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kaelynputnam's review
3.0
It dragged at points with repetitive political drama but the battles and folklore were interesting!! Not to be believed as truth but certainly eye opening. It also made me think differently about modern day as well in how we are like Romans in some ways.
jarrigy's review
4.0
Good! Respectable! Not a particularly poetic work of Ancient History (Whether that lies in the translation or no I can't say), but it is one that boasts a fine sense of clarity and insight. Three more of these to go, holy shit.
scipio_africanus's review
4.0
It was alright. Plenty of interesting points that mad eit worth it, but also plenty of unecessary detail about obscure and unmemorable politicians etc. Bit of a slog at points. Found myself waiting for the next war, and even then most were barely overview level. Started out strong with champion battles etc. Not sure why this volume is the most popular as far as editions go. Hope the other volumes get better as livy has more data to work with. Looking forward to Punic wars and Julius Caesar. Hope those sections aren't in the missing books haha. Will be super bummed out if so.
binstonbirchill's review
5.0
Livy is a master. Much of his history of early Rome is based on incomplete information but it give incredible insight into the politics of ancient Rome. This is a book that all members of the U.S. House and Senate should be required to read before being eligible for office (I am, of course, referring to Livy's plea for compromise and the destructive nature of party politics). This isn't really a casual read, each year he lists the two consuls and other people who hold office (which amounts to a confusing array of ius names). At times Livy can be short in his summary of events, possibly because the information he has is lacking, at other times he can be long-winded (which are my favorite parts because I love the details). The speeches given by leaders at crucial moments in the development of Rome are my favorite part of his writing, looking forward to reading books VI-X.