“I sing of arms and the man” wrote Vergil at the start of the Aeneid, one of Rome’s most iconic origin stories as it explores the tumultuous journey of Aeneas from Trojan prince to Roman hero. But did Aeneas actually flee from Troy? How did this story affect the Romans’ perspective of themselves? And did they believe it? In Rome Before Rome, Philip Matyszak explores the myths and legends, heroes and villains that shaped the Roman sense of self.
There are few books which explain how these different legends fit into Rome’s overall narrative—and none which explore the range of myths Matyszak describes. Some of the legends are well known, from Romulus and Remus to the Rape of the Sabines; others are more obscure, suchas the story of the Latin king Picus, who was turned into a woodpecker. Whether renowned or unfamiliar, all are significant in their own way and have had a profound impact on centuries of Romans. Even today these myths continue to reverberate throughout western culture in films, TV shows, and plays. Matyszak dissects these myths, investigating the historical texts of Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Plutarch, and Livy as well as Vergil’s epic poem the Aeneid and Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Rome Before Rome continually reveals the ways in which Rome’s mythological past may not be as illustrious as traditionally chronicled.
Contributors
Philip Matyszak
Author
Philip Matyszak has a doctorate in Roman history from St John’s College, Oxford. He also teaches and prepares courses for the eLearning program at Cambridge University. He is the author of numerous books on the ancient world, including Lost Cities of the Ancient World, The Greek and Roman Myths: A Guide to the Classical Stories, and Ancient Magic: A Practitioner’s Guide to the Supernatural in Greece and Rome, all published by Thames & Hudson.
