Rome, from the beginning.

Livy (Titus Livius), the great Roman historian, was born at Patavium (Padua) in 64 or 59 BC, where after years in Rome he died in AD 12 or 17.

Livy’s history, composed as the imperial autocracy of Augustus was replacing the republican system that had stood for over five hundred years, presents in splendid style a vivid narrative of Rome’s rise from the traditional foundation of the city in 753 or 751 BC to 9 BC and illustrates the collective and individual virtues necessary to achieve and maintain such greatness.

Of its 142 books, conventionally divided into pentads and decades, we have 1–10 and 21–45 complete, and short summaries (periochae) of all the rest except 41 and 43–45; 11–20 are lost, and of the rest only fragments and the summaries remain.

The fourth decade comprises two recognizable pentads: Books 31–35 narrate the Second Macedonian War (200–196) and its aftermath (Rome’s growing hegemony over Greece and tension with Antiochus III, the Seleucid ruler of the Near East), then Books 36–40 the years from 191 to 180, when Rome crushed and shrank Antiochus’ empire to extend and consolidate her mastery over the Hellenistic states. Also included are detailed narratives of Rome’s domestic politics and society, and of her western wars.

This edition of the fourth decade, which replaces the original Loeb edition by Evan T. Sage, offers a text based on Briscoe’s edition, a fresh translation, and ample annotation fully current with modern scholarship.

Livy (Titus Livius), the great Roman historian, was born at or near Patavium (Padua) in 64 or 59 BCE; he may have lived mostly in Rome but died at Patavium, in 12 or 17 CE.

Livy's only extant work is part of his history of Rome from the foundation of the city to 9 BCE. Of its 142 books, we have just 35, and short summaries of all the rest except two. The whole work was, long after his death, divided into Decades or series of ten. Books 1–10 we have entire; books 11–20 are lost; books 21–45 are entire, except parts of 41 and 43–45. Of the rest only fragments and the summaries remain. In splendid style Livy, a man of wide sympathies and proud of Rome's past, presented an uncritical but clear and living narrative of the rise of Rome to greatness.

The Loeb Classical Library edition of Livy is in fourteen volumes. The last volume includes a comprehensive index.