Philip Matyszak skilfully navigates the myths and legends of early Rome, exploring the enigmatic origins of the Romans and how the first seeds of a great empire were sown. ‘I sing of arms and the man’ wrote Virgil at the start of the Aeneid, one of Rome’s most iconic origin stories exploring the tumultuous journey of Aeneas from Trojan prince to a hero of Rome. But did Aeneas actually flee from Troy? How did this story affect the Roman’s perspective of themselves? And did they believe it? In Rome Before Rome, Philip Matyszak explores the myths and legends, heroes and villains that shaped the Roman sense of self. There are few books which explain how these different legends fit into Rome’s overall narrative and none which explore the range of myths Matyszak describes. Some of the legends are well known, from Romulus and Remus to the Rape of the Sabines, whilst others are more obscure such as the story of the praetor Cipus, who grew hor