Hannibal, the Scourge of Rome

by Livy

Published 1 June 1991

This selection from Livy's Book XXI covers the great Carthaginian
general Hannibal's campaigns against Rome, from the siege of Sagintum
to the battle of the Trebia.

Specifically designed for use in
schools, this edition includes a short introduction on the Punic Wars
and Livy as a historian, the Latin text, notes vocabulary.


History of Rome

by Livy

Published December 1914

Livy (Titus Livius), the great Roman historian, was born at or near Patavium (Padua) in 64 or 59 BCE; he may have lived mostly in Rome but died at Patavium, in 12 or 17 CE.

Livy's only extant work is part of his history of Rome from the foundation of the city to 9 BCE. Of its 142 books, we have just 35, and short summaries of all the rest except two. The whole work was, long after his death, divided into Decades or series of ten. Books 1 10 we have entire; books 11 20 are lost; books 21 45 are entire, except parts of 41 and 43 45. Of the rest only fragments and the summaries remain. In splendid style Livy, a man of wide sympathies and proud of Rome's past, presented an uncritical but clear and living narrative of the rise of Rome to greatness.

The Loeb Classical Library edition of Livy is in fourteen volumes. The last volume includes a comprehensive index.


Book XXX of Livy's great history of Rome describes the last few
years (203-201 BC), of the Second Punic War between Rome and Carthage,
including Hannibal's final defeat by Scipio at Zama, the conclusion of
peace and Scipio's triumphal return to Rome.This useful edition
of the Latin text, reissued after being unavailable for some time,
includes an introduction giving background on Livy and his work, Rome
and Carthage, the Punic Wars, the African campaign, the Roman army and
Scipio's tactics. There are copious notes on the text, an appendix on
chronology, an index of proper names and a vocabulary.