Humanity Writing Question
Writing question about ancient Rome and the book of Livy’s history of Rome about 500 words
Questions:
- How is this primary source a reflection of its time and culture?
- What does it tell us about this culture’s beliefs and values?
- How do the beliefs and values of this society compare to your own? (You may use the first person to respond.)
LIVY
Born: c. 59 BC in Patavium, Rome (Ancient state)
Died: c. 17 AD in Patavium, Rome (Ancient state)
Other Names: Livius, Titus; Titus Livius
Nationality: Roman
Occupation: Historian
Livy (59 BC-17 AD), or Titus Livius, was a Roman historian who lived in the period when Augustus
was building the Roman Empire out of the ruins of the republican system. In a life of quiet study,
Livy became the leading historian of his day.
Livy was born in Patavium (Padua), in his day one of the largest and most prosperous cities in Italy.
St. Jerome gives 59 B.C. as the date of Livy’s birth, but it is probable that he was mistaken and that
Livy was born in 64 B.C. In Patavium he received an education similar to that given to any wealthy
young Roman except that he did not have the usual culminating period of study in a Greek city. He
may have started adult life as a teacher of rhetoric in his native town, and there is some evidence that
he also wrote works on philosophy, which have not survived, but soon he conceived a project for a
large-scale history of Rome.
By 30 B.C. Livy had moved to Rome, and from this time on he lived and worked mainly in the
capital. He saw no military service and took no part in politics, and as far as is currently known, he
never traveled outside Italy, apart from a possible trip to Athens. Soon after his arrival in Rome, he
became acquainted with Augustus and remained on friendly terms with the Emperor and his family
thereafter, but there is no sign that he depended on imperial patronage for his livelihood, as Horace
and Virgil depended on the patronage of Maecenas. Livy’s family was prosperous, and he probably
inherited enough property to enable him to devote all his time and energy to his history, on which
he continued to work almost to the end of his days. He died in Patavium in A.D. 12 (or 17
according to Jerome.)
Early Roman Historiography
When Livy started his work, Romans had been writing history for 200 years, and the nature of the
genre was well established. Earlier historians had either covered the whole story of Rome from its
foundation to their own day or had dealt in much greater detail with a short segment of more recent
history. Most of them were members of the aristocratic ruling class of Rome and had played some
part in the wars and politics of the republic.
These works were written mostly according to the annalists system, that is, with all the events of
each year discussed together, even if they had little or no logical connection with each other. This
was an awkward system, especially for periods when two or three sets of events might be going on
simultaneously for several years in different parts of the Mediterranean world, but by Livy’s day, the
technique had become traditional. Another traditional element which seems odd to modern readers
is the custom of including in the narrative lengthy speeches which purport to be the actual words
uttered on various occasions by leading men. This practice, taken over by Roman historians from
Greek models, Livy also accepted without question.
Livy’s History
Livy’s great work, Ab urbe condita (From the Foundation of the City), covered the history of Rome
from its mythical foundation in 753 B.C. to his own day, and its composition went on continually
throughout his life. The first five books were published between 27 and 25 B.C., and Livy continued
the history’s publication thereafter in periodic batches of several books. It is probable that the last 22
books, covering the career of Augustus to 9 B.C., were not published until after the Emperor’s death
in A.D. 14 and, therefore, also after Livy’s own death.
At its completion, Ab urbe condita was an enormous work in no less than 142 books. Only about a
quarter of the text has survived–we have 35 books complete: I-X, which cover the first 460 years of
Rome’s history, and XXI-XLV, which cover the events of 219-167 B.C. In addition we
have Periochae, or summaries, of all but two of the lost books (and of the extant books as well), but
these are very brief and were compiled not from Livy’s full text but from an abridged edition that is
now lost.
Moreover, the anonymous compiler of the Periochae was capable of misunderstanding the text in
front of him, and consequently the summaries give only a very shadowy picture of the lost books.
The scale of the work increased steadily as Livy got closer to his own times. Book I covered the
whole of the regal period, nearly 250 years, and the next 9 books dealt with more than 200 years but
the 10 books XXI-XXX cover only the 18 years of the Second Punic War, and by the time he got
down to the 1st century B.C., Livy was devoting a whole book to almost every year.
