Livius apud Livium. À propos du carmen de 207 (Liv. 27,37,7)

Abstract

This paper re-examines Livy’s narrative of the religious crisis of 207 bc, and especially his testimony concerning the carmen composed by a poet named Livius and sung by 27 virgines on the occasion of the expiatory rites in honour of Juno Regina. This account is compared with other passages where Livy deals with other early Latin literary ‘texts’, such as the carmen composed by Licinius Tegula in 200 bc or Menenius Agrippa’s appeal, alongside modern reconstructions of Livius Andronicus’ poetic career, in order to reassess our knowledge of early Latin literature.