Ancient Rome essentials

[Anonymous No.13393685]

Hey /lit/, I have decided to become a Romeaboo

What are the very essential books for that? Things I absolutely must have read.

Thinking to start with general history, culture, politics and life in Rome in general and only then get into philosophy

Can you recommend a list of books or is there an infographic for my endeavour?

[Anonymous No.13393694]

Unironically start with the Greeks.

[Anonymous No.13393695]

Read the Aeneid and skip the rest. Horace was the greatest poet alive only because he outlived Vergil

[Anonymous No.13393699]

>>13393685
cringe

>>13393694
based

[Anonymous No.13393711]

>>13393694
do you have the get-into-greeks-infographic by chance?

[Anonymous No.13393716]

>>13393711
Read Herodotus and then Thuc. Maybe read Plutarch after

[Anonymous No.13393808]

>>13393685

[Anonymous No.13393904]

>>13393808
That's what I'm talking about, thanks anon

[Anonymous No.13393908]

>>13393685
start with the greeks. then read livy. if you don't want to buy a bunch of books, just get the landmark caesar. the durant book caesar and christ is comfy too.

[Anonymous No.13393912]

As the romans did is good for primary qoutations.

[Anonymous No.13393931]

>>13393908
But why do I necessarily have to start with the Greeks if I want to know as much about possible about life in ancient Rome? I get the connections and the influence, but I explicitly said that I want to touch philosophy last and read about everything else there is to know first

[Anonymous No.13394116]

>>13393931
>implying greeks are only about philosophy

[Anonymous No.13394136]

>>13393711
>do you have the get-into-greeks-infographic by chance?
You mean the reading chart? I have that one but cant think of any infrographic.

[Anonymous No.13394146]

>>13393931
In my humbre opinion if you know the basic general history of Greece then you can just jump right into Roman history since that's what you are interested in.
But if you know almost nothing about Greece, then yes I would suggest you read a little bit of it first.

[Anonymous No.13394290]

>>13394146
t b h I have never read up about greek history, I was interested in Greek mythology and have read the Iliad when I was younger but dont really have an overview of actual history. So reading The Histories of Herodotus should give me a good overview, or? If so I will certainly read that first

[Anonymous No.13394371]

>>13394290
Herodotus is a good first hand account sure, you could also just read the general history from the start with the greeks chart, first book.

[Anonymous No.13394391]

>>13394371
Thanks, then I will get that. Now if there was a chart like that for the Romans, that would be great

[Anonymous No.13394736]

>>13394391
There is, for when finishing the greeks. In your case you could jump straight into it once you read the first and maybe second books in greeks chart.

[Anonymous No.13394811]

>>13394736
Thanks a lot, exactly what I have been looking for

[Anonymous No.13395282]

>>13394736
Where the fuck is Satyricon

[Anonymous No.13395354]

>>13393711
Here is the other for the Greeks.
Honestly, if you have a general knowledge of which gods are which, the cause of the Trojan war, and a general knowledge of Greek history
IE:
>Minoans
>mycenaeans
>Dark age
>wars with persia
>Peloponnesian war
>Alexander's conquest and his empires shattering
>Rome's triumph
you can skip a general history book as well as the myths and go right into the iliad and Odyssey. Herodotus references myths quite a bit so it's good to know Homer's work.
If you wanna skip to roman history you can, but be aware, they were heavily influenced by Hellenistic culture so it's good to learn about the Greeks too

[Anonymous No.13395591]

>>13393685
Read The Satyricon by Petronius.

[Anonymous No.13395990]

>>13393685
i don't know the name of the books in english. But authors like Pierre grimal or Indro montanelli, have written a lot of books about the general history about ancient rome.

[Anonymous No.13397358]

>>13395591
>>13395990
Thank you, will check them out

[Anonymous No.13397394]

>>13393699
T. redditor voting with based and cringe replies.

[Anonymous No.13397568]

>>13393685
I too enjoyed the film Gladiator

[Anonymous No.13397580]

>>13397568
There is actually very little Rome in Gladiator

[Anonymous No.13397596]

>>13397580
what are you talking about brainlet

[Anonymous No.13397603]

>>13397596
That there is actually very little Rome in Gladiator
There is a lot of Rome in HBO's Rome, but there is very little of it in Gladiator

[Anonymous No.13397623]

>>13397603
literally the entire movie takes place there except the opening war scene, enslavement in north africa, and his spanish villa scenes.

[Anonymous No.13397639]

>>13397623
There is still not a lot of Rome in Gladiator

[Anonymous No.13397889]

>>13393694
This. Romans were Greekaboos so to be a Romeaboo you have to be a Greekaboo. Start with Anabasis by Xenophon, the first great military epic (historical), perfect introduction to acutally existing Greek military and spiritual life.

[Anonymous No.13397904]

>>13395282
Two gay pedophiles chase their escaping boy lover. Written by one of the degenerates in Nero's court who later got put to death. Good read once you look past the subject matter. Very Roman, quite literally the court values of pagan Rome.

[Anonymous No.13398005]

>>13397904
t. jew

[Anonymous No.13399364]

Theodor Mommsen - The History of Rome

[Anonymous No.13399890]

>>13399364
Thanks anon

[Anonymous No.13399895]

>>13397394
>t. underage newfag who doesn't know when to greentext

[Anonymous No.13399982]

>>13399895
i make the rules here you stupid baboon, calling me newfag and underage could not be more far from the truth...
but nice projection nonetheless! keep going

[Anonymous No.13399997]

>>13399982
Actually I make the rules as it is my thread, but I don't mind you guys

[Anonymous No.13400002]

>>13399997
i accept you as the alpha baboon.
hail op
fuck the pendant who thinks greentexting is essential when there is no story to be told.
idiot.

[Anonymous No.13400889]

>>13393685
>essential books
>general history
Sure here are some good ones:

Augustus: First Emperor of Rome - Adrian Goldsworthy

Caesar: Life of a Colossus - Adrian Goldsworthy

Pax Romana: War, Peace and Conquest in the Roman World - Adrian Goldsworthy

The Death of Caesar: The Story of History's Most Famous Assassination - Barry Strauss

Julius Caesar - Philip Freeman

Cicero: The Life and Times of Rome's Greatest Politician - Anthony Everitt

The Story of Greece and Rome - Tony Spawforth

The Eternal City: A History of Rome - Ferdinand Addis

Rome: The Biography of a City - Christopher Hibbert

A Day in the Life of Ancient Rome: Daily Life, Mysteries, and Curiosities - Alberto Angela

[Anonymous No.13400916]

I think you are all forgetting EDWARD GIBBONS and his completely comprehensive work THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.

I myself have read it twelve times and have all the footnotes memorised. I don't read any other historians, even the ones mentioned in Gibbons footnotes; I only need the enlightenment titan himself.

[Anonymous No.13401065]

>>13393685

[Anonymous No.13401076]

>>13393685
Definately read Horace. He was my favorite part of my classical literature course.

But basic roman shit is
Aenid and Metamorphoses

[Anonymous No.13401497]

>>13398005
It’s literally filled to the brim with pedo shit, both gay and straight
Don’t get more jewish than that

[Anonymous No.13401682]

The Landmark Julius Caesar

[Anonymous No.13402428]

Livy: The Early History of Rome

[Anonymous No.13402484]

>>13393808
>>13393904
this one is much better on the topic

[Anonymous No.13403169]

>>13400916
Bait harder. Have a pity (you).

[Anonymous No.13404223]

>>13401682
>>13402428
>>13402484
Thank you all

[Anonymous No.13404230]

>>13400889
>>13401065
>>13401076
Thank you aswell of course