This specific volume aims to provide the reader with a reliable translation and a brief practical commentary of the 39th book of Titus Livius, which covers the events of the period 187-183 B.C.

In the Introduction, an overview is attempted of the key events in both foreign and domestic policy of this period, as well as highlighting characteristic elements of Livy’s art, such as the rhetorical and dramatic techniques used in the narrative of the Bacchanalia and other critical episodes.

The Latin text follows the recent edition by Yardley (Loeb 2018) with some deviations, which are noted in the Comparative Table of Texts. The translation seeks to capture, for the first time in modern Greek, Livy’s dense style and to preserve –to the extent possible– the linguistic levels and stylistic nuances of the Latin original.

The commentary is selective and includes information and notes deemed helpful for the reader to follow the historiographical narrative without interruption.

In the Appendix, also presented in its first Greek translation, is the famous “Resolution of the Senate concerning the Bacchanalia,” which survives on a hard surface and serves as an indication of how Livy used his sources. Finally, special care has been taken to compile an exhaustive Index of Names, which also provides essential information about the people and places mentioned in the 39th book.