Römische Geschichte

A nineteenth-century book that revolutionised scholarly views on ancient Rome and the understanding of history as an academic discipline.

This original edition of Niebuhr's History of Rome (1811–1812) is a valuable source of information on classical scholarship during a period of rapid growth. Niebuhr's work was influential both on later developments in ancient history and on the understanding of history as an academic discipline.The first edition of Barthold Georg Niebuhr's History of Rome was published in Berlin in 1811–1812, while the author was teaching at the new university there. The early part of the nineteenth century saw important developments in philological scholarship in Germany, and Niebuhr's international career as a statesman and scholar reflected Germany's new-found confidence in the wider world. Niebuhr later revised his work and a third volume was added in 1832; given the pace of scholarship during this period, these first two volumes constitute something of a work in progress. Although many of Niebuhr's theories have since been disproved, others had a lasting impact both on classical scholarship and on the broader understanding of history as an academic discipline. Volume 1 covers the origins of Rome in Ancient Italy, ending with Spirius Cassius (fifth century B.C.E.).