Description: When presenting the history of ancient literature, it is impossible to trace all its development in a continuous and harmonious sequence. because the literary works of the ancient world at our disposal are only a tiny part of its vast heritage. Not only did it not reach us completely.... but also in a very disjointed form, and few parts of this heritage have survived sufficiently intact. When considering the monuments of Roman literature, the most significant and significant were selected to clarify the literary creativity that developed in connection with changes in social relations in the ancient world. In some cases, however, it was necessary to give a very detailed and detailed statement .. This applies, for example, to the presentation of Roman historiography, which is extremely important both for the history of literature and for the history of the development of ancient thought as a whole. Especially significant was such a detailed statement, when it was necessary to cover the work of authors whose works have not yet been translated into Russian and remain insufficiently researched and little commented. For the best and most complete understanding of ancient literature, the exposition is illustrated by the texts of original works in translation. In the translations placed in volume I by the authors of individual chapters, some changes and amendments have been made. Volume I, The History of Roman Literature, deals with the works of Latin writers, beginning with the third in . to p. e. and ending with the first half of I in . n. e. , t. e. throughout the period of the Roman Republic and the Principate. Many of the translations in the book are published for the first time. Most of the illustrations are photographs from works of ancient art stored in the State Hermitage Museum in Leningrad .