Students imagine a herculean man, poised for battle, bearing a sharp sword and shield inscribed with a golden eagle. They picture a massive field where soldiers thrash and dash against one another while spears pierce the air. Students easily envision Roman brutality, but they fail to grasp that the herculean man is not whom the Romans considered the most virtuous.Through the political and social triumphs of exemplary men, Viri Illustres explores classical values: Brutus' love of liberty, Decius' piety, the stoicism of Torquatus, and even the ambition of Caesar. After reading Viri Illustres, students will be able to read Eutropius and Livy with minimal assistance, a considerable achievement.