Livy: The History Of Rome's Early History

What is known of Rome’s early history today is relatively restricted. This is because a majority of documents from that era of time have been destroyed or lost. The only reliable source of information on Rome’s early history was Titus Livius Patavium, otherwise known as Livy, with his piece, The Early History of Rome. He writes on the history of Rome in order to preserve her older glory, and provide a warning to be aware of the repetition of past mistakes. Livy’s preservation of Rome’s history is one of the best‒and one of the few‒Roman historical documents to survive from the last century BCE to today. He writes to preserve the history of what once was a great nation. Livy believed that Rome was undergoing a conscientious devolution, so

Livy assumed that by making history enjoyable to read, he would be able to provide the correct type of “medicine” to a sick community (30). Writing the history of Rome, from beginning to his present time, Livy presented an evolution of Rome and her values. Livy’s presentation of history gave readers the opportunity to find the error in their ways, and revert to the old approach to tradition. Because “human nature remains the same” throughout the evolution of civilization, “it is reasonable to expect that history” repeats itself (Ogilvie 9). With the study of history, the reader is able to understand what has happened and what its effects are. Understanding the past allows oneself to better prepare for the