Myth and History in the Historiography of Early Rome

The histories of early Rome written in antiquity by the likes of Livy and Dionysius of Halicarnassus include many sensational stories, from the she-wolf suckling the twins to the miraculous conception of Servius Tullius and the epiphany of the Dioscuri at Lake Regillus. Even the more sober parts of the narrative are of dubious historicity, and certainly include a good deal of rhetorical invention, aetiologies and folktales. The essays composing this volume attempt to analyse these stories to explore the porous boundaries and the hybrid borrowings between myth, history and historiography, and the limits of historical knowledge.

Tim Cornell is Professor Emeritus of Ancient History at the University of Manchester and recently (2018–22) President of the Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies. He is the General Editor of The Fragments of the Roman Historians (2013).
Nicolas L.J. Meunier is the author of a commented translation of Ennius’ Annales and of a study on Livy. He is currently Assistant Professor of Latin Language and Ancient History at the University of Louvain (UCLouvain).
Daniele Miano is Associate Professor of Ancient History at the University of Oslo. He has worked on polytheism in ancient Italy, on memorial practices in republican Rome, and on ancient and modern historiography.

Contributors are: Edoardo Bianchi, Tim Cornell, Roman M. Frolov, Chantal Gabrielli, Amber Gartrell, Nicolas L.J. Meunier, Daniele Miano, Marine Miquel, Jaclyn Neel, Stephen Oakley.

"This book is a must-read for anyone working on the historiography of early Rome, but individual chapters will also be useful for undergraduates studying specific topics or authors."Fred K. Drogula, BMCR 2024.11.25.