This landmark work of historical scholarship provides a detailed account of the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. The first two volumes cover the period from the founding of Rome to the end of the Second Punic War. Written by esteemed scholars Barthold Georg Niebuhr and Connop Thirlwall, this book remains an essential resource for anyone interested in the history of ancient Rome. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.