Livy

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

Livy’s massive Ab urbe condita covered the history of Rome from its foundation to the time of Augustus. Of the 142 books that he wrote, 35 survive in more or less complete fashion. This class will read Book 1. The first book contains many famous stories (Romulus and Remus, the rape of the Sabine Women, the rape of Lucretia, the Horatii and Curiatii) of Rome’s early history and the transition from the so-called regal period to a republican form of government. While the course will explore the historical and cultural contexts for the events told by Livy, we will constantly focus and concentrate on Livy’s particular style of Latin, as well as the techniques that underlie his historical account. Students will develop a strong understanding of Livy’s handling of elements of historical prose (e.g. the arrangement of time, the idea of truth) as well as of his depiction of topics such as religion, sexuality, the family, and the role of the individual within the broader community.