A Long, Dry, Important Book that I Didn’t Finish

J. Tayler Smith
Sep 8, 2023
3 min read

Reviewing The History of Rome by Theodor Mommsen by J. Tayler Smith

Gruelling Hikes

I’m a hiker, and there are some hikes that you go into knowing they are going to be brutally hard, long slogs, that will at least have a pretty view or give you a rush of accomplishment. I once did an eleven-hour hike to the top of Mount Rundle that gave me that incredible feeling despite its gruelling nature. Some books can be like that too. I knew The History of Rome was a long read and I went in expecting it to be a slog. However, unlike Rundle, I gave up on this one part way through. Simply put, it was too long and too dry for me to continue. Nevertheless, I do have good things to say about it and I think it is a perfectly recommendable book for a certain audience.

An Important Historical Work

Mommsen’s History of Rome is an extensive work that reviews the rise of Rome as a kingdom and mostly as a republic. From what I understand, this is the definitive historical work that is foundational to most modern research on the subject of the Roman Republic. Mommsen himself, who mostly wrote throughout the mid and late 1800s, won the Nobel Prize in literature for his efforts. The Kindle edition of the book that I read is divided into and contains all five volumes that are organized by topic. The book is considered a masterclass in classical history and a must-read for those who desire to research and best understand the ancient Roman world.

It Feels Monumental and Scholarly

Mommsen disregards the traditional and mythological portions of Rome’s history and approaches the subject with a scientific and historical mindset, making it very factual and truthful in alignment with the archeological evidence and theories that existed at the time of publication. Even though I am more partial to a Roman history that includes the intervention of the gods and supernatural events, it is surprisingly refreshing to simply focus on the natural and practical elements that go into founding a nation.

Mommsen’s work easily reflects his deep study and research into the topic. From what I understand, he pioneered the translation of ancient Latin inscriptions at archaeological sites in Italy and was incredibly accomplished and passionate about his field of work. To this end, his honour for the Roman culture is felt throughout his work, yet, without shying away from some of Rome’s failures.

It’s Reeaallly Long

To put it bluntly, this book is long and dry. Perhaps my issues with the book mainly lie in the way it was translated into English, but as much as I tried to push through, I just found the book dull. The History of Rome is worth recommending to history buffs or those who are looking for an interesting academic read. But It is not for casual readers, although the language level of my translation seems accessible to most readers. Don’t get me wrong, it has the occasional highlight, such as its description of the various Rome superstitions and schools of learning, and the Pyrrhic War. However, I spent months reading this book on and off and found I had only gotten about 20 percent through. I finally decided that this would be one of the few books I would leave incomplete.

I Would Read it if it Weren’t So Hard to Read

The History of Rome is an important historical and academic work that certainly must be read by researchers on this topic. At the very least, it is an excellent resource and reference book into the life of the ancient Roman Republic. However, it is long, it is dry, and it is simply a slog to read through cover-to-cover. For these reasons, I give it a four out of nine star rating.