Editing Servius Tullius (section)

===Ancient sources===
The oldest surviving source for the overall political developments of the Roman kingdom and Republic is [[Cicero]]'s ''De republica'' ("On the State"), written in 44&nbsp;BC.<ref>Cornell, p. 2</ref> The main literary sources for Servius' life and achievements are the Roman historian [[Livy]] (59&nbsp;BC – AD&nbsp;17), whose ''[[Ab urbe condita libri (Livy)|Ab urbe condita]]'' was generally accepted by the Romans as the standard, most authoritative account; Livy's near contemporary [[Dionysius of Halicarnassus]], and [[Plutarch]] (c. 46 – 120 AD); their own sources included works by [[Quintus Fabius Pictor]], [[Diocles of Peparethus]], [[Quintus Ennius]] and [[Cato the Elder]].<ref>Cornell, pp. 6, 199–122.</ref> Livy's [[Ab urbe condita libri (Livy)#Livy's sources|sources]] probably included at least some official state records, he excluded what seemed implausible or contradictory traditions, and arranged his material within an overarching chronology. Dionysius and Plutarch offer various alternatives not found in Livy,<ref>Cornell, pp. 21–26.</ref> and Livy's own pupil, the [[Etruscology|etruscologist]], historian and emperor [[Claudius]], offered yet another, based on Etruscan tradition.<ref>For Claudius' theory on Servius' origins, see the text of the [[Lyons Tablet]].</ref>