Yay! Its time for Livy!!!
Titus Livius (traditionally 59 BC – AD 17), known as Livy in English, was a Roman historian who wrote a monumental history of Rome, Ab Urbe Condita, from its founding (traditionally dated to 753 BC) through the reign of Augustus in Livy's own time.
Livy's writing style was poetic and archaic in contrast to Caesar's and Cicero's styles. Also, he often wrote from the Romans' opponent's point of view in order to accent the Romans' virtues in their conquest of Italy and the Mediterranean. (thanks Wikip.)
Livy seems exciting. I think that it's really cool that we are reading the writings of someone who lived during both the republic AND the Empire. Even though he wrote about the early histories of Rome; I would think that in some way the current political state around him would have influenced what he was writing... is this a possibility Dr. M?
And what I mean by influence is that he would have glorified or omitted events based on what the current leader would have wanted.
-Anne
2 comments:
So how is Livy treating you so far? Do you like his style? It's quite a jump from Cicero, I find. Quintilian, an oratory teacher in the beginning of the second second cent. CE said about Livy that his style is permeated by a 'lactea ubertas' a milky richness...has it hit you yet?! I was reading Hannibal's characterization last night, all these pairs of symmetrical opposites, and I think I felt what Quintilian was talking about.
And you are absolutely right that a LOT of what he is saying in his history is written in such a way that you know he had his eye on Augustus. The later books of his histories (the ones narrating the civil war) have been lost, but we have some summaries (called Periochae or Epitomae) that give us a clue of where he was going with that. For the most part, I get the impression that he was pretty comfortable with Augustus, something that was not true with later emperors. Read, for example, Tacitus' Annals 4. 34-35 for the story of a historian named Cremutius Cordus, who lived under Tiberius....hint: he dies in the end!
Livy is indeed quite a jump from Cicero, but then again Cicero was quite a jump from Caesar... and I have a feeling the poet we do next will certainly be a jump from Livy, so it's all relative.
I actually think Livy is more difficult but I like the subject matter more.
Seneca is still the best!
Anne
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