As a Historian
Except for the boldness and scope of his undertaking, and the untiring industry with which he
worked at it throughout a lifetime, Livy cannot really be classed as one of the world’s major
historians. For the most part he depended for his material on earlier writers of the second and first
centuries B.C., and there is no sign that he made any attempt to consult the available documentary
evidence, which was not inconsiderable. It cannot be judged how he dealt with the history of his
own times, for which he must have had to do most of the research himself, as the Periochae of the
last 20 books are mostly brief and uninformative.
In his choice of sources to follow, Livy was often quite shrewd, as when he picked the Greek
historian Polybius as his main guide for the Eastern wars of the early 2nd century B.C., and if
elsewhere his sources were less reliable, that was sometimes because they were all he had. But Livy’s
use of them was quite uncritical, and his choice between alternative accounts of an event was often
determined not so much by logic or reason as by a preference for a story that pointed a moral or
redounded to the greater glory of Rome.
Livy’s ignorance of war and politics made it hard for him to judge properly the reliability of his
sources or to allow for any political bias that might have affected them. In addition, he was
sometimes careless in matters of chronology, and although his knowledge of geography was slight,
he does not seem to have taken much trouble to see for himself even those sites which lay close at
hand in Italy. But for all its weaknesses, Livy’s history is still one of the best accounts of the Roman
republic, and the loss of three-quarters of his great work is one of the most serious gaps in our
knowledge of Roman literature.
As a Writer
Livy’s merit as a writer is incontestable. His style, which owed much to Cicero and to Latin poetry,
was vivid and colorful. He approached his task with a vision of the greatness and splendor of that
past which was certainly not very realistic but was still a noble and inspiring concept. He brought to
his work an old-fashioned concept of moral excellence which may not have enhanced his
performance as a historian, but, together with the attractive literary style with which he told so
effectively the story of the Roman Republic, and particularly the half-legendary tales of its earliest
days, it has made his history an enduring part of the heritage of Western Europe.
Credits
“Livy.” Encyclopedia of World Biography, Gale, 1998. Biography In Context,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1631004004/BIC?u=pepp12906&sid=BIC&xid=da
544323. Accessed 4 June 2018.
For an overview of the surviving parts of Livy’s great work, Ab Urbe Condita Libri on Wikipedia.
page giving
The History of Rome or Ab Urbe Condita
“The Rape of the Sabine Women”
[mid 8th c. BCE]
Book I. 9. The1 Roman State had now become so strong that it was a match for any of its
neighbours in war, but its greatness threatened to last for only one generation, since through the
absence of women there was no hope of offspring, and there was no right of intermarriage with
their neighbours. [2] Acting on the advice of the senate, Romulus sent envoys amongst the
surrounding nations to ask for alliance and the right of intermarriage on behalf of his new
community. [3] It was represented that cities, like everything else, sprung from the humblest
beginnings, and those who were helped on by their own courage and the favour of heaven won for
themselves great power and great renown. [4] As to the origin of Rome, it was well known that
whilst it had received divine assistance, courage and self-reliance were not wanting. There should,
therefore, be no reluctance for men to mingle their blood with their fellow-men.
[5] Nowhere did the envoys meet with a favourable reception. Whilst their proposals were treated
with contumely, there was at the same time a general feeling of alarm at the power so rapidly
growing in their midst. Usually they were dismissed with the question, ‘whether they had opened an
asylum for women, for nothing short of that would secure for them inter-marriage on equal terms.’
[6] The Roman youth could ill brook such insults, and matters began to look like an appeal to force.
To secure a favourable place and time for such an attempt, Romulus, disguising his resentment,
made elaborate preparations for the celebration of games in honour of ‘Equestrian Neptune,’ which
he called ‘the Consualia.’ [7] He ordered public notice of the spectacle to be given amongst the
adjoining cities, and his people supported him in making the celebration as magnificent as their
knowledge and resources allowed, so that expectations were raised to the highest pitch. [8] There
was a great gathering; people were eager to see the new City, all their nearest neighbours-the people
of Caenina, Antemnae, and Crustumerium-were there, and the whole Sabine population came, with
their wives and families. [9] They were invited to accept hospitality at the different houses, and after
examining the situation of the City, its walls and the large number of dwelling-houses it included,
they were astonished at the rapidity with which the Roman State had grown.
