Livy

Question 1

When did Livy live?

Answer 1

59 BC-AD 17

Question 2

Where was Livy born?

Answer 2

Northern Italy

Question 3

When was the foundation of Rome?

Answer 3

753 BC

Question 4

When was the foundation of the Republic?

Answer 4

510-9 BC

Question 5

Who was Livy on good personal terms with?

Answer 5

Augustus

Question 6

Which person did Livy encourage to write history?

Answer 6

Claudius, the future emperor

Question 7

What was Livy’s work called?

Answer 7

Ad urbe condita libri

Question 8

What does ‘Ad urbe condita libri’ mean?

Answer 8

Books from the Foundation of the City

Question 9

What period did Livy’s work cover?

Answer 9

The origins of Rome to 9 BC

Question 10

How many books did Livy’s work contain?

Answer 10

142 books

Question 11

Which books of Livy’s work remain?

Answer 11

1-10; 21-45.

Question 12

How do we know what the lost books of Livy say?

Answer 12

There are secondary works which act as summaries

Question 13

What is a Periochae?

Answer 13

A summary of a book

Question 14

What is the issue with secondary accounts of Livy’s works?

Answer 14

We do not know if the authors were working from Livy or other summaries

Question 15

How can the conflicts between summaries and Livy’s work be explained?

Answer 15

Errors by later writers or the use of other sources

Question 16

How long is thought Livy’s work survived?

Answer 16

The 6th Century

Question 17

What do books 1-5 tell of?

Answer 17

The legendary founding of Rome

Question 18

Whose landing in Italy is recounted in Livy?

Answer 18

Aeneas and the arrival of refugees of Troy

Question 19

Who is supposed to have founded Rome according to Livy?

Answer 19

Romulus

Question 20

When were books 1-5 published?

Answer 20

27-25 BC

Question 21

What does a note in Periochae suggest?

Answer 21

That all books after 121 were published after Augustus’s death

Question 22

What sources did Livy rely on?

Answer 22

Literary sources

Question 23

Why did Livy focus on literary sources?

Answer 23

Because he didn’t feel it was his duty to consult documents

Question 24

Which writer did Livy follow for events in the East?

Answer 24

Polybius

Question 25

How did Livy adapt Polybius' work?

Answer 25

For Roman audiences and making additions

Question 26

Did Livy rely on any source for his accounts of Western events?

Answer 26

No, or as far as can be seen no writer was a superior on western events as Polybius was for the East

Question 27

List some of Livy's errors

Answer 27

Geographical Mistakes Misunderstanding Polybius Chronological Mistakes

Question 28

How can Livy's errors be defended?

Answer 28

They are not many when considering the size of the work nor many compared to other writers

Question 29

What is said about Livy's style of writing?

Answer 29

He was able to use language to show atmosphere and portray emotions

Question 30

Was Livy patriotic?

Answer 30

Yes, his work aimed to chronicle the rise of Rome

Question 31

What was Livy's view of Augustus?

Answer 31

He was by no means spokesperson for the regime but shared Augustus's ideals

Question 32

Who does Livy believe Romulus and Remus to be?

Answer 32

The illegitimate sons of vestial vrigins

Question 33

How many different versions of the founding of Rome are there?

Answer 33

At least 30

Question 34

Where did Aeneas end up according to Livy?

Answer 34

Lavinium

Question 35

Did Aeneas found Rome?

Answer 35

No, his ancestors would

Question 36

When did the myth of Aeneas become important?

Answer 36

In the 1st Century BC when Caesar and Augustus claimed relation

Question 37

When is Aeneas supposed to have lived?

Answer 37

1100 BC

Question 38

When are Romulus and Remus supposed to have lived?

Answer 38

753 BC

Question 39

What were Livy's views on empire?

Answer 39

He was not comfortable and warned Augustus what happened to Tarqinius

Question 40

Who was Tarqinus Superbus?

Answer 40

The last king of Rome and father of Sextus Tarquinius

Question 41

What was a tyrant?

Answer 41

A ruler who took power by unconstitutional means

Question 42

What inspired the republic?

Answer 42

The rape of Lucretia

Question 43

Who raped Lucretia?

Answer 43

Sextus Tarquinius

Question 44

Was Livy's account of the Rape of Lucretia necessarily true?

Answer 44

No, had contemporary themes and draws on a long line of Latin writers

Question 45

Why can we not compare Livy to earlier writers?

Answer 45

People stopped copying earlier writers due to Livy's work