Livy and ReliabilityAim: To assess Livy’s reliability in the Early History of

Rome

Starter:Given Livy is writing between 20 B.C. and 17 A.D. what immediate problems can you think of with Livy’s History?

Make a list

In Livy’s own words…

• Read the Preface• In your book (under the sub heading ‘from the

Preface’)…• Make a list of any possible problems Livy high

lights?• Any examples of Livy discussing his methods• Any examples of Livy writing something other

than History

2 big issues (to begin with)

• Largely, a lot of Livy’s reliability problems can be put under 2 headings:

• His Sources

• His Methods

• Split a page into 2 with these headings

His sources

• Read the hand out• Make notes on: • Who were Livy’s main sources• Their methods of ‘doing History’• Influence of the Greeks• Why these accounts can be seen as

reliable

Review• From the Preface and what you have

just read…

• What points suggest he is RELIABLE• What points suggest he is NOT RELIABLE

• Which seems more prevalent?

His Methods• The ‘Roman Historian’• Livy like all Roman Historians didn’t really do

their own research.• Preferred to use other accounts.• Wanted to create a grand narrative of the

whole history of the Empire.• Included different versions of events• Scan through Livy and come up with 3

examples where he says there may be more than one version

• Beyond the Historian• Roman Historians aimed to entertain as

much as inform.• This helps explain some of the more

‘theatrical’ events/ speeches.• “When he told a story… it was clear as

crystal, his speeches were eloquent beyond description.” [Quintilian] [Roman writer 35 AD]

• Flick back through what we have done and find 3 good examples of Livy’s Theatrical Nature

• The Moral/ Political Writer• As we know Roman Historians wrote to

make political points.• Livy doesn’t want to write a critical History

of the Republic• He writes ‘the story’ of the republic.• Along with this comes the ‘Goodies’ and

‘Baddies’• Who’s a good guy/ bad guy? Make a list

Archaeology to the rescue!

• There are some archaeological findings in Rome that do ‘support’ what Livy is writing.

• Mostly civic buildings e.g. temples• More examples will have been in place

when Livy was writing that have since been destroyed/ built upon

The Roman ForumCapitoline Hill where the Sabines entered to fight

the Romans

Bronze age huts on Palatine Hill- “The Romulus Huts”

The Temple of Janus (rebuilt numerous times)

The Lupercal Cave

Why might using

Archaeology be ‘a tricky

business’

PlenaryHow did Ancient Roman Historians differ to Modern

Historians?Ancient Modern