Livy’s Representation of the Regal Period

Abstract Dionysius’ preface makes his attitude to the role of the regal period particularly clear. Livy’s preface, although no less revealing, expresses a much less positive evaluation of the role of the regal period in Rome’s history. The very opening of the preface makes it clear that the early part of his history will be a testing point for the plan of his whole work. Livy declines to say whether he thinks it is worth the effort going through the story of the Roman people a primordio, but recognizes that it has been more usual for historians to be drawn to later events because of the greater certainty of the material, or because modern historiography gives greater opportunity to excel one’s predecessors in the art of writing. Even were this literary competition to consign Livy himself to oblivion, the greatness and nobility of his subject will be his consolation. Livy then expands upon this characterization of the early past to give a synoptic vision of Rome’s history, which stretches from exigua initia (slender beginnings) to the present, where she labours under her own size. To counter this idea of demoralization and decline, Livy brings forward his belief that moral corruption set in later at Rome than in any other state, and that the desire for luxury really was a recent development.