LIVIUS, LIVYUS. Titus Livius, 59 B.C.-A.D. 17, was born at Padua. Little is known of his life. Augustus was interested in his work and seems to have respected him despite his republican sentiments (Tacitus, Annales IV.34). Suetonius records that he encouraged Claudius in his historical studies. His great work, Ab urbe condita libri, originally consisted of 142 books, set out in decades of 10 books, of which 35 are extant. Livy used the annalistic tradition, setting out events year by year, a method adopted by Tacitus. Plutarch and Lucan used his work; Dante, Chaucer, and Jean de Meun seem to have known Livy. The same books known to us were available during the medieval period. Nicholas Trevet (c. 1265-c.1334) wrote a commentary on Livy's great work.

The Physician identifies Livius as his source, PhysT 1, just as Jean de Meun does for his version, RR 5589-5658. Chaucer names Livius as his source for Lucretia's story, BD 1084; LGW 1683; it is more likely that he used RR 8608-8616, where the Jealous Husband commends her suicide and regrets that no Lucretia lives in Rome today. Shannon points out that Chaucer's version resembles Ovid, Fasti II.721-783.

Livius appears in final rhyming position, PhysT 1, BD 1084; Lyvius, a spelling variant, appears in final rhyming position, LGW 1683.