Early Rome

[spittle]

I own 'The Beginnings of Rome' by Cornell and 'A Critical History of Early Rome' by Forsythe (Which was written, in part, to question much of the information supplied by Cornell). Both are full of facts but far too academic for me to read from start to finish, so I use them as reference books.

 

I love biographies (Goldworthy's 'Caesar', R. Hollands 'Augustus') and what I think are called 'narrative' histories (?) such as Tom Hollands 'Rubicon' and '69AD: The Year of Four Emperors' by Gwyn Morgan.

By narrative i mean factual books that read with the excitement of fiction.

 

What I'm hoping some of you fellow forum types will help me with is finding some books that fit my above description concerning early Rome.

 

By 'early' I actually mean upto Sulla and Marius. Many books are concerned with the end of the republic so they are devoted to the ususal suspects but to put them in perspective they give a small introduction by way of running through the Gracchi to Sulla v Marius to Caesar v Pompey to Marcus Antonius v Octavian to Augustus.

 

I want to read about the people who MADE Rome.

I was thinking of starting with 'Scipio Africanus: Greater than Napoleon' by B H liddell Hart.

 

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Ursus]

I love biographies (Goldworthy's 'Caesar', R. Hollands 'Augustus') and what I think are called 'narrative' histories (?) such as Tom Hollands 'Rubicon' and '69AD: The Year of Four Emperors' by Gwyn Morgan.

By narrative i mean factual books that read with the excitement of fiction.

 

 

I am afraid there are very few historians who have the creative writing skills of Tom Holland (whose first literary achievement was, I believe, a vampire novel)

 

That being said, some academics are a lot more down-to-earth than others. You may wish to read H.H. Scullard's _a History of the Roman World_ which takes you from the archaeological pre-history of Rome to the aftermath of the Punic Wars. It was written specifically as an introduction, and while "academic" the prose is simple and fast paced enough to be read without nodding off.

[Northern Neil]

'Ancient Rome - The Republic' by H.L. Havell (Geddes and Grosset) is quite good, and it has quite a bit to say about Rome under the Etruscan kings and the early republic. It is now quite old - its first edition was 1914 - but it is still in print, and I find it very readable. It has some photographs of buildings from the republican era, too. I bought my copy in the discount bookstore in Barrow in Furness!

Edited February 19, 2007 by Northern Neil

[spittle]

Thanks guys. I had considered the Scullard book before and will certainly buy them both.