Second Punic War: evaluate Carthages chances to victory Polybius points this out when giving his final thoughts on the First Punic War (1 63-64): 'It had lasted without a break for twenty-four years and is the longest, most unintermittent, and greatest war we know of
Why the Roman legion was superior to the Macedonian phalanx Polybius is the go-to man for this question Not only did he live during an era where a Roman legion facing a Macedonian phalanx still fell under the category of "current events," he had first hand experience with the Greek way of war as he had served as a cavalry officer in his youth
Best editions of Roman historians? - History Forum Can anyone recommend the best English translations of the Roman historians: Livy, Sallust, Suetonius, Tacitus, Cassius Dio, Plutarch, Polybius, Diodorus Siculus, Columella? I am looking especially for accuracy and readability; some annotation would be nice Thanks
Mago Barca - History Forum Polybius estimates the number at 70,000 foot and 4000 horse, while Livy gives a figure of 50,000 foot and 4500 horse Whatever the figures, Scipio was likely outnumbered – his force amounted to 45,000 infantry, and 3000 horse
Book: The Zama Campaign Reconstructed: Forgotten Battles Massinissa`s . . . Livy’s re-narrativising of Polybius can be fascinating; he recast history as a moral and national story that the Augustan-era gentry clearly loved Appian, too, describes the main battle in essential accord with Polybius and Livy, and likewise records the final peace terms, including the surrender of Carthage’s war galleys
Why did some nations have an aristocratic social elite warrior class . . . I am curious to know why some nations develop an socially elite aristocratic warrior class, like European knights or Japanese samurai, while other do not Knights and Samurai were expected to be martially trained, and they were the ones with wealth (and sometimes men, ofcourse poor knights and
What was the Siege of Saguntum? - History Forum Polybius (ii 3) says re the treaty of 226 BC: "Accordingly, after having sent envoys to Hasdrubal and made a treaty, in which no mention was made of the rest of Spain, but the Carthaginians engaged not to cross the Ebro in arms,"
The founding fathers based the US on the Roman Republic. How were they . . . Madison’s well-known attempt to justify a large republic was in response to Machiavelli’s and Montesquieu’s contention that large republics were unstable and highly susceptible to destructive faction – “faction” being a word Machiavelli used commonly and Polybius described, apparently without using the word
Difference between Ancient Greeces tyranny and monarchy? Polybius is an alright place to start In book 6 of his Histories, he lays out constitutions; his ultimate goal is to explain the supremacy of Rome during his time period (200-120 BCE) So perhaps his view of forms of government is subject to his historiographical objectives, and perhaps they are the product of his Hellenistic time period