'I will do as the Senate decrees.' These words from
one of Rome's opponents encapsulate the authority Rome
achieved by its subjugation of the Mediterranean. The
Third Macedonian War, recounted in this volume, ended
the kingdom created by Philip II and Alexander the Great
and was a crucial step in Rome's eventual dominance. For
Livy, the story is also a fascinating moral study of the
vices and virtues that hampered and promoted Rome's
efforts in the conflict. He presents the war not so much
as a battle against Perseus, Alexander's last and
unworthy successor, than as a struggle within the Roman
national character. Only traditional moral strength,
embodied in Lucius Aemilius Paullus, the general who
ultimately defeats Perseus, ensures the Roman victory.
This edition also includes the Periochae, later
summaries of Livy's entire original 142-book history of
Rome from its founding to the age of Augustus (of which
only 35 books survive). The complete Livy in English,
available in five volumes from Oxford World's Classics.
ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's
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reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing
the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable
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