orig. Titus Livius
born 59/64 BC, Patavium, Venetia
died AD 17, Patavium
Roman historian.
Little is known of his life, most of which must have been spent in Rome. His lifework was a history of the city, written in 142 books; Books 11–20 and 46–142 have been lost, and those after Book 45 are known only from fragments and later summaries. Unlike earlier Roman historians, Livy played no part in politics, and as a result he presented history not as partisan politics but in terms of character and morality. The Latin prose style he developed suited his subject matter. His history, a classic in his lifetime, profoundly influenced the style and philosophy of historical writing down to the 18th century.