Titus Livius, (Livy) 59BCE-17ACE, born in Padua he was a popular and much admired writer in his day. His history was a favorite of Caesar Augustus who reigned during the time of the writing of the History of Early Rome. His facts are not the most accurate, but like Plutarch, he believed that; if history were not morally instructive, it was nothing. History of Early Rome is a valiant effort at recalling and preserving the memory of the noble deeds of the Romans. The history opens with the Trojans wandering into Rome to found a new city around 750BCE. It traces the history of Romulus the founder, the period of Roman kingship and then the Roman Republic era. Livy has a wonderful description of the rape of the Sabine women in which Romes men conduct to increase their population. Wonderful telling of the life and acts of the noble and humble Cinncinatus who many of George Washingtons contemporaries believed modeled himself after and held many of the same virtues. It contains an in depth look at Coriolanus, which was the source material for Shakespeares play Coriolanus. Shared danger is the strongest of bonds; it will keep men united in spite of mutual dislike and suspicion. Machiavelli loved reading Livys histories and wrote his most important philosophical work from it, The Discourses, in which he glorifies republican Rome as a model of good government. Thomas Jefferson wrote to his nephew that there were three books every gentleman had to have familiarity with; Plutarchs Lives, Livys History of Rome and Virgils Aeneid. In fact, all the founding fathers of note had read Livy and learned much from his history of Rome. If you are truly interested in obtaining a classical education, put this book on the top of your reading list! I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in political philosophy, and history.