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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).

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Religion in Livy

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  1. Religion in Livy Jared Copeland Monday, November 1, 2010

  2. 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)

  3. Prayers • 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. Marcus Aurelius and family make a sacrifice. (Capitoline Museum)

  4. 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.”

  5. 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.)

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. Prayers CIL 6.32323: Prayer of Augustus during the Ludi Saeculares of 17 BCE. (National Museum of Rome)

  9. Prayers CIL 12.4333: Dedication of an altar to the numen of Augustus, from Narbonne, southern France, 11 CE.

  10. 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.

  11. 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.”

  12. Augury • Other uses of augury we have seen: • Romulus and Remus, of course (1.7.1-3) • Inauguration of Numa (1.18.6-10)

  13. 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

  14. 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.”

  15. 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

  16. 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

  17. 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?

  18. 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. Konstanz, Germany: Universitätsverlag Konstanz. 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.

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