[10] When the hour for the games had come, and their eyes and minds were alike riveted on the
spectacle before them, the preconcerted signal was given and the Roman youth dashed in all
directions to carry off the maidens who were present. [11] The larger part were carried off
indiscriminately, but some particularly beautiful girls who had been marked out for the leading
patricians were carried to their houses by plebeians told off for the task. [12] One, conspicuous
amongst them all for grace and beauty, is reported to have been carried off by a group led by a
certain Talassius, and to the many inquiries as to whom she was intended for, the invariable answer
was given, ‘For Talassius.’ [13] Hence the use of this word in the marriage rites.2 Alarm and
consternation broke up the games, and the parents of the maidens fled, distracted with grief, uttering
bitter reproaches on the violators of the laws of hospitality and appealing to the god to whose
solemn games they had come, only to be the victims of impious [14] perfidy.
The abducted maidens were quite as despondent and indignant. Romulus, however, went round in
person, and pointed out to them that it was all owing to the pride of their parents in denying right of
intermarriage to their neighbours. They would live in honourable wedlock, and share all their
property and civil rights, and —dearest of all to human nature-would be the mothers of [15]
freemen. He begged them to lay aside their feelings of resentment and give their affections to those
whom fortune had made masters of their persons. An injury had often led to reconciliation and love;
they would find their husbands all the more affectionate because each would do his utmost, so far as
in him lay to make up for the loss of parents and [16] country. These arguments were reinforced by
the endearments of their husbands who excused their conduct by pleading the irresistible force of
their passion —a plea effective beyond all others in appealing to a woman’s nature.
1 The Rape of the Sabines.
2 Talassio. —The procession in which the bride was led from her parents’ house to her new home was attended by
minstrels who invoked Tallassius in the nuptial song.
[The Sabines and the Romans go to war with one another.]
13. Then1 it was that the Sabine women, whose wrongs had led to the war, throwing off all
womanish fears in their distress, went boldly into the midst of the flying missiles with dishevelled
hair and rent garments. [2] Running across the space between the two armies they tried to stop any
further fighting and calm the excited passions by appealing to their fathers in the one army and their
husbands in the other not to bring upon themselves a curse by staining their hands with the blood
of a father-in-law or a son-in-law, nor upon their posterity the taint of parricide. [3] ‘If,’ they cried,
‘you are weary of these ties of kindred, these marriage-bonds, then turn your anger upon us; it is we
who are the cause of the war, it is we who have wounded and slain our husbands and fathers. Better
for us to perish rather than live without one or the other of you, as widows or as orphans.’
[4] The armies and their leaders were alike moved by this appeal. There was a sudden hush and
silence. Then the generals advanced to arrange the terms of a treaty. It was not only peace that was
made, the two nations were united into one State, the royal power was shared between them, and
the seat of government for both nations was Rome. [5] After thus doubling the City, a concession
was made to the Sabines in the new appellation of Quirites, from their old capital of Cures. As a
memorial of the battle, the place where Curtius got his horse out of the deep marsh on to safer
ground was called the Curtian lake.
[6] The2 joyful peace, which put an abrupt close to such a deplorable war, made the Sabine women
still dearer to their husbands and fathers, and most of all to Romulus himself. [7] Consequently
when he effected the distribution of the people into the thirty curiae, he affixed their names to the
curiae. No doubt there were many more than thirty women, and tradition is silent as to whether
those whose names were given to the curiae were selected on the ground of age, or on that of
personal distinction — either their own or their husbands’ —or merely by lot. [8] The enrolment of
the three centuries of knights took place at the same time; the Ramnenses were called after Romulus,
the Titienses from T. Tatius. The origin of the Luceres and why they were so called is uncertain.
Thenceforward the two kings exercised their joint sovereignty with perfect harmony.
