Before jumping into the sources, it would do well to examine the scene in which Livy lived and wrote. Born in 59 BCE, he would have been a child during the Gallic Wars of Caesar, a teenager by the time Cato the Younger had committed suicide, refusing to accept Caesar's clementia, and an adult approaching middle age by the time of Octavian's victory over Antony and Cleopatra. ... These characters' actions and traits, as well as general themes of the time show up variously in Livy's books (especially 2 and 3), and shape the way Livy presents his history. ... Within Livy'...

• Word Count: 2928
• Approx Pages: 12
• Grade Level: Undergraduate