Livy: Book V

Book V of Livy’s history of Rome is one of the most stirring. It contains a double climax: the capture by the Romans of their Etruscan neighbour, Veii; and the sack of Rome by the Gauls – the greatest victory of Rome to that time and the greatest threat to her survival before Hannibal. Livy’s dramatic narrative includes such well-known stories as the schoolmaster of Falerii and the saving of the Capitol by the cackling of the sacred geese. The career of the great republican hero Camillus, saviour and founder of Rome, is set against a background of internal struggles between patricians and plebeians. This exciting story makes Book V an admirable introduction to Livy for school and university students. This edition includes an introduction, vocabulary, and notes which maintain the balance between linguistic and historical elucidation and provide regular chapter summaries.