Volume 19, 2007 - Brown University

Livy’s Exemplary History
Amy Hall Goins
In the preface to his Early History of Rome, Livy encourages his readers to recognize
and benefit from the lessons history has to offer. In the historical record,
Livy writes, “you can find for yourself and your country both examples and
warnings; fine things to take as models, base things, rotten through and through,
to avoid” (Livy 1.1). Livy’s history is rife with exempla; however, these anecdotes,
which present events and characters intended to teach a moral lesson, are
not included simply for dramatic effect. Rather, Livy structures his history
around these examples in order to show late Republican readers that Rome’s
past has many lessons they would do well to heed. This essay will highlight
several of these exempla and assess their effectiveness and impact on Livy’s
historical writing. By structuring his history around exempla, Livy conveys to
his readers the value of learning from the past. This essay focuses on anecdotes
concerning three important themes in Livy’s history: the threat of monarchical
ambition, the importance of unity in the face of foreign dangers, and the
necessity of faith and religious observance.
Book I of Livy’s history ends with the abolition of the monarchy and the
exile of Tarquin the Proud in 509 B.C.E. After Tarquin raped the virtuous
Lucretia, Brutus’ speech incited the citizens to overthrow Tarquin’s tyrannical
reign by reminding them of his worst offenses. According to Livy, Brutus’
words had an immediate effect on the citizens, who later elected him one of the
first two consuls of Rome (Livy 1.59). This episode made the Romans fearful of
monarchical ambition not only in the years immediately following Tarquin’s
exile, but throughout the history of the early republic. Accordingly, this lesson is
not only one which Livy repeats throughout his work, but one which the
Romans recall and respond to over generations. The following two anecdotes
illustrate Livy’s use of exempla to reinforce the danger of monarchy.
As part of a peace agreement in 486 B.C.E. the Hernici ceded two-thirds of
their land to Rome. Spurius Cassius, one of the consuls, intended to make half of
this territory a gift to the plebeians. The nobility did not approve of his offer,
fearing it might pave the road towards restoration of the monarchy. The commons
did not support Cassius’ plan either, although a gift of land would certainly
have improved their situation. According to Livy, they were mindful of
the warnings of the other consul, Verginius, who warned that “gifts of land
would bring slavery” (Livy: 2.41). When his proposal failed to gain support,
Cassius offered to repay the money received from the sale of Sicilian grain.
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