The development of literature throughout Roman history began in the third century B.C. and progressed through to the Renaissance. Writings were composed in the Latin language with a substantial influence from Greek literature in the beginning. A few notable writers in the Roman history will be discussed here.
Marcus Porcius Cato the Elder was a prominent figure in politics and Latin prose during the early development of Roman society. Cato was born 234 BC in Tusculum, Italy and died 149 BC in Rome, Italy. He was a Roman statesman and historian and well known for his conservative views. Cato produced the first history of Rome in the Latin language incorporated into a total of seven books called Origines of which today only few fragments survive. Cato’s De Agri Cultura is the oldest surviving complete work of the Latin writing style which provides an insightful view of Roman culture of the time. Additionally, Cato wrote around one hundred and fifty speeches of various topics through his lifetime, all of which concluded with “Carthago delenda est” or “Carthage must be destroyed”. Cato’s participation in the Second Punic War left him with his well-known hatred for Carthage …show more content…
His birth and death occurred approximately 59 BC-17 AD in Padua, Italy. Livy is noted for his philosophical effect on the approach of historical writing as a result of his life’s work, a seven hundred and seventy year history of Rome titled Ab Urbe Condita. His composition included one hundred and forty-two books of which only around thirty-six survive and provide an understanding of general knowledge of Roman history up to the end of the Roman Republic. Livy became vastly renowned during his lifetime but appreciation for his work declined in the future due to its immense length and was not picked up again until the
Marcus Porcius Cato the Elder was a prominent figure in politics and Latin prose during the early development of Roman society. Cato was born 234 BC in Tusculum, Italy and died 149 BC in Rome, Italy. He was a Roman statesman and historian and well known for his conservative views. Cato produced the first history of Rome in the Latin language incorporated into a total of seven books called Origines of which today only few fragments survive. Cato’s De Agri Cultura is the oldest surviving complete work of the Latin writing style which provides an insightful view of Roman culture of the time. Additionally, Cato wrote around one hundred and fifty speeches of various topics through his lifetime, all of which concluded with “Carthago delenda est” or “Carthage must be destroyed”. Cato’s participation in the Second Punic War left him with his well-known hatred for Carthage …show more content…
His birth and death occurred approximately 59 BC-17 AD in Padua, Italy. Livy is noted for his philosophical effect on the approach of historical writing as a result of his life’s work, a seven hundred and seventy year history of Rome titled Ab Urbe Condita. His composition included one hundred and forty-two books of which only around thirty-six survive and provide an understanding of general knowledge of Roman history up to the end of the Roman Republic. Livy became vastly renowned during his lifetime but appreciation for his work declined in the future due to its immense length and was not picked up again until the