Is Livius a reliable source?
This does not mean that Livy is now regarded as the most reliable of all ancient historians, but we can no longer approach his work as mere propaganda. Although he and his annalistic predecessors have often embellished the plain facts, the hard core of Livy’s information is essentially reliable.
Who was Livius?
Lucius Livius Andronicus, (born c. 284 bc, Tarentum, Magna Graecia [now Taranto, Italy]—died c. 204 bc, Rome?), founder of Roman epic poetry and drama. He was a Greek slave, freed by a member of the Livian family; he may have been captured as a boy when Tarentum surrendered to Rome in 272 bc.
Why did Livy say he wrote his history?
Because he was writing under the reign of Augustus, Livy’s history emphasizes the great triumphs of Rome. He wrote his history with embellished accounts of Roman heroism in order to promote the new type of government implemented by Augustus when he became emperor.
When did Titus Livius live?
Livy, Latin in full Titus Livius, (born 59/64 bc, Patavium, Venetia [now Padua, Italy]—died ad 17, Patavium), with Sallust and Tacitus, one of the three great Roman historians.
Why is Livy unreliable?
Livy acknowledged a lack of contemporary written records from which to verify facts from Rome’s beginnings. Sometimes he mistranslated Greek literary sources. Without a background in practical military affairs or politics, his reliability in these areas is limited.
Who writes Livius?
historian Jona Lendering
Livius is a website on ancient history written and maintained since 1996 by the Dutch historian Jona Lendering.
Who was the famous Roman historian?
Tacitus, in full Publius Cornelius Tacitus, or Gaius Cornelius Tacitus, (born ad 56—died c. 120), Roman orator and public official, probably the greatest historian and one of the greatest prose stylists who wrote in the Latin language.
What sources did Livy use?
In Books 31-45, Polybius, Antias and Claudius Quadrigarius were Livy’s sources. All these books are lost. It is a testimony to the quality of Livy’s work that almost all his sources are now lost. Livy’s account is as good as his sources, and we are fortunate that he was able to evaluate the quality of them.
Who is the most reliable Roman historian?
Below are 12 of the most important Greek and Roman historians from antiquity.
- Herodotus. “The Father of History”.
- Thucydides. The follow on historian from Herodotus.
- Xenophon. Xenophon is our other main ancient Greek historian that covered the Peloponnesian War.
- Polybius.
- Sallust.
- Livy.
- Diodorus Siculus.
- Tacitus.
What kind of history did Livy write about Rome?
He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people – Ab Urbe Condita Libri (Books from the Foundation of the City) – covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditional foundation in 753 BC through the reign of Augustus in Livy’s own lifetime.
Why did Asinius Pollio comment on Livy’s Latin?
Many years later, Asinius Pollio derisively commented on Livy’s “patavinity”, saying that Livy’s Latin showed certain “provincialisms” frowned on at Rome. Pollio’s dig may have been the result of bad feelings he harboured toward the city of Patavium from his experiences there during the civil wars.
What did Julius Obsequens use Livy to write?
Julius Obsequens used Livy, or a source with access to Livy, to compose his De Prodigiis, an account of supernatural events in Rome from the consulship of Scipio and Laelius to that of Paulus Fabius and Quintus Aelius.
Who was the prose counterpart of Vergil and Livy?
Modern historians have developed their own views of Livy and his place in the ancient world, which were not current in ancient times. For example, one text on Western civilization pronounces: “Livy was the prose counterpart of Vergil ,” as both have been standard in the study of Golden Age Latin literature.