Rome Before Rome: The Legends That Shaped the Romans

by Philip Matyszak

An in-depth exploration of the myths and legends of early Rome, highlighting the enigmatic origins of the Romans and how the first seeds of this vast empire were sown.


"I sing of arms and the man" wrote Vergil at the start of the Aeneid, one of Rome's most iconic origin stories as it explores the tumultuous journey of Aeneas from Trojan prince to Roman hero. But did Aeneas actually flee from Troy? How did this story affect the Romans' perspective of themselves? And did they believe it? In Rome Before Rome, Philip Matyszak explores the myths and legends, heroes and villains that shaped the Roman sense of self.


There are few books which explain how these different legends fit into Rome's overall narrative—and none which explore the range of myths Matyszak describes. Some of the legends are well known, from Romulus and Remus to the Rape of the Sabines; others are more obscure, suchas the story of the Latin king Picus, who was turned into a woodpecker. Whether renowned or unfamiliar, all are significant in their own way and have had a profound impact on centuries of Romans. Even today these myths continue to reverberate throughout western culture in films, TV shows, and plays. Matyszak dissects these myths, investigating the historical texts of Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Plutarch, and Livy as well as Vergil's epic poem the Aeneid and Ovid's Metamorphoses. Rome Before Rome continually reveals the ways in which Rome's mythological past may not be as illustrious as traditionally chronicled.

Genres: History, Mythology, Nonfiction, Ancient

218 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 13, 2025

About the author

Philip Matyszak is a British nonfiction author, primarily of historical works relating to ancient Rome. Matyszak has a doctorate in Roman history from St. John's College, Oxford. In addition to being a professional author, he also teaches ancient history for Madingley Hall Institute of Continuing Education, Cambridge University.

Reviews

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0⭐️ - Beautifully illustrated and easy to read! Explores the myths and legends of the founding of Rome in an enjoyable format that isn’t overly academic.
Read it in a day and now have a better understanding of an often overlooked period of Romes history. Great book.

[Bertie Brady · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rome before Rome charts the origin myths of Rome and what they tell us about how the Romans viewed themselves

An accessible account on the origin myths of Rome with illustrations and supplemented by extracts from Roman authors such as Livy and Plutarch. Philip is not only interested in the Roman myths as a matter of curiosity, but also in what these myths can tell us about the Roman people as a whole. As he notes, myths often tell us about what qualities a given culture wants its people to embody and what qualities it despises by the way they present their heroes and the way they present their villains.

Unlike Greek myths, Roman myths are far more grounded, with a minimal degree of divine intervention or improbable chance events. This may be due to Roman authors' cynical approach to these myths, often discounting more improbable stories for those which are seen as being more realistic. For example, Plutarch dismisses the myth of Romulus willingly choosing to join the gods after setting Rome on the path to greatness and instead posits he was murdered by malcontent senators.

Philip himself is also interested in understanding the veracity of Rome's mythological figures, often considering them to be a physical embodiment of a more complicated long-term process. For example, he points out that the reformer Cassius, although likely a real person, was likely given undue credit for land-redistribution that took place in fifth century BC Rome.

Overall, this is a good overview of the Roman origin myths with a great deal of engagement with ancient sources.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read covering the early years of Rome and Roman civilisation. A look into the "history", myth and legends.

Engaging and amusing and very readable. It is interesting to see how Rome came to be and how they saw their legends and history. You can't take it at face value, but for every story surely there is an element of truth. Sure it is embellished in the telling of the tales and refined to be the myth handed down to us.

An interesting facet in the legends is how rape is the key point or trigger in three vital aspects of Roman legend. The rape of Romulus & Remus mother which gives us the founding myth of Rome. Secondly the Rape of the Sabines which caused the growth of Rome and kickstarted the expansion and development. Finally the Rape of Lucretia which caused the emergence of the Republic and brought down Tarquin Superbus, thankfully rape was seen as abhorrent then too given how the violence and uproar then ensued.

All in all I quite enjoyed this book, it is very accessible and from an author who's work I quite enjoy. It is a book I will return to, and one that can lead on to other books for more depth. Highly recommended.

[Susannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an enjoyable read about the various legends that made Rome from the founding of the city by Aeneas and the Romulus and Remus through to the seven kings, the founding of the republic and the origins of the patrician and plebeian frictions. Matyszak puts all these stories together to show how they all fit together to tell a story of who the Romans thought they were and what mattered to them, he also shows how the origins of various Roman and modern customs and names in Rome come from these stories such as carrying the bride over the threshold, the consuls, the Tarpeian rock, the capitoline hill etc, overall very interesting.

[Winston? Kam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blasted through this at the Atheneum. I’ve never quite learned about the rulers before the infamous emperors of the Roman Empire.
Similar to China’s Mandate of Heaven there’s a lot of spiritual legitimacy to claiming rule and ofc the Roman deities come through with divine intervention a few times.

Names got pretty tricky but a strong theme throughout is fratricide and rape. Learned the lore behind the Rape of the Sabine Woman, next time I go to Florence I’ll check out giambologna’s statue

[Matteo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Rome Before Rome. It was easy to read, well put together, and brought together a range of sources in a way that made the history feel connected and alive. The illustrations added a lot, helping to bring the story to life without feeling overdone. A great read, by a well respected author, if you’re interested in the stories that shaped Rome’s rise.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book! The stories are so fascinating, and I love how the author tells them. The writing style made me smile many times (and laugh out loud several more). Read this book if you love Italian history and want to get to know some of the legendary characters and stories a bit better.

[Dmaino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rome Before Rome: A Book Review by Dominick Maino

Matyszak, P. (2025). Rome before Rome: The legends that shaped the Romans. Thames & Hudson Inc. 41 illustrations, epilogue, Dramatis Personae*, Glossary, Further Reading and Index. 222 pages

https://dominickmaino.substack.com/p/...

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good collection all in one place of the many myths that the ancient Romans looked to as their history, and they say a lot about their identity, but overall a bit stilted in the retelling - more academic than mythic.

[Georgie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not my usual read, fascinating and insightful. Beautiful illustrations. Nothing to fault.

[Laura Hudson-Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic overview of Early Rome.
Will be invaluable as I begin to teach it!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting! Learnt more about certain legends and myths from Rome that I’ve heard in passing from other books.