curam expiandae
uiolationis eius templi prodigia etiam sub idem tempus pluribus locis nuntiata
accenderunt. in Lucanis caelum arsisse adferebant, Priuerni sereno per diem
totum rubrum solem fuisse, Lanuui i<n> templo Sospitae Iunonis nocte
strepitum ingentem exortum. iam animalium obsceni fetus pluribus locis
nuntiabantur: in Sabinis incertus infans natus, masculus an femina esset, alter
sedecim iam annorum item ambiguo sexu inuentus; Frusinone agnus cum suillo
capite, Sinuessae porcus cum capite humano natus, in Lucanis in agro publico
eculeus cum quinque pedibus. foeda omnia et deformia errantisque in alienos
fetus naturae uisa: ante omnia abominati semimares iussique in mare extemplo
deportari, sicut proxime C. Claudio M. Liuio consulibus deportatus similis
prodigii fetus erat.
--Livy, Ab Urbe Condita, XXXI.12
Furthermore, the fact that numerous bad omens
were reported in many places at that time period encouraged the Romans to
expiate the violation of the Temple of Persephone [in Locri]. For in Lucania,
they say that the sky burned red; at Privernum, the sun was red throughout the
entire day, even though the sky was clear; at the Temple of Juno Sospita in
Lanuvium, a giant crash was reported. Furthermore, unusual births were
announced in many places: among the Sabines, a child of uncertain sex was born,
and another person of ambiguous sex was found at the age of sixteen. At Frusino
a lamb was born with a pig’s head; at Sinuessa, a pig was born with a human
head; and on public land at Lucania, a colt was born with five feet. These
unhealthy omens and misshapen births seemed to show nature straying into
different paths: of all these omens, the ill-omened intersex children were immediately
ordered to be dragged out to sea, as similar children had been treated during
the consulship of C. Claudius and M. Livius.
LIVY
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MAP:
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Name: Titus Livius
Date: 60 BCE – 15 CE
Works: Ab Urbe
Condita*
Periochae
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REGION 1
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BIO:
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Timeline:
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Livy was born in Patavium (Cisalpine Gaul, located in northern Italy)
and lived during the tumultuous transition of Roman government from republic
to monarchy. Unlike other peers in his social class, Livy was no statesman. Although
he was in the same political network of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, he never
participated in politics. Instead, he devoted his life to his magnum opus,
a 142-volume history of Rome called the Ab Urbe Condita. As its title
suggests, this book contains nearly eight hundred years of history, spanning
from Aeneas’ mythical flight from Troy to contemporary events during the reign
of the emperor Augustus. Unfortunately, only thirty-five of these books remain;
the remaining volumes only exist in summary forms (called Periochae). Although his histories were not sponsored by
Augustus or the Roman government, Livy nevertheless wrote his history with a
didactic purpose, intending for his book to reinforce gender roles and
virtues, as well as showcase the glory of the Roman past.
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GOLDEN AGE ROME
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