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Polybius

Also known as Polybius of Megalopolis

Polybius (; , ; ) was an ancient Greek historian of the middle Hellenistic period. He is noted for his Histories, a universal history documenting the rise of Rome in the Mediterranean in the third and second centuries BC. It covers the period 264–146, recording in detail events in Italy, Iberia, Greece, Macedonia, Syria, Egypt and Africa, and documents the Punic Wars and Macedonian Wars among many others.

AI overview

Polybius was an ancient Greek historian who wrote the Histories, a comprehensive account of Rome's rise to power in the Mediterranean during the third and second centuries BC. His work, which covers the period 264–146 BC, provides detailed documentation of major events and wars across Italy, Greece, Egypt, and other regions, making it a valuable source for understanding this pivotal era.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Person · Open Library

Born: ca 200 BCE
Died: ca 120 BCE
Works: 175

Top works

Fragmenta dvo e sexto ...
Pensieri sulla storia e sulla politica
Historiae e ditionem a Ludovico Dindorfio curatam retractavit Theodorus Büttner-Wobst
The Histories
Polybii et Appiani historiarum excerpta vaticana ex collectaneis Constantini Porphyrogeniti

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Music · MusicBrainz

Country: FR

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Listeners · Last.fm

Listeners: 3,564
Total plays: 48,414

Recent publications · Crossref

5 total works indexed

The Histories
· 2010 · cited 44x
The Histories of Polybius
· 2012 · cited 2x
Historiae, Volumen I, Libri I-III
· 1993 · cited 1x
In Support of Strengthening the American Federal System
· 1972
The Histories of Polybius
· 2012

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Quotes

“In all human affairs, and especially in those that relate to war, ...leave always some room to fortune, and to accidents which cannot be foreseen.”
“How highly should we honor the Macedonians, who for the greater part of their lives never cease from fighting with the barbarians for the sake of the security of Greece? For who is not aware that Greece would have constantly stood in the greater danger, had we not been fenced by the Macedonians and the honorable ambition of their kings?”
“There is no witness so dreadful, no accuser so terrible as the conscience that dwells in the heart of every man.”
“For what gives my work its peculiar quality, and what is most remarkable in the present age, is this. Fortune has guided almost all the affairs of the world in one direction and has forced them to incline towards one and the same end; a historian should likewise bring before his readers under one synoptical view the operations by which she has accomplished her general purpose.”
“We can get some idea of a whole from a part, but never knowledge or exact opinion. Special histories therefore contribute very little to the knowledge of the whole and conviction of its truth. It is only indeed by study of the interconnexion of all the particulars, their resemblances and differences, that we are enabled at least to make a general survey, and thus derive both benefit and pleasure from history.”
“All things are subject to decay and change.”

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Key facts

Philosopher.name: Polybius
Philosopher.image: Stele des Polybios.jpg
Philosopher.alt: Grey slab
Philosopher.caption: The stele of Kleitor depicting Polybius, Hellenistic art, 2nd century BC, Museum of Roman Civilization
Philosopher.birth_place: Megalopolis, Arcadia
Philosopher.death_date: (aged approx. 82)
Philosopher.death_place: Roman Greece
Philosopher.occupation: Historian
Philosopher.notable_works: The Histories (events of the Roman Republic, 220–146 BC)
Philosopher.main_interests: History, philosophy of history
Philosopher.notable_ideas: Anacyclosis

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Wikidata facts

Image: Gipsmodelle Wiener Historismus Hofburg-Keller 2012 33 Alois Düll, Polybios.jpg

Show 5 more facts

Commons category: Polybius
date of death: 0129-00-00
date of birth: 0211-00-00
name in native language: Πολύβιος
Commons Creator page: Polybius

Sources (4)

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Works in European collections

36 objects attributed to Polybius, held across European museums, libraries & archives · via Europeana

Polybii Historia. III

Polybiu Megalopolitu Historiōn Ta Sōzomena. Tomi Octavi, Continens Adnotationes Ad Lib. XXXI - XL. Et Indicem Historicvm Et Geographicvm

