ABSTRACT
Recent excavations have increased our knowledge about the early history of Rome. However, the construction of the modern city of Rome above the ancient city limits the extent of archaeological excavation that is possible. The early traditions of Roman religion are described by the Roman historian Livy in his History of Rome from Its Foundation. As a historian, Livy was less concerned with literal accuracy and less critical of his sources than other ancient historians, such as Thucydides. According to Roman mythology, Egeria, one of the nymphs of the springs as well as a birth goddess and a prophetess, instructed Numa on the religious rites which he should establish in Rome. Children of upper-class Roman families were tutored by Greeks and thus learned to speak Greek at an early age, and to appreciate Greek learning. The Temple of the "Sibyl" at Tivoli is an example of the integration of Greek elements with Roman forms.
