Primary Source Analysis: Livy

Time period: Around 59 BCE-17 CE! He is writing quite a bit after the event, but still as a part of the same civilization.

• He is 100% reliable.

• There are parts of this that we could use to prove either reliability or unreliability.

• He is 100% unreliable.

He's writing some time after the events, so it’s possible he would be less emotionally connected to the event.

• This positively affects his reliability.

• This negatively affects his reliability.

He's writing some time after the events, so it’s also possible that important source information was lost to him.

• This positively affects his reliability.

• This negatively affects his reliability.

He was wealthy, and largely apolitical (no connections to politics). He is more likely to be sympathetic to elites (rich and powerful people) in his writing.

• This positively affects his reliability.

• This negatively affects his reliability.

His lack of political ambition make it more likely that his writing could be balanced.

• This positively affects his reliability.

• This negatively affects his reliability.

His purpose was to demonstrate Morality and Rome’s greatness; he is likely to write in a way to make people agree with him.

• This positively affects his reliability.

• This negatively affects his reliability.

His purpose was to demonstrate Morality and Rome’s greatness; he is likely to only include episodes that make his point.

• This positively affects his reliability.

• This negatively affects his reliability.