Recommended Reading

Biographical sketches of thirty of the most prominent characters in Roman history, from legendary times to the fall of the Western Empire. It begins with the legends of the Kingdom of Rome and then follows prominent Roman from the days of the Early Republic to the age of Constantine the Great. This book is from the Famous Men series by John Haaren and A. P. Poland, and is very popular with homeschoolers.

This book covers the history of Rome from the legend of Romulus to the closing days of the western empire. Short, accessible chapters tell important stories from Roman history in simple prose, written at 6th grade level, but understandable to even younger readers. An excellent first introduction to Roman history for grammar school students.

A dozen short, and nicely illustrated stories from Roman history, written for elementary school children. Its subjects are many of the most famous men in Roman history, from Romulus to Caesar. Only a third the size of most comprehensive histories, it nevertheless covers many of the most romantic incident of Republican Rome.

This history of Rome is filled with exciting stories from the most Romantic periods of Roman history, although it focuses more on the Kingdom and Republican eras than on the Imperial age. This history of Greece is accessible and well organized, and it is considerably more detailed than Guerber's. Because of its length, we do not recommend it for 6th grade or younger, but it is an excellent reference, thoroughly engaging, and a good candidate for a middle school student's first foray into Roman history.

This middle school historical reader, from the from the Lake History series, covers the history of Republican Rome in clear, accessible prose. It is considerably shorter than Macgregor's history, and tells fewer stories in somewhat more detail, but provides a clear and thorough review of the major events of Roman history. Outlines of each chapter are also provided for review.

This version of Vigil's great epic is re-written for young people, but retains a great deal of the romance and drama of the original. The adventures of Aeneas on wanderings from Troy to various Greek isles, to Carthage, and finally to his his eventual home in Italy among the Latins is vividly retold, but so combat intensive, it is likely to appeal mainly to students who appreciate martial drama.

This book covers a dramatic period of Nero’s reign, encompassing the catastrophic fire that destroyed Rome, and also the rebellion, known as Piso’s Conspiracy, that soon followed. Although this is a work of historical fiction, virtually all of the characters in this book are based on historical Romans, and the levels of treachery, cowardice, martyrdom, and villainy displayed by the characters in this drama would be incredible if it were not actually true.

This is our favorite rendition of Plutarch's Lives. Instead of including all fifty biographies, Weston focuses only on twelve of Plutarch's most famous subjects. His work is therefore able to retain a great deal more of the character of Plutarch's original narrative than more highly condensed versions. Since Plutarch was a moral philosopher as well as a biographer, retaining the tone and dialogue of the original collection is key to understanding his contribution to Western thought. Plutarch's complete lives run over a thousand pages. This is an excellent condensation.

Morris is a terrific author and these retellings of a few dozen vignettes from Roman history provide an excellent review for anyone whose Roman History needs an enjoyable refresher. Morris includes both famous and lesser known stories in his collection so even those who are familiar with introductory accounts will find plenty of new and entertaining material.

This riveting story of Hannibal, the Carthaginian general who nearly conquered Rome, is told with as much interest as if it were an adventure novel. The book covers both the first and third Punic wars in order to provide an introduction and conclusion to the epic struggle of the Second Punic war, a war masterminded by the greatest enemy in Roman history. Hannibal was perhaps the greatest general of Ancient times, and certainly one of the greatest of all times. His brilliant strategies inflicted horrendous casualties on Rome, with only a fraction of the men and resources. Had he prevailed, it would have altered the course of all of western history.

This book covers the first two centuries of Imperial Rome, from the death of Caesar Augustus to the reign of Marcus Aurelius. It tells the story of many lesser known incidents of the era, from the palace intrigue of the early Caesars, to short biographies of several imperial era gentlemen and scholars. It is written as a series of vignettes, rather than a comprehensive history, but captures the spirit of the age very well.

The life of Julius Caesar spans one of the most fascinating and important periods in all of Ancient history, and this book does an excellent job of bringing all the characters of the age to life. The first century B.C. saw the collapse of a corrupt republic, a number of savage civil wars, and the rise of a relatively benign tyranny under Caesar. The book devotes just enough attention to the political dramas of the time to give intermediate students some idea of the vicious politicking of the era, without being tiring.

This fascinating biography of Caesar Augustus does an excellent job of explaining the delicate transition between the era of the Roman republic and that of the Empire. Julius Caesar began to lay the foundation of the empire, but at the time of his death most Roman institutions had not yet been transformed. It was the genius of Augustus that enabled the Roman Empire to rise from the ashes of a degenerate republic to become the most powerful and brilliantly organized empire the world had yet seen.

The major clashes between Greece and Rome, and their despotic or barbarian neighbors is given here. Six major conflicts are covers: the Persian invasion of Greece, the fight between Greece and Carthage for Sicily, the Macedonian Invasion of Persia, the Punic Wars, Rome's early encounters with Barbarian Celts and Germans, and Rome's fall to the Barbarians.