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Livy: The Early History of Rome,

Book One, 1-13, 15-16, 57-59

Titus Livius (59 BC Ð'- AD 17) wrote Ab urbe condita, a 142-volume history that went from the foundation of Rome in 753 BC to 9 BC. Although he seems to be generally accurate where he can be checked, he probably relied almost exclusively on prior literary sources and rarely consulted documents. His chief concern was with style and dramatic effect.

It would therefore be difficult to prove that any of the events in the early pages of Book One are historical. We are in the world of myth and legendÐ'--and, quite possibly, of pure and simple fictionÐ'--but it illustrates characteristic Roman attitudes.

The translation is by Rev. Canon Roberts (copyright expired), found at www.perseus.tufts.edu.

Aeneas Travels to Italy

1. To begin with, it is generally agreed that after the capture of Troy, after the rest of the Trojans were massacred, the Greeks refused to continue to wage war against Aeneas and Antenor, partly owing to old ties of hospitality, and partly because these men had always been in favour of making peace and surrendering Helen. Their subsequent fortunes were different. Antenor sailed into the furthest part of the Adriatic, accompanied by a number of Enetians who had been driven from Paphlagonia by a revolution and who, after losing their king Pylaemenes before Troy, were looking for a settlement and a leader. The combined force of Enetians and Trojans defeated the Euganei, who dwelt between the sea and the Alps, and occupied their land. The place where they disembarked was called Troy, and the name was extended to the surrounding district; the whole nation were called Veneti.

Similar misfortunes led to Aeneas becoming a wanderer but for him the Fates were preparing a higher destiny. He first visited Macedonia, then was carried down to Sicily in quest of a settlement; from Sicily he directed his course to the Laurentian territory. Here, too, the name of Troy is found, and here the Trojans disembarked, and as their almost infinite wanderings had left them nothing but their arms and their ships, they began to plunder the neighborhood. The Aborigines, who occupied the country, with their king Latinus at their head came hastily together from the city and the country districts to repel the inroads of the strangers by force of arms.

From this point there is a twofold tradition. According to the one tradition, Latinus was defeated in battle, made peace with Aeneas, and subsequently a family alliance. According to the other tradition, while the two armies were standing ready to engage and waiting for the signal, Latinus advanced in front of his lines and invited the leader of the strangers to a conference. He inquired