Titus Livius: The History Of Rome

Titus Livius, otherwise known as Livy, was a famous Roman-Italian historian, whom analyzed historical episodes through famous characters, typically Roman monarchs. Livy admits to adopting the works/stories of Greek poets that detailed the lives of specific characters in order to coherently merge the stories into one historical account of the foundation and development of the Roman empire/state. Before attempting to provide the history of Rome, Livy states that “the task of writing a history of our nation from Rome’s earliest days fills me, I confess, with some misgiving,” a feeling which stemmed from the contradictory feelings present in his mind during the documentation of his version of Roman history; Livy’s pride in Rome’s accomplishments versus his views of the modern deteriorating

moral values. In a sense, Livy analyzes the decline in the values of the Roman people as a consequence to the successes of the state (increasing factors of expansion, wealth, and political dominion over other states), which led to increasing pleonexia/avarice in the Romans, and specifically political/monarchic figures. Throughout the historical synthesis, Livy attempts to remain impartial, and hopes that, “…my passion for Rome’s past has not impaired my judgment… [but our] nation deserves [to claim] a divine ancestry… [because] Mars himself was… father of [our founder, all nations] might well allow the claim as [they accept] Rome's imperial dominion” (Livy.

1.30). History, for Livy, became a form to escape modern life and reminisce on Rome’s strong moral past, but in recounting the history of Rome, Livy’s obligations required the ‘isolation/disregard’ of the prideful beginnings of Rome and instead detail the ways in which “…the might of an imperial people is beginning to work its own ruin” (Livy. 1.29). The moral failure present in Livy’s time, according to Livy, was the result of the monarchies desire for expansion, which further led to the abandonment of Rome’s prioritization of peace and the religious institutions established by King Numa, Romulus’ successor; “… [one could] trace the process of our moral decline [through the abandonment of the] old teaching,… [resulting in] the final collapse… of our modern day when we can neither endure our vices nor face the remedies needed to cure them”

(Livy. p.30).