Today The History is valued more for its style and dramatic technique than for its historical accuracy. However, Livy apparently shared the popular view of the time that Rome had morally degenerated from its comparatively virtuous beginnings. Livy’s political purpose in writing this work was to depict Rome as destined to rise from modest beginnings to greatness, and as was the practice of historians of his time, he includes many reconstructed speeches of important figures as purportedly verbatim accounts.
Only 35 of the original 142 books (chapters) of The History survive in complete form, though summaries exist for all of the books save two. It provides an account of Rome from its founding in 753 B.C. About this time, Livy began his monumental Ab Urbe Condita or History of Rome from its Foundation, usually called The History of Rome. He never saw military duty, nor took part in politics.īy 30 B.C., Livy had moved to Rome, where he came to know Augustus. He received the education of one from a wealthy background in philosophy and probably rhetoric, except that his education did not culminate in the usual period of study in a Greek city and his Greek was faulty. Livy lived much of his life in Rome during the rule of Caesar Augustus. in Patavium, now the north Italian city of Padua. Livy, or Titus Livius, Roman historian, was born in 59 B.C., according to St.
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