1 Peace and Union with the Sabines.
2 The Curies and Centuries.
“The Rape of Lucretia”
[509 BCE]
Book I. 57. This1 people who were at that time in possession of Ardea, were, considering the nature
of their country and the age in which they lived, exceptionally wealthy. This circumstance really
originated the war, for the Roman king was anxious to repair his own fortune, which had been
exhausted by the magnificent scale of his public works and also to conciliate his subjects by a
distribution of the spoils of war. [2] His tyranny had already produced disaffection but what moved
their special resentment was the way they had been so long kept by the king at manual and even
servile labour.
[3] An attempt was made to take Ardea by assault; when that failed recourse was had to a regular
investment to starve the enemy out. [4] When troops are stationary, as is the case in a protracted
more than in an active campaign, furloughs are easily granted, more so to the men of rank however,
than to the common soldiers. [5] The royal princes sometimes spent their leisure hours in feasting
and entertainments, and at a wine party given by [6??] Sextus Tarquinius at which Collatinus, the son
of Egerius, was present, the conversation happened to turn upon their wives, and each began to
speak of his own in terms of extraordinarily high praise. [7] As the dispute became warm Collatinus
said that there was no need of words, it could in a few hours be ascertained how far his Lucretiawas
superior to all the rest. ‘Why do we not,’ he exclaimed, ‘if we have any youthful vigour about us
mount our horses and pay your wives a visit and find out their characters on the spot? [8] What we
see of the behaviour, of each on the unexpected arrival of her husband, let that be the surest test.’
They were heated with wine, and all shouted: ‘Good! Come on!’ [9] Setting spur to their horses they
galloped off to Rome, where they arrived as darkness was beginning to close in; Thence they
proceeded to Collatia, where they found Lucretia very differently employed from the king’s
daughters-in-law, whom they had seen passing their time in feasting and luxury with their
acquaintances. She was sitting at her wool work in the hall, late at night, with her, maids busy round
her. [10] The palm in this competition of wifely virtue was awarded to Lucretia. She welcomed the
arrival of her husband and the Tarquins, whilst her victorious spouse courteously invited the royal
princes to remain as his guests. Sextus Tarquin, inflamed by the beauty and exemplary purity
of Lucretia, formed the vile project of effecting her dishonour. [11] After their youthful frolic they
returned for the time to camp.
1 The Story of Lucretia.
58. A few days afterwards Sextus Tarquin went, unknown to Collatinus, with one companion to
Collatia. [2] He was hospitably received by the household, who suspected nothing, and after supper
was conducted to the bedroom set apart for guests. When all around seemed safe and everybody fast
asleep, he went in the frenzy of his passion with a naked sword to the sleeping Lucretia, and placing
his left hand on her breast, said, ‘Silence, Lucretia! I am Sextus Tarquin, and I have a sword in my
hand; if you utter a word, you shall die.’ [3] When the woman, terrified out of her sleep, saw that no
help was near, and instant death threatening her, Tarquin began to confess his passion, pleaded, used
threats as well as entreaties, and employed every argument likely to influence a female heart. [4]
When he saw that she was inflexible and not moved even by the fear of death, he threatened to
disgrace her, declaring that he would lay the naked corpse of the slave by her dead body, so that it
might be said that she had been slain in foul adultery. [5] By this awful threat, his lust triumphed
over her inflexible chastity, and Tarquin went off exulting in having successfully attacked her
honour. Lucretia, overwhelmed with grief at such a frightful outrage, sent a messenger to her father
at Romeand to her husband at Ardea, asking them to come to her, each accompanied by one faithful
friend; it was necessary to act, and to act promptly; a horrible thing had happened. [6] Spurius
Lucretius came with Publius Valerius, the son of Volesus; Collatinus with Lucius Junius Brutus, with
whom he happened to be returning to Rome when he was met by his wife’s messenger. They
found Lucretia sitting in her room prostrate with grief. [7] As they entered, she burst into tears, and
to her husband’s inquiry whether all was well, replied, ‘No! what can be well with a woman when her
honour is lost? The marks of a stranger Collatinus are in your bed. But it is only the body that has
been violated the soul is pure; death shall bear witness to that. But pledge me your solemn word that
the adulterer shall not go unpunished. [8] It is Sextus Tarquin, who, coming as an enemy instead of a
guest forced from me last night by brutal violence a pleasure fatal to me, and, if you are men, fatal to
him.’ [9] They all successively pledged their word, and tried to console the distracted woman , by
turning the guilt from the victim of the outrage to the perpetrator, and urging that it is the mind that
sins not the body, and where there has been no consent there is no guilt ‘It is for you,’ she said, ‘to
see that he gets his deserts: [10] although I acquit myself of the sin, I do not free myself from the
penalty; no unchaste woman shall henceforth live and plead Lucretia’s example.’
