The History of Rome, Book I The Period Anterior to the Abolition of the Monarchy

This volume offers a thorough, scholarly portrait of Rome’s earliest centuries, charting the city’s legendary foundation and the succession of its seven kings. Drawing on ancient sources, it reconstructs how myth and fact intertwine in tales of Romulus, Numa, and their successors, while explaining the birth of key institutions such as the Senate, the popular assemblies, and the early legal codes. The narrative also examines the social fabric of the nascent kingdom, from the roles of patrician families to the everyday lives of farmers and artisans.

Readers will encounter vivid descriptions of the city’s first walls, its religious rites, and the diplomatic contacts with neighboring Italic peoples. The author’s careful attention to language and chronology helps untangle the complex web of legends, archaeological clues, and early historiography. By the close of this first part, the stage is set for the moment when the Roman monarchy gives way to a new form of governance.