Titus Livy's History Of Rome

In the departure there is a miraculous conception because Romulus and Remus are sons of the god Mars, they were on “the belly of the whale” when Amulius left them in the river, and they had a supernatural aid when the she-wolf nursed them instead of eating them. They grew believing that they were sons of a shepherd, it was his ordinary world until they discovered they were princes. In the Initiation, they allied with some shepherds and overthrow Amulius, restoring the kingdom to his grandfather Numitor. After that trying to decide who should rule the city both received a signal from heaven (a boon). Then Remus was killed (Death).

As Rome’s government began to change, the leadership became much less consistent. According to a chart compiled from various resources that lists the Roman emperors between 235 BCE and 285 BCE (Document 1), a majority of these emperors ruled for roughly two to three years, however some reigned for as little as or less than a year and some as much as seven to eight years. This constant change in leadership left the Roman army questioning their leadership often times more devoted to their earnings than to the man paying them. These leaders became careless as time went on, as stated in Vegetius’ Concerning Military Matters (Document 2), and the conflicting and constantly changing opinions on military strategy left the rigor and morale of the army in shambles. He states “...because of negligence and laziness, parade ground drills were abandoned, the customary armor began to seem heavy since the soldiers rarely ever wore it.

In 27 BCE (Before Common Era) the Roman Empire was entering its golden age, “The Pax Romana.” During the Pax Romana, the citizens of all Roman cities enjoyed free food and entertainment along with access to all of the Roman amenities such as bathhouses, roads, and mail service. However in 180 CE (Common Era) the Roman empire took a turn for the worse and eventually the last empire fell in 476 CE. The once powerful Roman Empire was in shambles. So what happened to the empire?

Around the time of three-hundred CE, the amount of power started to decrease for Rome, Italy. Lots of the Roman emperors and people were killed at this dreadful time. But what really caused this sudden downfall? Will we ever really know? I think the three main reasons are: Natural disasters, foreign invasions, and the city’s military problems.

Polybius and Livy were two different historians with unique styles and different personalities. Polybius and Livy agreed on three causes of the Second Punic war which was “Wrath of Barcids” revenge for the loss of Sardinia and Corsica, and the success that Carthaginians had in Spain. Livy was viewing the seizure Saguntum as a primary cause. Polybius on the other hand did not feel the same way, Polybius felt that is was the beginning of the war rather than an underlying cause. After looking at the facts I could find on each of the causes I believe that all four causes are suitable.

Polybius was a Greek politician who was taken as a hostage to Rome. While at Rome, Polybius was made to be tutor of Scipio and Fabius. He later became a military and political advisor to Scipio which made him an eyewitness to the events that occurred. It gave Polybius the chance to write about Rome while living there. By living in Rome as someone who came from a different nationality, it enabled Polybius to write about the siege of Saguntum from an outsider’s perspective unlike a patriotic Roman citizen such as Livy.

The fall of Rome was mainly because of plagues wiping out most of the population. The fall of the Han dynasty began from decentralized rule. However, outside invasions had an effect on the fall of both classical civilizations. Series of plagues began to hit the Rome Empire by the 2nd century. These plagues lowered the population drastically.

The legendary Roman Empire lasted from 753 B.C.E. all the way until 1453 A.D. However Rome split in two at about 395 A.D. which crippled the ancient Rome we know. So really ancient Rome lived from 753 B.C.E. to 476 A.D. But the name of Rome continued on in the Byzantine empire for about another 1000 years. Yet many people nowadays still refer to Rome as one of the greatest ancient civilizations of all time.

And note: In 6 BC Augustus Caesar offered Tiberius command of the East for five years. But Tiberius, noticing Augustus grooming Gaius for power, declined and retired to Rhodes. Here, five years later (January 1 BC?), the grooming of Gaius takes him to Syria exposing him to the East. Augustus obviously planned that Gaius should take a firm hold of the East.

In ancient history Romans have always been the dominant force that would build itself back up and strengthen into a major civilization for hundreds of years to come. Although, what a lot of people don’t know is how the Romans initially began or perceived to be created as a people that was born from mythological stories that tied into their own culture at the time. Titus Livius (Livy) was an historian that wrote many books on the history of Rome, but today we will only go through an English translation from 1919 of Livy’ first book. We will be discussing what happened (what was written down as the origin of Rome), some interesting points in the text, and analyze the way Livy wrote/structured his work. Let’s start with a summary of what the book is about.

Julius Caesar was a politician, general, and dictator. He once said, “It is easier to find men who will volunteer to die than to find those who are willing to endure pain with patience.” He was an incredible speaker of the time and was very well liked by most citizens. He brought a lot of change to Rome and was a very strong leader. Julius Gaius Caesar was born in Rome Italy, in 100 B.C., on July 13th.

Rome was a city that inspired people in more ways that not. " Rome fell but its legacy lived on." After the Eastern Roman Empire fell in 1453 A.D., people wanted to mimic their legacies because it gave them dignity and nobility. A legacy is "the mark that that you leave that you're remembered for."

Some will say the opposite about him, but I believe he is a true Roman Hero. I believe that Julius Caesar was a hero, who did his work haughtily and contentedly. This is my belief because he made the Senate larger, was popular with the middle and lower classes, and he took dangerous political risks. One of the reasons he is a hero is, he made the Senate bulkier. By making the Senate larger he gave the people more representation.

Livia was a part of the early times in ancient Rome. She may not have been as well known as the men during her time, but she still had a lasting impact on society. Livia Drusilla was the daughter of Livius Drusus Claudianus and Alfidia. Livia was also called Julia Augusta. Livia played a major role in the cult of the deified Augustus.

Lecture 2 The Stories Behind the Stories 2 Rome and Europe During the Renaissance, Europe was far less modern than Rome and Greece were. There were no written languages in Europe. The only written language was Latin and people who could read Greek, So we have an under-developed land, that all of discovers from the ancient world – many books that no one had seen for hundreds of years.