A Commentary on Livy, Books VI-X : Volume IV: Book X Volume IV:

Livy's History of Rome is our main source for the study of the history of the early centuries of the Roman Republic. In Book X Livy narrates several important political and military advances, in particular the battle of Sentium in 295 BC, during the Third Samnite War, which would eventually lead to the Samnites' final subjugation. This commentary discusses all problems posed by Livy's matchless narrative. - ;Livy's tenth book, an exciting climax to his first decade, narrates two political advances of 300 BC, the Lex Valeria de provocatione and the opening up of major priesthoods to plebeians; it also tells of the Spartan Cleonymus' landfall at the site that long afterwards would be Venice. Its main topic, however, is Roman warfare, above all the outbreak of the Third Samnite War and the decisive battle of Sentium in 295 BC. This new commentary, which completes Professor Oakley's exposition of Books VI-X, deals comprehensively with all aspects of Livy's work, including the literary structure of his narrative, the historical and topographical problems of the Samnite Wars, the poetical and archaic language sometimes affected by Livy, and the numerous textual problems posed by the extant manuscripts. An extensive section of addenda and corrigenda contains revisions to the preceding volumes. - ;...what a monument! This is an extraordinary achievement, for which the new century's Livy scholars will be enormosly grateful. - Mary Jaeger, Classical World;...it may be the most impressive accomplishment by an individual Classicist in half a century. - Andrew Feldherr, Times Literary Supplement