History of Rome by Henry George Liddell (published in 1855) is a classic and comprehensive account of Rome’s rise and fall, written by the renowned scholar best known as the co-creator of Liddell and Scott’s Greek-English Lexicon. This meticulously researched work spans from Rome’s mythical founding in 753 BCE to the collapse of the Western Empire in 476 CE, blending political narrative, military campaigns, and cultural analysis. Liddell’s prose is erudite yet accessible, offering vivid portraits of figures like Julius Caesar, Cicero, and Augustus while dissecting institutions such as the Republic’s checks and balances and the imperial autocracy that followed.
Though Victorian-era perspectives color some interpretations (e.g., moralizing about decadence), the book remains valuable for its clarity, scope, and synthesis of ancient sources like Livy and Tacitus. Modern readers may prefer updated histories, but Liddell’s work endures as a testament to 19th-century historiography and a gateway to Rome’s enduring legacy.
