Transcript Religion in Livy

Religion in Livy
Jared Copeland
Monday, November 1, 2010
Religion in Livy

Livy regularly
incorporates elements of
Roman religion into his
narrative. These
include:
–
–
–
–
–
Prayers
Augury
Prodigies
Ritual and sacrifice
Cosmology (fate,
fortune, relationship of
gods to men)
The genius of Augustus.
(Museo Pio-Clementino)
Prayers
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


Marcus Aurelius and family make
a sacrifice. (Capitoline Museum)
Ab Vrbe Condita features
77 petitionary prayers;
by comparison, Caesar has
1, and Sallust has none.
(Hickson 1993: 19-20)
In Livy, prayers can occur in
direct quotation, or in
indirect statement.
Prayers add religious
solemnity to the narrative.
Livy’s prayers often feature
special religious language,
alluding to ritual formulae.
Prayers
Livy 1.16.3: First prayer ever addressed to Romulus
Deinde a paucis initio facto, deum deo natum, regem
parentemque urbis Romanae salvere universi Romulum
iubent; pacem precibus exposcunt, uti volens propitius
suam semper sospitet progeniem.
“Then, with the beginning having been made by a few,
they all hail Romulus, a god born from a god, as the king
and parent of the Roman city; they seek peace with
prayers, that he might always willingly and favorably
keep their offspring safe.”
Prayers
Livy 1.16.3: First prayer ever addressed to Romulus
Deinde a paucis initio facto, deum deo natum, regem
parentemque urbis Romanae salvere universi Romulum
iubent; pacem precibus exposcunt, uti volens propitius
suam semper sospitet progeniem.
Romans appear to have prayed to their deceased parents
using the formula salve/salvete parens/parentes. (see
Ogilvie 1965 ad loc.)
Prayers
Livy 1.16.3: First prayer ever addressed to Romulus
Deinde a paucis initio facto, deum deo natum, regem
parentemque urbis Romanae salvere universi Romulum
iubent; pacem precibus exposcunt, uti volens propitius
suam semper sospitet progeniem.
The phrase volens propitius was quite common in Roman
ritual prayers, and it also occurs 5 times in Livy.
Prayers
quod bonum faustum felixque sit

Livy uses this formula 8 times.
– e.g., when the interrex address the people
prior to the appointment of Numa (1.17.10)

Romans prayed using this phrase when
beginning any major undertaking.
Prayers
CIL 6.32323: Prayer of Augustus during the Ludi Saeculares of 17 BCE.
(National Museum of Rome)
Prayers
CIL 12.4333: Dedication of an
altar to the numen of
Augustus, from Narbonne,
southern France, 11 CE.
Augury
Romans ascertained the
disposition of the gods by
observing the sky for
birds, lightning, etc.
 The ritual was commonly
practiced at the
beginning of an
undertaking.

Statue of a chief Vestal in Rome.
Taken from G. Ferrero, The Women of the Caesars.
Augury
Livy 1.55.3-4: Should we exaugurate, or not?
Inter principia condendi huius operis movisse numen ad indicandam
tanti imperii molem traditur deos; nam cum omnium sacellorum
exaugurationes admitterent aves, in Termini fano non addixere;
idque omen auguriumque ita acceptum est non motam Termini
sedem unumque eum deorum non evocatum sacratis sibi finibus
firma stabiliaque cuncta portendere.
“It is related that, during the beginnings of establishing this work, the
gods moved their divine will toward disclosing the greatness of so
great an empire; for although the birds allowed for the
exaugurations of all the shrines, they did not do so in the case of
the temple of Terminus; and this omen and augury was interpreted
thus: that not moving the seat of Terminus, and his being the only
one of the gods not called out from the borders sacred to him,
promised that all things would be firm and stable.”
Augury

Other uses of augury we have seen:
– Romulus and Remus, of course (1.7.1-3)
– Inauguration of Numa (1.18.6-10)
Prodigies
Events which were observed as indicating
some sort of divine communication,
usually a warning
 Had to be expiated (if bad)
 In contrast to the taking of auspices,
prodigies were not sought out
 Recorded in the annals of the pontifices

Prodigies
Livy 1.55.5-6: Forecasting the greatness of Rome
Hoc perpetuitatis auspicio accepto, secutum aliud magnitudinem
imperii portendens prodigium est: caput humanum integra facie
aperientibus fundamenta templi dicitur apparuisse. Quae visa
species haud per ambages arcem eam imperii caputque rerum fore
portendebat; idque ita cecinere vates quique in urbe erant quosque
ad eam rem consultandam ex Etruria acciverant.
“After these auspices of perpetuity were received, another prodigy
followed, portending the greatness of the empire: a human head,
with an incorrupt face, is said to have appeared to those opening up
the foundations of the temple. And this apparition scarcely in an
ambiguous manner portended that it would be the citadel of the
empire and the head of matters; thus prophets confirmed this fact,
both those who were in the city, and those whom they summoned
out of Etruria for interpreting this matter.”
Outlook of Ab Vrbe Condita toward
Religion: Skeptical or Supportive?
Livy’s skepticism is apparent, esp. when
he provides alternate “unorthodox”
interpretations
 The practice of Roman religion also
appears to be important to him, since he
makes a conscious effort to include so
much of it

Outlook of Ab Vrbe Condita toward
Religion: Skeptical or Supportive?
Some scholars believe that
Livy is primarily a skeptic
(e.g. Kajanto 1957, Green
2009)
 Others believe Livy
deliberately mixes
skepticism with apparent
promotion of traditional
religious practice
(Liebeschuetz 1967,
Levene 1993)

Nice poker face
Discussion Questions
Why does Livy include so many more
references to religion than other
historians?
 How does Livy’s incorporation of religion
help him achieve the goals he sets out in
the preface?
 Why does Livy mix skepticism with
apparent support for traditional religious
practice?

Bibliography
Ando, C. 2008. The Matter of the Gods: Religion and the Roman Empire. Berkeley.
Beard, M., et. al. 1998. Religions of Rome. Cambridge.
Davies, J. 2006. Rome’s Religious History: Livy, Tacitus, and Ammianus on Their
Gods. Cambridge.
Green, S. 2009. “Malevolent Gods and Promethean Birds: Contesting Augury in
Augustus’s Rome.” TAPA 139: 147-167.
Hickson, F. 1993. Roman Prayer Language: Livy and the Aeneid of Virgil. Stuttgart:
B. G. Teubner.
Jaeger, M. 2006. “Livy, Hannibal’s Monument, and the Temple of Juno at Croton.”
TAPA 136: 389-414.
Kajanto, I. 1957. God and Fate in Livy. Turku: Turun Yliopiston Kustantama.
Levene, D. 1993. Religion in Livy. Brill: New York.
Liebeschuetz, W. 1967. “The Religious Position of Livy’s History.” JRS 57: 45-55.
Linderski, J. 1993. “Roman Religion in Livy.” Livius: Aspekte seines Werkes.
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Ogilvie, R. 1965. A Commentary on Livy: Books 1-5. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Orlin, E. 2007. “Augustan Religion and the Reshaping of Roman Memory.”
Arethusa 40: 73-92.
Rüpke, J. 2007. A Companion to Roman Religion. Oxford.