Research Case: Why Were Superstition and Foreign Rites Seen as Threats to State Religious Order in Times of Disaster?

A Three-Layer Analysis (TLA) of Livy, History of Rome, Book 4 1. Question Why were superstition and foreign rites seen as threats to state religious order in times of disaster? In Book 4 of Livy’s History of Rome from its Foundation, disasters such as plague, famine, and drought are not treated as mere natural events.They … Read more

Research Case: Why Was Private Food Relief Seen as a Good Deed by the Plebs, but as a Kingship Risk by the State?

A Three-Layer Analysis (TLA) of Livy, History of Rome, Book 4 1. Question Why was private food relief seen as a good deed by the plebs, but as a kingship risk by the state? In Book 4 of Livy’s History of Rome from its Foundation, private food relief is not treated in a simple moral … Read more

Research Case: Why did political decisions require not only rational outcomes, but also procedures justified before the gods?

A Three-Layer Analysis (TLA) of Livy, History of Rome, Book 1 1. Question Why did political decisions require not only rational outcomes, but also procedures justified before the gods? 2. Abstract Political decisions required not only rational outcomes but also procedures justified before the gods because, in the ancient state, it was not enough to … Read more