The Cambridge Ancient History, Volume 7, Part 2: The Rise of Rome to 220 B.C.

The Cambridge Ancient History, 2nd edition #12

by Frank William Walbank (Editor), A.E. Astin (Editor), M.W. Frederiksen (Editor)

This volume of the The Cambridge Ancient History traces the history of Rome from its origins to the eve of the Second Punic War. It begins with a survey of sources for early Roman history. An examination of the first discernible traces of the Bronze Age settlement is followed by an assessment of the regal period. The complex and often controversial history of the early republic is analyzed with reference to its internal development, the evolution of its relationships with the Latins, and its ruthless assaults upon various parts of Italy. Later sections discuss the intervention of Pyrrhus and its aftermath which leads to consideration of Rome's relationships with Carthage, the First Punic War, and the beginnings of overseas empire. Rome is considered from a different perspective in a chapter on society and religion.

Genres: History, Ancient History, Nonfiction, Classics

828 pages, Hardcover

First published April 27, 1990

About the author

Frank William Walbank CBE was a scholar of ancient history, particularly the history of Polybius. He was born in Bingley, Yorkshire, and died in Cambridge. Walbank attended Bradford Grammar School and went on to study Classics at Peterhouse, Cambridge.

Reviews

[Nastarana · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is odd that there would seem to be less information available for comparatively recent events in ancient history. The authors in CAH vol. 7 are forever telling the hapless reader how little information they have to go on about the early history of Rome. We seem to know more about Sargon of Akkad and the 3rd. millennium Egyptian pharaohs than we do about the seven kings of Rome. Were they Etruscans or not? Did they even exist? Rome almost seems to emerge into the Hellenistic Mediterranean world out of nowhere like Athena fully armed from Zeus's head. All of a sudden this village no one in the Greek world ever heard of controls most of Italy south of the Apennines and is contesting with Carthage for control of the Western Mediterranean. Carthage, don't forget, had been The Power to Reckon With west of Sicily for about 3 centuries prior, and had effectively denied the Straits of Gibraltar to any other maritime power.

The volume I had, from a local library, contains both parts in one huuge book, which covered the intrigues of the Hellenistic kings, the various leagues in Greece--I didn't know the Aetolians became heroes who fought off a Gaulish invasion--and the rise of Rome to and including the first Illyrian and Punic wars. CAH, a production of Cambridge University, does have it's biases. The rise of Rome is treated as almost inevitable, and the entire story from Vol. 5, Athens, onward seems to be intended to illustrate the onward march of Western Civilization. One can almost hear the drumroll. Nevertheless, I insist that educated readers do possess the faculty of critical intelligence, and can be trusted to recognize and allow for biases and come to their own conclusions. Heresy, I know, in this age of us all being spoonfed canned opinions.

Vol. 7 in the CAH was for me a bit of a slog; the earlier books had better, IMHO, writers. I found the chapters in which a historian was trying to piece together Roman constitutional history almost incomprehensible. It seems that Livy was a court historian, and as such, can't be trusted and Dionysus of Halicarnassus was not much better. Silly me, I loved reading Livy as a young teen. I did not enjoy learning that the heroic Horatio didn't exist. Cincinnatus was grudgingly allowed to maybe have been a real person even if most of his story was fantasy. sigh

Howsomeever, with all its flaws CAH remains the best overview with details of the whole of the early history of the Western end of Eurasia (and North African littoral) I have yet found. There are various histories of the classical world in one volume by reputable and even famous historians, but those I have looked into tend to be short on interesting detail and long on authorial opinionating. Finally, the maps are magnificent. Major geographic features, poleis large and small, national boundaries and tribal territories are all shown. I think I can safely say that almost no place mentioned in the text does not appear on at least one map. If anyone reading this has access to or influence with, a university press, please tell your contacts that us readers need maps. Good maps like the ones you find in early 20thC textbooks, not mere sketches.

[Rich · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Cambridge history sets are the most complete history of Western Civilization available in my opinion. I am not a historian but history is one of my life's passions. The extensive subject matter covered in each volume give the reader a complete education in all the varied topics that a good history will cover. I read the old edition of this volume edited by Bury that included both the Grecian history of this time period and the initial development of the Roman civilization. He is one of my favorite classical and Medieval historians and I never seem to be disappointed by his writing and this volume was not an exception.