Lays of Ancient Rome

by Thomas Babington Macaulay

Overview

This collection of poems by Thomas Babington Macaulay celebrates the military and political achievements of ancient Rome, and pays homage to its leaders and legends. Written in a grandiose and evocative style, it conveys the glory and grandeur of this civilization.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.

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Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781420980196
Publisher:	Digireads.com Publishing
Publication date:	12/11/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	1,004,468
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1st Baron Macaulay, PC (25 October 1800 - 28 December 1859) was a British historian and Whig politician. He wrote extensively as an essayist and reviewer; his books on British history have been hailed as literary masterpieces.

Macaulay held political office as the Secretary at War between 1839 and 1841, and the Paymaster-General between 1846 and 1848. He played a major role in introducing English and western concepts to education in India. He supported the replacement of Persian by English as the official language, the use of English as the medium of instruction in all schools, and the training of English-speaking Indians as teachers.

In his view, Macaulay divided the world into civilised nations and barbarism, with Britain representing the high point of civilisation. In his Minute on Indian Education of February 1835, he asserted, "It is, I believe, no exaggeration to say that all the historical information which has been collected from all the books written in the Sanskrit language is less valuable than what may be found in the most paltry abridgement used at preparatory schools in England". He was wedded to the Idea of Progress, especially in terms of the liberal freedoms. He opposed radicalism while idealising historic British culture and traditions.

Read an Excerpt

THE BATTLE OF THE LAKE KEGILLUS. . A. LAY SUNG AT THE FEAST OF CASTOE AND POLIUX ON THE IDES OF QTJINTILIS, IN THE TEAR OF THE CITY CCCCLI. Ho, trumpets, sound a war-note ! Ho, lictors, clear the way! The Knights will ride, in all their pride, Along the streets to-day. To-day the doors and windows Are hung with garlands all, From Castor in the Forum, To Mars without the wall. Each Knight is robed in purple, With olive each is crowned ; A gallant war-horse under each Paws haughtily the ground. While flows the Yellow River, While stands the Sacred Hill, The proud Ides of Quintilis Shall have such honor still. 6 Gay are the Martian Kalends : December's Nones are gay: But the proud Ides, when the squadron rides, Shall be Rome's whitest day. Unto the Great Twin Brethren We keep this solemn feast. Swift, swift, the Great Twin Brethren Came spurring from the east. They came o'er wild Parthenius Tossing in waves of pine, O'er Cirrha's dome, o'er Adria's foam, O'er purple Apennine, From where with flutes and dances Their ancient mansion rings, In lordly Lacedsemon, The City of two kings, To where, by Lake Regillus, Under the Porcian height, All in the lands of Tusculum, Was fought the glorious fight. Now on the place of slaughter Are cots and sheepfolds seen, And rows of vines, and fields of wheat, And apple-orchards green: The swine crush the big acorns That fall from Corne's oaks. Upon the turf by the Fair Fount The reaper's pottage smokes. The fisher baits his angle; The hunter twangs his bow ; Little they think on those strong limbs That moulder deep below. Little they think how sternly That day the trumpets pealed ; How in the slippery swamp of blood Warrior andwar-hors...