Chapter Four shows how Livy used divination in Books 1 and 5 to emphasise the importance of Roman divinatory institutions and Rome's relationship with the gods. This explains why both authors were aware of the dangers of fabulae but understood how that material could be manipulated to suit their own historiographical purposes. I argue that both Livy and Tacitus were influenced by the character of the annalistic tradition which presupposed the inclusion of prodigies and other religious and divinatory material. I consider briefly the nature of Roman historiography and the influence of poetry and drama and of rhetoric on the Roman historiographical tradition since these encouraged historians to indulge in inventio, in order to flesh out their historiographical narratives. Chapter Three considers why Livy and Tacitus included divinatory material in their histories. I suggest that different types of divination were not practised to the exclusion of all other types, that Livy and Tacitus, in their desire to present a 'traditional' view of Roman divination, were subscribing to a literary construct laid down by Varro and Cicero and they have obscured the plethora of divinatory activity available at Rome. I show too that 'traditional' Roman practice continued to be significant throughout the early Empire. This interest meant Augustus was able to incorporate elements of astrology into his religious 'revival' without causing offence. I suggest that an interest in forms of divination which were not practised by the Roman state was as much a concern for members of the Roman upper classes as it was for the lower classes. In contrast there was a plethora of authors and works that considered less acceptable types of divination, such as astrology. Even where Varro and Cicero seemed to promote a sense of a 'traditional' Roman approach to divination, both engaged with the subject from very different viewpoints. I argue that there was a plurality of views and approaches to divination. The analysis indicates a thriving competitive and mercenary atmosphere of diviners and divination that offered the Roman people an outlet outside of the more rigid practices of the Roman state. The chapter surveys Roman attitudes and approaches to divination from the late third century BC to the early second century AD. The importance of divination at Rome is explored in Chapter Two. The final section of the chapter discusses Feeney (1998) on Literature and Religion at Rome and stresses the importance of regarding divination in Roman historiography as a text which could support the overall historiographical objectives of Livy and Tacitus. I consider four main areas: divination, historiography, Livy and Tacitus. The remainder of the chapter considers modern bibliography and the current scholarly position on divination and Roman historiography. JUPITER ZEUS LEGENDS NEVER DIE FLAC FULLThis examination is supported by a full lexicography of divinatory terms in the appendix. I draw attention to the contradictions between types of divination observed by the Roman state and those observed by individuals in a personal or private capacity. Chapter One considers the meaning of divinatio and the types of diviners and supernatural sign encompassed by the term. The focus of the thesis is why and how they used divination and the extent to which divination supported their historiographical aims. This thesis examines divination at Rome and its role in Roman historiography, with particular reference to Livy and Tacitus.
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