In the first of his twenty book project "Ῥωμαϊκὴ Ἀρχαιολογία" (commonly translated as "Roman Antiquities"), Dionysius lays the groundwork for his project that will span from Italian civilizations before the Trojan War to Rome's wars with Pyrrhus in the 3rd century BC. Book One introduces the project, and then recounts Italian history from the earliest peoples to the founding of Rome by Romulus.
1 - Basic Historical Philosophy
1 - 4 - Choice of subject (i.e. Rome) and explanation of Rome's greatness as compared to all others
5 - The Romans were originally Greek and here's how he'll prove it!
6 - Quick overview of those who have already compiled similar histories
7 - Personal biography and methodology
8 - Brief outline of entire project
9 - Earliest settlements of what is now Rome
10 - Various accounts of the demonym "Aborigines" (as a specific people group of Ancient Italy)
11 - 13 - They were Greek and here's how we can trace it!
The Aborigines (according to DH: ab + ὅρος) of Italy were from the Greek wanderings of Oenotrus
14 - 15 - Cities of Aborigines (many of which were destroyed)
16 - Wars with the Sicels and Umbrians
17 - 19 - Here come the Pelasgians!
20 - Pelasgian peace and alliance with the Aborigines, war with the Sicels.
Aside to talk about the digamma <-- very interesting to see the Greeks addressing the issue of Greek transcription of Latin
21 - Greek/Pelasgian customs still maintained in DH's day
22 - Sicels driven out of the peninsula and to the island of Trinacria, then renamed to Sicily
~1200BC
23 - 27 - Movement of Pelasgians
23 - 24 - Devastations upon the Pelasgians
25 - Pelasgian Tyrrhenians
26 - More Pelasgian movements, Tyrrhenians (whom we call the Etruscans) move in on former Pelasgian sites.
Are the Tyrrhenians indigenous or foreign immigrants? This is an issue still debated today.
27 - 30 - Tyrrhenian origins
27 - The Lydian theory (cf. Herodotus 1.94)
28 - Other theories of Tyrrhenian origins
29 - "But in my opinion, all who think the Tyrrhenians and the Pelasgians are one people are wrong." (cf. Herodotus 1.57 whom DH disagrees with)
30 - Tyrrhenians and Romans
Tyrrhenians are indigenous. Pelasgians are Greek. DH promises us a book about the Tyrrhenians which we do not have :'(
31 - 33 - More Greeks move in! Immigration of Evander
60 years before the Trojan War (ca ~1200 BC)
31 - King Faunus receives the Arcadians refugees
32 - Etymology of "Palatine"
33 - Arcadians bring religion, letters, music, and law to Italy
34 - 44 - Immigration of Herakles
34 - Worship of Kronos
35 - The name "Italy" appears
36 - 38 - Italy, amazing wonderful Italy, as domain of Kronos/Saturn
39 - 44 - Herakles in Italy (cf. Livy 1.7)
39 - 40 - Herakles, Geryon's Cattle, and Kakos
41 - Dionysius' version of the matter (fragment from the lost Prometheus Unbound by Aiskhylos/Aeschylus)
42 - 44 - Herakles has kids (Pallas and Latinus), founds Herculanium, and leaves
cf. Livy 1.1-2, Plutarch Romulus 2
c. 1200 BC
45 - Trojans make their landing at Laurentum (near Ostia, at the mouth of the Tiber)
46 - 48 - Various accounts of Aeneas' flight from Troy
49 - 53 - Wanderings of Aeneas
49 - How far did Aeneas actually wander?
Died on Thrace
Settled in Arcadian Orchomenus
OR He made it to Italy (which all the Romans and DH agree with)
50 - 52 - Dionysius traces Aeneas' movements from Thrace to Sicily
53 - They make it to Italy! (And DH will fight anyone who disagrees)
54 - 65 - Aeneas in Italy
54 - Proof Aeneas made it to Italy
55 - 56 - First sacrifice and oracle about establishment of Alba Longa
57 - 59 - War then peace between Latinus and Aeneas
60 - Unification of the peoples and recap of events thus far
61 - 62 - The Trojans are Greek too!!
63 - Building of Lavinium
64 - 65 - War with the Rutulians
1200's BC
cf. Livy 1.3
66 - Building of Alba Longa
67 - 69 - Movement of Aeneas' household gods from Dardanus to Alba Longa
70 - Ancestry and ascension of Silvius, half-brother of Ascanius; conflict with Iulus, son of Ascanius
71 - Kingship from Silvius to the rise of Romulus and Remus
The traditional date for the founding of Rome is April 21st 753 BC
cf. Livy 1.4-7, Plutarch Romulus 3-12
72 - Greek Accounts (Cephalon of Gergis, Demagoras of Samos, Agathyllus, Damastes of Sigeum, Aristotle, Callias, Xenagoras, Dionysius of Chalcis
73 - Roman Accounts (only Antiochus of Syracuse is mentioned by name, and he's not Roman)
74 - 75 - Dionysius dates the foundation of Rome (751 BC, First year of the 7th Olympiad)
76 - 89 Myth of Amulius, Numitor, and the famous twins
76 - 78 - Rise of Amulius and suppression of Numitor's line
79 - Birth and adolescence of Romulus and Remus
80 - Alternate capture story of Remus; Lupercalia
81 - 84 - Numitor, along with Romulus and Remus, overthrow Amulius
85 - Alternate version of the twins' birth, rise, and rebellion against Amulius
86 - Where to build the new city?
87 - 89 - They take the augary; death of Remus
89 - Rome is marked out by Romulus
90 - Dionysius recaps his proofs
91 - If you still don't believe him, then believe this: Latin is a mixture of Aeolic Greek and barbaric languages. (Quintilian [1.6.31] also notes that Aeolic Greek, which preserves the digamma, is the closest in form to Latin)
Header: Aeneas and the god Tiber, by Bartolomeo Pinelli