Livy (59 B.C - 17 A.D)
This studious philosopher turned chronicler of histories was not that well known in his lifetime. He came from a respectable class from Padua (modern day Patavium). As he grew up during a time of crisis of the Roman Republic, he didn't seek for a higher education. Asinius Pollio called him a Patavinitas, rebuking the city Livy grew up in. He stayed in Rome in the 30's B.C and appears to have been well off. Livy did not hold any offices. Instead, he lived off from his old money inheritance. He spent the rest of his life after he turned 30 years old to his grand history of the Romans (Ab Urbe Condita). In his grand project, he was a republican sympathizer and structured his writings more annalistically. Because of his republican sympathies, Augustus (according to Tacitus) jokingly referred to Livy as a Pompeian. He was not a fan of Sallust's monographic approach to writing history, which was why he did his annalistic writing style. Never a man to stray away from his own town, he always revisits his hometown back and forth until he died.
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Basic InfoFull Name: Titus Livius
Born: 59 B.C | Padua (Patavium), Italia Died: 17 A.D (aged 75-76) | Padua (Patavium), Italia |
WorkAb Urbe Condita - Massive 142 book work. 35 extant books (Book 1-10; 21-45), and some fragments. The rest are lost.
Latin: http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/liv.html |