Lays of Ancient Rome, The

By Macaulay, Thomas Babington

Book Id: WPLBN0002950697
Format Type:
File Size: 42.69 MB
Reproduction Date: 2010

Title:	Lays of Ancient Rome, The
Author:	Macaulay, Thomas Babington
Volume:
Language:	English
Subject:	Poetry, Poetry
Collections:	Audio Books Collection, Lays of Ancient Rome, The
Historic Publication Date:	1842
Publisher:	LibriVox Audio Books


Citation APA MLA Chicago Babington Macaulay, B. T. (1842). Lays of Ancient Rome, The. Retrieved from http://gutenberg.us/

Description
The Lays of Ancient Rome comprise four narrative poems comprised by Lord Thomas Babington Macaulay: recalling popular episodes from Roman historical-legends that were strongly moral in tone: exemplifying Roman virtue against Latine perfidy. The four poems are: - Horatius - Horatius and two companions seek to hold back a large invading Etruscan force at the far end of a bridge over the Tiber River. The trio are willing to lay down their lives so as to prevent the Etruscans crossing and sacking the otherwise ill-defended Rome: it is a desperate gamble to buy enough time for the Romans to destroy the bridge in advance of the hostile army. But will their efforts succeed? - The Battle of Lake Regillus - The Romans take arms against the powerful Latine league headed by the expelled Tarquin nobles. The fighting is desperate and bloody: the event is decided only after the arrival upon the battlefield of the twin gods Castor and Pollux. - Virginia - Virginia is the daughter of Virginius - a poor, honest Roman farmer-citizen. In former years Virginius enlisted as a legionary and shed his blood to fight Rome's enemies: now Virginius - like other Romans of the humbler sort - suffer the usurious exactions of noblemen like the wicked Appius Claudius. Appius Claudius uses spurious legal means to take possession of Virginia as his runaway slave: action guaranteed to succeed given the incumbent corrupt magistracy. So what can Virginius do? To what extremes is the father forced to protect his only child? - The Prophecy of Capys - Romulus and Remus return triumphant to the home of their grandfather Capys. When they arrive, Capys - blind and well advanced in years - is seized by a prophetic frenzy: Capys declaims a series of portents describing the future battles and victories destined as the lot of Romulus' descendants. (Introduction by Godsend)

Summary
Electronic recorded live performance of a reading

Excerpt
Poetry