Livy

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Livy (Titus Livius)

58 av. J.-C. — 17

Rome antique

LiteratureHistorien(ne)Before ChristAncient Rome — late Republic and early Principate of Augustus (1st century BC)

Livy was a Latin historian born in Patavium (Padua) around 58 BC. He is the author of a monumental History of Rome in 142 books, of which 35 have survived. His work traces the history of Rome from its legendary founding to his own time.

Famous Quotes

« Vae victis! (Woe to the vanquished!) »

« There is no true peace: it is only peace postponed. »

Key Facts

Born around 58 BC in Patavium (modern-day Padua, in northern Italy)
Wrote the Ab Urbe Condita ('From the Founding of the City'), a historical work in 142 books
A contemporary of Augustus, whose circle he frequented without being a mere courtier
His work covers more than 700 years of history, from the legendary founding of Rome (753 BC) to the death of Drusus (9 BC)
Died around AD 17 in Patavium

Works & Achievements

Ab Urbe Condita (History of Rome) (c. 27 BC — 17 AD)

A monumental work in 142 books tracing the history of Rome from its legendary founding (753 BC) to the age of Augustus. Only 35 books have survived intact, making this one of the most significant losses in Latin literature.

Books I-X (From the Origins to 293 BC) (c. 27–20 BC)

The earliest surviving books, covering the founding of Rome, the monarchy, and the early Republic. They contain the great founding myths such as Romulus and Remus, and the sacrifice of Mucius Scaevola.

Books XXI-XXX (The Second Punic War) (c. 20–15 BC)

An account of the war against Hannibal (219–201 BC), widely regarded as the literary high point of the work. Hannibal's crossing of the Alps and the Battle of Cannae are described with remarkable dramatic power.

Books XXXI-XLV (The Macedonian Wars) (c. 15–5 BC)

The last surviving books, dealing with Roman expansion into Greece and the East (200–167 BC). They bear witness to the encounter between Roman civilization and Hellenistic culture.

Periochae (Summaries of the Lost Books) (4th century AD)

Late summaries of the lost books, written by anonymous scribes. Without these Periochae, almost nothing would be known about the contents of the 107 lost books of Ab Urbe Condita.

Anecdotes

Livy never left Italy to conduct on-the-ground research, unlike his predecessor Polybius. He wrote his monumental history relying solely on written sources preserved in Rome, which has earned him criticism for certain geographical inaccuracies — particularly in his accounts of Hannibal's campaigns.

Emperor Augustus himself so admired Livy's work that he reportedly forgave the historian his openly republican sympathies, affectionately nicknaming him 'the Pompeian.' This nickname reflects Livy's nostalgia for the Roman Republic, even as he lived at the court of the first princeps.

Of the 142 books of his Roman History (Ab Urbe Condita), only 35 have survived complete. The rest are known only through late summaries called 'Periochae.' It is one of the greatest losses in Latin literature: roughly 75% of the work has been lost over the centuries.

Livy began writing his history around 27 BC, at the very moment Augustus was establishing the Principate. He worked on it until his death — for more than forty years. He is one of the rare ancient authors of whom we know with certainty that he returned to die in his hometown of Patavium.

Primary Sources

Ab Urbe Condita — Book I (Preface) (c. 27–25 BC)

"I do not know whether the subject is worth the effort I am devoting to it... But if anything has drawn me to it, it is this: I shall escape from the sight of the evils our age has witnessed for so long."

Ab Urbe Condita — Book XXI (Opening of the Second Punic War) (c. 25–20 BC)

"Hannibal, barely nine years old, was begging his father Hamilcar, who was preparing to depart for Spain, to take him along... Hamilcar, moved by the boy's plea, made him swear at the altar that he would be Rome's eternal enemy."

Ab Urbe Condita — Book I, 7 (Foundation of Rome) (c. 27 BC)

"Romulus, having taken the auspices, founded the city and gave it his name."

Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, X, 1 (c. 95 AD)

"Livy possesses a wonderful charm and transparency of narrative, and his speeches are so admirably suited to their characters and situations that one might think one was dealing not with a historian but with true orators."

Key Places

Patavium (Padua)

Livy's birthplace, a prosperous city in Cisalpine Gaul known for its strict morality and strong traditions. Livy was born there around 58 BC and died there in AD 17.

Rome

Capital of the Empire and intellectual center where Livy spent most of his adult life. He moved in the circle of Augustus and consulted the city's archives and libraries while writing his history.

Palatine Library (Rome)

One of Rome's great public libraries, founded by Augustus, where Livy was able to consult numerous sources for his Ab Urbe Condita. Public libraries were an essential resource for Latin historians.

Roman Forum

The political and symbolic heart of Rome, described at length by Livy in his history. It was here that Senate debates unfolded and the great decisions that shaped the Roman Republic were made.

Gallery

Catalogue de la galerie des tableaux

Wikimedia Commons, Public domain — Imperatorskīĭ Ėrmitazh (Russia)

Histoire de la peinture francʹaise au XIXme siecle (1801-1900)

Wikimedia Commons, Public domain — Fontainas, Andre, 1865-1948

Illustrated catalogue of the ninth series of 100 paintings by old masters of the Dutch, Flemish, Italian, French, and English schools : being a portion of the Sedelmeyer Gallery which contains about

Wikimedia Commons, Public domain — Galerie Sedelmeyer