ABSTRACT
In a short section, at roughly the mid-point in the narrative of Book 24 of his history, Livy very conspicuously highlights the word libertas in his description of the condition of the people – the general citizen body – of Syracuse, over the course of a number of weeks, following the murder of their king Hieronymus in the spring of 214 BC. Libertas was a concept that was highly charged with emotional connotations for a Roman audience, and is used with its affiliates, the adjective 'free', liber, and the verb 'to set free', libero, no less than 17 times between 24.21.3 and 24.26.8. The interaction between the mass and elite in this brief period is made more complex by Livy introducing into the narrative an exceptionally prominent role and actions given to two elite women, both members of the ruling dynasty. As a result, it seems appropriate to argue that the interaction becomes a three-way phenomenon.
