Why did Livy give less attention to comparing conflicting historical sources?

Livy’s approach to history was primarily driven by a desire to illustrate moral lessons and character studies rather than to achieve rigorous scholarly accuracy. Because he viewed history as a record of human experience intended to provide examples and warnings for his contemporaries, his focus remained on constructing meaningful moral episodes.1

Consequently, Livy showed little interest in the antiquarian research of his time and did not prioritize the comparison or critical evaluation of conflicting historical sources. Instead, he was generally content to adopt an existing version of events—often from authors like Polybius—and reshape the narrative to emphasize the character and virtues of the leading figures involved. For Livy, the technical task of reconciling discrepancies was secondary to his goal of making history "alive and meaningful" for his generation.1