Book excerpt: A compilation of the recorded life, times, and influence of a Roman legend, Cincinnatus and the Citizen-Servant Ideal captures the essence of human virtue as it was embodied in the Roman Republic?s earliest days. Describing Cincinnatus?s recorded life and times, Hillyard traces the legend?s major interpretations from its origin amidst early Roman culture through contemporary times. In its impact on some of the world?s leading thinkers and leaders, such as Livy, George Washington, Henry Knox, Harry Truman, and others, the Cincinnatus legend is described in the many interesting forms it has taken over two millennia. Carried throughout the narrative is the timeless nature of the Cincinnatus ideal?the central issues of the role of citizen and leader in society.