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Polybius' Histories begin in the year 264 BC and end in 146 BC (Polybius was born around 200 BC and died around 117 BC). He is primarily concerned with the 53 years in which Ancient Rome became a dominant world power.
The importance and magnitude of the subject. Had the praise of History been passed over by former Chroniclers it would perhaps have been incumbent upon me to urge the choice and special study of records of this sort, as the readiest means men can have of correcting their knowledge of the past.
Jul 1, 2024 · Polybius, Greek statesman and historian who wrote of the rise of Rome to world prominence. The Histories, on which his reputation rests, consisted of 40 books, the last being indexes. Books I–V are extant and there are various excerpts for the rest. Learn more about Polybius in this article.
Jul 22, 2015 · Polybius understands himself to be the first writer of “universal history,” wherein he tracks the development of the whole world and weaves together partial histories of Italy, Africa, Greece, and Asia into a complex whole covering roughly 260-146 BC.
Polybius ( / pəˈlɪbiəs /; Greek: Πολύβιος, Polýbios; c. 200 – c. 118 BC) was a Greek historian of the middle Hellenistic period. He is noted for his work The Histories, a universal history documenting the rise of Rome in the Mediterranean in the third and second centuries BC.
Polybius’ overall theme is how and why the Romans spread their power as they did. The main part of his history covers the years 264–146 BCE , describing the rise of Rome, her destruction of Carthage, and her eventual domination of the Greek world.
The discussion which follows in the Introduction contains a summary of the contents of the entire Histories as well as sections presenting Polybius’ views on the important historiographical topics of pragmatikē historia, universal history, and causation (pp. 5-11).
