The Lays of Ancient Rome are four narrative poems by the English historian and politician Thomas Babington Macaulay. Each poem tells a famous story from Rome's mythic history. Although these are original poems in English, Macaulay wrote them as if they were the works of ancient Roman bards. The Lays of Ancient Rome were immensely popular in the nineteenth century and inspired the English-speaking world by their celebration of heroic and imperial values. - Summary by Readerad