Polybios stories. 9

Polybii Historia

Polybii Historiae Nicolao Perotto interpr

E VI book Polybii De diversis rebuspublicis

Polibio storico greco Dell'imprese di greci, degli asiatici, di romani, ec. [Texto impreso] :]con due frammenti delle republiche e della grandezza di Roma, e con gli undici libri

Les Histoires... [Printed Text]

Polybiou tou Lykorta Megalopolitou Istoriōn ta sōzomena = Polybii Lycortae F. Megalopolitani Historiarum libri qui supersunt

Polybii Historiarum quae supersunt [Texto impreso]

De la primera guerra entre los romanos y los cartagineses [Manuscrito]

Veteres de re militari scriptores quotquot extant, nunc prima vice in unum redacti corpus [Texto impreso]

Polibio del modo dell'accampare

Les Histoires ... Avec Les Fragmens Ou Extraits ... De La Traduction De P. Du Ryer

De primo bello punico, Leonardo Aretino interprete, libri III Leonardi Aretini de temporibus suis liber I. Plutarchi parallelia, Guarino Veronensi paraphraste, opusculum aureum

Histoire De Polybe Nouvellement Traduit Du Grec Par Dom Vincent Thuillier ... Avec Un Commentaire Ou Un Corps De Science Militaire, Enrichi De Notes Critiques Et Historiques ... Par M. de Folard. (avec planches.)

Les cinq Premiers Livres Des Histoires ... avec trois Parcelles du VI. une du VII. une du VIII. et une du XVI. ... Traduits et mis en lumiere par Louis Maigret (etc.)

Des Polybius Kriegsgeschichte in fünf Büchern, übersetzt von J. W. Benicken

History of Polybius: with the interpretations and annotations of the knight, Mr von Folard, the same one who negotiated the art of war after all its threads. 7

Polybii historiae. 1

Fragment of Greek history from the year 559 to Rome’s construction: translated from French Frey

Polybios stories. 1

De Romanorvm Militia, Et Castrorum metatione Liber utilissimus: ex Polybii historijs per A. Ianvm Lascarem Rhyndacenu [m] excerptus, & ab eodem Latinitate donatus, ipso etiam Graeco libro... adiuncto. Eivsdem A. Iani Lascaris Epigrammata & Graeca & Latina,... Item, Iacobi Comitis Pvriliarvm de Re Militari Lib. II...

Polybii historiae. 2

Polybiu Tu Lykorta Historiōn Ta Sōzomena. [1.1], [Polybiu Tu Megalopolitu Historiōn Bibloi 5]

History of Polybius: with the interpretations and annotations of the knight, Mr von Folard, the same one who negotiated the art of war after all its threads. 6

History of Polybius: with the interpretations and annotations of the knight, Mr von Folard, the same one who negotiated the art of war after all its threads. 4

Polybii Historiarum quae supersunt. 4, Lib. XVII - XXXIX

History of Polybius: with the interpretations and annotations of the knight, Mr von Folard, the same one who negotiated the art of war after all its threads. 2

Polybiu Tu Lykorta Megalopolitu Historiōn Ta Sōzomena. 3

Polybios stories. 2

Polybiu Megapolitu Historiōn Biblia 5 = Polybii Megapolitani Historiarvum Libri Priores Qvinqve

Polybii Historiarum quae supersunt. 3, Lib. VIII - XVI

Historiarum libri quinque

~26 min read

Article

15 sections

Contents

Early life
Personal experiences
At Rome
''The Histories''
Polybius's sources
As historian
Cryptography
Influence
Editions and translations
See also
References
Sources
Ancient sources
Modern sources
External links

Polybius's Histories is important not only for being the only Hellenistic historical work to survive in any substantial form, but also for its analysis of constitutional change and the mixed constitution. Polybius's discussion of the separation of powers in government, of checks and balances to limit power, and his introduction of "the people", all influenced Montesquieu's The Spirit of the Laws, John Locke's Two Treatises of Government, and the framers of the United States Constitution.