Livy

Part of speech: noun, proper noun

Definitions

1. An ancient Roman historian known for his comprehensive work chronicling the history of Rome from its founding through the early empire
2. A classical author who compiled a vast narrative detailing significant events and figures in Roman history over many centuries
3. A prominent historiographer of Rome whose extensive writings provide insight into the political, social, and military development of the Roman state

Etymology: Livy is the anglicised name of Titus Livius, a Roman historian who lived from about 59 BC to AD 17, and the English form comes straight from the Latin "Livius" through the ordinary path of a classical name. His great work, "Ab Urbe Condita" ("From the Founding of the City"), originally ran to 142 books covering Rome's history from its legendary beginnings down to his own lifetime. Only 35 of those books survive in full, along with fragments and later summaries, so much of what modern readers know about early Rome, including tales of Romulus, Horatius at the bridge, and Cincinnatus, comes through his pages. Because of that survival gap, "Livy" is also one of the few classical names whose English form has stayed close to its Latin root, with the nominative "Livius" simply losing its Latin ending. The name became a fixed reference point for Roman history in English, and scholars and students still use the bare surname the way they would use a shorthand for a source.

Synonyms: Titus Livius, Roman historian