostly in America and Italy) and the last year I have dedicated to English Tudor history. The Mafia forums tend to degenerate into ethnic arguments as Italian Americans insult Irish Americans or visa versa. This site looks far more relevent to the issues at hand.

[Pantagathus]

I have difficulty concentrating on the real heavy classics and prefer the easier, modern authors interpretations.

That's a shame. I was going to recommend Dionysius of Halicarnassus to suppliment Livy for the history of early Rome. However, there is no modern treatment besides the translator's (Earnest Cary) comments at the beginning of the Loeb volumes.

[Ursus]

I am new to this subject so please forgive my ignorance.

 

Could anyone suggest sources of information concerning the pre-republican monarchy and/or the pre-Roman civilisations that preceeded and directly lead to Rome. It fascinated me that even at the time of Caesars assassination the Brutus name was already ancient and, by extension, this lead me to the assumption that the earliest days of the republic and the latter days of monarchy must be chronicled in some form.

 

 

A lot of the primary "histories" of that era read more like legend than anything else.

 

 

Michael Grant's _The Etruscans_ gives a good survey of the Etruscans, backed by archaeology. It's worth a look. I'm sure there are probably more up to date books as well on the subject that I haven't read.

[Virgil61]

Here's a 400 page treatment on Rome up to the first Punic War that seems to have garnered a few good reviews and is now on my wish list--The Beginnings of Rome. Using Amazon's search function the table of contents looks like it might be a good overview.

[spittle]

I have just ordered the above suggested book from Amazon and I'll post my opinions.

 

Another title that seems to deal with this era is "A Critical History of early Rome: From Pre-History to the First Punic War" By Gary Forsythe.

 

Maybe a concise and catalogued bibliography would be a helpful edition to this site?

[Primus Pilus]

Maybe a concise and catalogued bibliography would be a helpful edition to this site?

 

We are actually working on building a database of ancient history books. The idea is to have many sortable/searchable categories where books on various subjects can be easily grouped and searched. Moonlapse is rather bogged down in the whole programming/coding process for the time being, but we are hoping that this will be a very useful addition to the site.

[Gaius Octavius]

Thanks guys (and gals?). I'm new to this subject and I'v just started to read RUBICON by Tom Holland, I chose this over Grants book through pure chance, but it jumps from very sketchy info concerning the latter Kings to the mid-Republic (Grachii).

 

I have difficulty concentrating on the real heavy classics and prefer the easier, modern authors interpretations.

 

Before becoming interested in Rome I spent 3 years reading about Organised Crime (mostly in America and Italy) and the last year I have dedicated to English Tudor history. The Mafia forums tend to degenerate into ethnic arguments as Italian Americans insult Irish Americans or visa versa. This site looks far more relevent to the issues at hand.

I believe that you miss a lot of color and insight by not reading the ancient authors.

[Antiochus of Seleucia]

I know what he's talking about. Ancient authors are hard reading. I know most of the big words, but the style is sooo different. I still manage through them though.

[Gaius Paulinus Maximus]

Totally agree, yes the classic's are pretty hard going but if you persevere with them you'll soon get used to the wording and writing style and then i think you'll start to enjoy them more and appreciate them for what they are. I know i did

 

They're not called classics for nothing!!

[spittle]

I have a complete lack of intellectual stamina and, thus, find accounts from pre 1900 (even such as Dickens) long winded, flowery and dull. I accept that this is an area I need to work on or forever forego the primary sources, which is unthinkable. However, as I am new to this subject I hope to educate myself on the theories of the modern scholars before taking on the might of the ancients.

I hope to seek advice in this respect at a later date.