'Concordia' and 'Discordia' in Livy's republic : Roman politics in 'Ab urbe condita' books 21-45
This thesis offers a comprehensive critical analysis of Livy's portrayal of Roman politics in Books 21-45. Although Livy's history provides the most detailed account of politics in the 'middle' or 'classical' Republic, as yet there has been no major study devoted to this important topic specifically. Books 21-45 cover a period of Roman history usually identified in antiquity as Rome's apogee: the republic faced, and overcame, its greatest external threat in the form of Hannibal during the Second Punic War (covered in Books 21-30), then began a period of unhindered overseas conquest (the beginning of which is recounted in Books 31-45). In Roman historiography, success in these ventures was predicated on domestic stability and political harmony. As such, politics plays a relatively small part in a narrative devoted primarily to foreign affairs and warfare. This thesis is intended in part to explicate how order and cohesion - 'concordia' - is maintained in these books, but it also examines cases in which the political order is disrupted, and considers the implications of this 'discordia' for Livy's conception of the Roman polity. It concludes that these books of Livy's history illustrate Roman politics at its
Cosnett, Steven Baillie
'Concordia' and 'Discordia' in Livy's republic : Roman politics in 'Ab urbe condita' books 21-45. This thesis offers a comprehensive critical analysis of Livy's portrayal of Roman politics in Books 21-45. Although Livy's history provides the most detailed account of politics in the 'middle' or 'classical' Republic, as yet there has been no major study devoted to this important topic specifically. Books 21-45 cover a period of Roman history usually identified in antiquity as Rome's apogee: the republic faced, and overcame, its greatest external threat in the form of Hannibal during the Second Punic War (covered in Books 21-30), then began a period of unhindered overseas conquest (the beginning of which is recounted in Books 31-45). In Roman historiography, success in these ventures was predicated on domestic stability and political harmony. As such, politics plays a relatively small part in a narrative devoted primarily to foreign affairs and warfare. This thesis is intended in part to explicate how order and cohesion - 'concordia' - is maintained in these books, but it also examines cases in which the political order is disrupted, and considers the implications of this 'discordia' for Livy's conception of the Roman polity. It concludes that these books of Livy's history illustrate Roman politics at its
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