Titus Livius (known as Livy); born 59 B.C.E. in Patavium (present-day Padua); died 17 B.C.E. in Patavium. Livy spent the greater part of his life in Rome, where after a scientific education, he became the teacher of the future emperor Claudius. In contrast to other Roman writers of history such as Sallust or Tacitus, he was not politically active, therefore little is known about his life.
Of the 142 books of his history of Rome "Ab urbe condita" ("From the Founding of the City"), the only known work of Livy, only books 1-10 (753-293 B.C.E.) and books 21-45 (218-167 B.C.E.) remain. The actual scope of the work, which originally stretched into the 9th century B.C.E. (the death of Drusus), is known only by statements on the contents (periochae), excerpts, and fragments.