**1.0** Whether it'll be worth the effort to write a full account of the history of the Roman people from the very beginning of the city, I don't know. Nor would I dare say it, even if I did know. I realize it's common for new authors to always believe they'll either bring more certainty to the facts or go beyond the unpolished words of earlier sources with their literary skills. Whatever the result, it'll still be a pleasure to have contributed, as much as I'm able, to the memory of the deeds of the foremost nation on Earth. Even if my reputation remains in the shadows among so many other new writers, I'll take pride in the fame and greatness of those who overshadow me. This task is huge, covering over seven hundred years from humble beginnings to a massive empire that struggles under its own greatness. I think most readers will want to rush ahead to read about more recent times, where a once-great nation is now consuming itself. However, as a writer, I find it freeing not to concern myself about the less savory and troubled things that typically concern writers today. Instead, my reward is to avert my eyes and look back at the past while I still remember these ancient times in my mind. The myths surrounding Rome's foundation seem more poetic than historical, and I don't plan to confirm or deny their accuracy. Ancient writers often blended divine elements into human history, adding grandeur to give states noble beginnings. However, if any city could be said to have been founded by descendants of Mars, Rome would be it. These legends, however they're ultimately judged by humanity, play a role in understanding Rome's place in history, but I won't put a lot of importance on them. Instead, I'd like each person to focus sharply on some questions. How did people live? What were their moral principles? What leaders led them? How did they win and grow their empire, both inside Rome and outside? As their discipline gradually declined, I'd like readers to observe how morality began to slip at first, then fell further and further until it began to rush recklessly into our present time, an era in which we can't tolerate the vices that we have, but we also won't tolerate the remedies that would cure us. What's beneficial about studying history is to be able to take every example placed in front of us as a shining memorial. Then, from these memorials, you may take for yourself and your own republic what you'd like to imitate, what you'd like to avoid, and whether these things started or ended dishonorably. Either my passion for this project deceives me, or I believe that no republic was ever greater, purer, or richer in good examples, nor has there ever been a city where greed and luxury entered so late, or where poverty and frugality were respected for so long. It's true. The less men had, the less they desired. Only recently has wealth introduced greed, and the abundance of pleasures has brought with it a desire to squander and destroy everything through excess and vice. But these complaints, uncomfortable though necessary, should be banished from the beginning of such a large undertaking. Instead, let's begin with good omens and prayers to the gods and goddesses as if it were the custom for historians just as it is for poets. Let's begin, happily, by invoking their favor to ensure our success.