Religion in Livy

An examination of the use that Livy makes of religious topics (the supernatural and prodigies, piety and impiety, scepticism, and fate and fortune) and to show how this fits in with other aspects of his narrative. The author begins by showing how Livy’s views of religion depend not on personal belief, but on the refinement of his narrative technique. He then looks at the history decade by decade, seeing radical differences between the different sections: in some Livy uses large-scale religious themes, but in others he deliberately avoids them. It is shown that this is not simply due to subject matter, but reflects a development in Livy’s handling of his material. The book argues that this profound difference between decades throws doubt on much of the standard picture of Livy: it also points to a need to revise notions of Augustan religions ideology.