[11] She had a knife concealed in her dress which she plunged into her, heart, and fell dying on the
floor. [12] Her father and husband raised the death-cry.1
1 As soon as life was extinct, those round the death-bed raised a loud cry of woe and called out the name of the
deceased. For a similar custom among the Hebrews, comp. 2 Sam. xviii. 33.
59. Whilst1 they were absorbed in grief, Brutus drew the knife from Lucretia’s wound and holding it,
dripping with blood, in front of him, said, ‘By this blood – most pure before the outrage wrought by
the king’s son —I swear, and you, 0 gods, I call to witness that I will drive hence Lucius Tarquinius
Superbus, together with his cursed wife and his whole brood, with fire and sword and every means
in my power, and I will not suffer them or any one else to reign in Rome.’ [2] Then he handed the
knife to Collatinus and then to Lucretius and Valerius, who were all astounded at the marvel of the
thing, wondering whence Brutus had acquired this new character. They swore as they were directed;
all their grief changed to wrath, and they followed the lead of Brutus, who summoned them to
abolish the monarchy forthwith. [3] They carried the body of Lucretia from her home down to the
Forum, where, owing to the unheard-of atrocity of the crime, they at once collected a crowd. [4]
Each had his own complaint to make of the wickedness and violence of the royal house. Whilst all
were moved by the father’s deep distress, Brutus bade them stop their tears and idle laments, and
urged them to act as men and Romans and take up arms against their insolent foes. [5] All the high-
spirited amongst the younger men came forward as armed volunteers, the rest followed their,
example. A portion of this body was left to hold Collatia, and guards were stationed at the gates to
prevent any news of the movement from reaching the king; the rest marched in arms to Rome with
Brutus in command. [6] On their, arrival, the sight of so many men in arms spread panic and
confusion wherever they marched, but when again the people saw that the foremost men of the
State were leading the way, they realised that what-ever the movement was it was a serious one. [7]
The terrible occurrence created no less excitement in Rome than it had done in Collatia; there was a
rush from all quarters of the City to the Forum. When they had gathered there, the herald
summoned them to attend the ‘Tribune of the Celeres’; this was the office which Brutus happened
at the time to be holding. [8] He made a speech quite out of keeping with the character and temper
he had up to that day assumed. He dwelt upon the brutality and licentiousness of Sextus Tarquin,
the infamous outrage on Lucretia and her pitiful death, the bereavement sustained by her, father,
Tricipitinus, to whom the cause of his daughter’s death was more shameful and distressing than the
actual death itself. [9] Then he dwelt on the tyranny of the king, the toils and sufferings of the
plebeians kept underground clearing out ditches and sewers —Roman men, conquerors of all the
surrounding nations, turned from warriors into artisans and stonemasons! [10] He reminded them of
the shameful murder of Servius Tullius and his daughter driving in her accursed chariot over her
father’s body, and solemnly invoked the gods as the avengers of murdered parents. [11] By
enumerating these and, I believe, other still more atrocious incidents which his keen sense of the
present injustice suggested, but which it is not easy to give in detail, he goaded on the incensed
multitude to strip the king of his sovereignty and pronounce a sentence of banishment against
Tarquin with his wife and children. [12] With a picked body of the ‘Juniors,’ who volunteered to
follow him, he went off to the camp at Ardea to incite the army against the king, leaving the
command in the City to Lucretius, who had previously been made Prefect of the City by the king.
[13] During the commotion Tullia fled from the palace amidst the execrations of all whom she met,
men and women alike invoking against her father’s avenging spirit.
