The Third Macedonian War ended the kingdom created by Philip II and Alexander the Great and was a crucial step in Rome's eventual dominance of the Mediterranean World. For Livy, the story is also a fascinating moral study. He presents the war not so much as a battle against Perseus, Alexander's last and least worthy successor, than as a struggle to shape the Roman national character. Only traditional moral strength, embodied in Lucius Aemilius Paullus, the general who ultimately defeats Perseus, ensures the Roman victory.
This is the first complete English translation in fifty years of Brooks 41-45 of Livy's history of Rome. The excellent introduction by Jane D. Chaplin sheds light on the place of Livy's work in ancient historical writing, discusses his sources and the historical background, and highlights the structure of the five books and their content. The book includes explanatory notes, a glossary of technical terms, a summary of events, an index, and four maps. It is the only paperback edition to include the Periochae, the summaries of Livy's entire 142 books, previously available in English only in Loeb's hardcover series.