Lays of Ancient Rome is a collection of narrative poems by Thomas Babington Macaulay that retell heroic legends and episodes from early Roman history. Written in stirring ballad form, it evokes the courage and drama of ancient Rome. It is engaging to hear for its rhythmic verse and memorable scenes.
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Text source: gutenberg.org · The work is in the public domain.
Opening of the book
LAYS OF ANCIENT ROME By Thomas Babington Macaulay Contents That what is called the history of the Kings and early Consuls of Rome is to a great extent fabulous, few scholars have, since the time of Beaufort, ventured to deny. It is certain that, more than three hundred and sixty years after the date ordinarily assigned for the foundation of the city, the public records were, with scarcely an exception, destroyed by the Gauls. It is certain that the oldest annals of the commonwealth were compiled more than a century and a half after this destruction of the records. It is certain, therefore, that the great Latin writers of the Augustan age did not possess those materials, without which a trustworthy account of the infancy of the republic could not possibly be framed. Those writers own, indeed, that the chronicles to which they had access were filled with battles that were never fought, and Consuls that were never
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