1 The Expulsion of the Tarquins.
60. When the news of these proceedings reached the camp, the king, alarmed at the turn affairs were
taking, hurried to Rome to quell the outbreak. Brutus, who was on the same road, had become
aware of his approach, and to avoid meeting him took another route, so that he reached Ardea and
Tarquin Rome almost at the same time, though by different ways. [2] Tarquin found the gates shut,
and a decree of banishment passed against him; the Liberator of the City received a joyous welcome
in the camp, and the king’s sons were expelled from it. Two of them followed their father, into exile
amongst the Etruscans in Caere. Sextus Tarquin proceeded to Gabii, which he looked upon as his
kingdom, but was killed in revenge for the old feuds he had kindled by his rapine and murders.
[3] Lucius Tarquinius Superbus reigned twenty-five years. The whole duration of the regal
government from the foundation of the City to its liberation was two hundred and forty-four years.
Two consuls were then elected in the assembly of centuries by the prefect of the City, in accordance
with the regulations of Servius Tullius. They were Lucius Junius Brutus and Lucius Tarquinius
Collatinus.
“Cincinnatus, the Dictator”
[458 BCE]
Book III. 26. An immense body of Sabines came in their ravages almost up to the walls of the City.
The fields were ruined, the City thoroughly alarmed. Now the plebeians cheerfully took up arms, the
tribunes remonstrated in vain, and two large armies were levied. [2] Nautius led one of them against
the Sabines, formed an entrenched camp, sent out, generally at night, small bodies who created such
destruction in the Sabine territory that the Roman borders appeared in comparison almost
untouched by war. [3] Minucius was not so fortunate, nor did he conduct the campaign with the
same energy; after taking up an entrenched position not far from the enemy, he remained timidly
within his camp, though he had not suffered any important defeat. As usual, the enemy were
emboldened by the lack of courage on the other side. [4] They made a night attack on his camp, but
as they gained little by a direct assault they proceeded the following day to invest it. Before all the
exits were closed by the circumvallation, five mounted men got through the enemies’ outposts and
brought to Rome the news that the consul and his army were blockaded. Nothing could have
happened so unlooked for, so undreamed of; the panic and confusion were as great as if it had been
the City and not the camp that was invested. [5] The consul Nautius was summoned home, but as he
did nothing equal to the emergency, they decided to appoint a Dictator to retrieve the threatening
position of affairs. [6] By universal consent L. Quinctius Cincinnatus was called to the office.
It is worth while for those who despise all human interests in comparison with riches, and think that
there is no scope for high honours or for virtue except where lavish wealth abounds to listen to this
story.
[7] 1The one hope of Rome, L. Quinctius, used to cultivate a four-acre field on the other side of
the Tiber, just opposite the place where the dockyard and arsenal are now situated; it bears the name
of the ‘Quinctian Meadows.’ [8] There he was found by the deputation from the senate either
digging out a ditch or ploughing, at all events, as is generally agreed, intent on his husbandry. [9]
After mutual salutations he was requested to put on his toga that he might hear the mandate of the
senate, and they expressed the hope that it might turn out well for him and for the State. He asked
them, in surprise, if all was well, and bade his wife, Racilia, bring him his toga quickly from the
cottage. [10] Wiping off the dust and perspiration, he put it on and came forward, on which the
deputation saluted him as Dictator and congratulated him, invited him to the City and explained the
state of apprehension in which the army were. [11] A vessel had been provided for him by the
government, and after he had crossed over, he was welcomed by his three sons, who had come out
to meet him. They were followed by other relatives and friends, and by the majority of the senate.
Escorted by this numerous gathering and preceded by the lictors, he was conducted to his house.
[12] There was also an enormous gathering of the plebs, but they were by no means so pleased to
see Quinctius; they regarded the power with which he was invested as excessive, and the man
himself more dangerous than his power. Nothing was done that night beyond adequately guarding
the City.
1 The Story of Cincinnatus.
Credits
Livy. History of Rome. English Translation by. Rev. Canon Roberts. New York, New York. E. P.
Dutton and Co. 1912. 1. Livy. History of Rome. English Translation. Rev. Canon Roberts. New
York, New York. E. P. Dutton and Co. 1912.
http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi0011.perseus-eng3:1
The National Endowment for the Humanities provided support for entering this text.