Polybius: Historian and Politician
Louis XIV
The histories written by Polybius are considered to be essential from historiographic perspective as it gives detailed and comprehensive picture and understanding of the Hellenistic world. His work on the rise and fall of the Roman Empire are considered to be one of the most important and significant works in the field of classical history.[footnoteRef:1] The aim of this research is to investigate and study the historical settings in which Polybius had penned down his most famous work, the Histories in the lights of broad and diverse academic resources. The analysis would be beneficial in understanding the political and social constraints responsible for influencing his work and furthermore, the opinion of his contemporaries and the reception got from critics when Polybius work was completed. [1: Bulloch, A.W., Gruen, E.S., Long, A.A. And Stewart, A. (eds.) (1993) Images and Ideologies: Self-Definition in the Hellenistic World, Berkeley-Los Angeles London]
Background of the Research
Polybius was originally a Greek but lived in the times of Roman Empire. As a historian, he has made significant contributions in the field of classical historiography. The Histories had been written in multiethnic cultural settings. His masterpiece contains several important concepts including the concept that continuous development and diversity are essential for the survival of a government. This diversity must also be embraced in order to promote progression and development. The analysis made by Polybius are unique and logical and based on rational thinking and thus, they form the foundations of modern concepts, which makes the researchers, authors and academics to revisit Polybius.
The research would incorporate thorough and critical analysis and historiography of Polybius in order to understand the atmosphere and settings in which he had written the Histories. Furthermore, what inspired him to write and what factors influenced his writings would also be explored. Histories cover the political system of Rome. According to Polybius, the balance of power can be seen in the Roman system of government. This attitude and perception would be explored and investigated[footnoteRef:2]. The qualities of the Roman system of government would be analyzed and investigated. The historical accounts and narratives would also be discussed and presented in this research. The accounts of Polybius and his contemporaries would be explored in order to get the clear picture of the classical world of that time. [2: Bulloch, A.W., Gruen, E.S., Long, A.A. And Stewart, A. (eds.) (1993) Images and Ideologies: Self-Definition in the Hellenistic World, Berkeley-Los Angeles London]
It is believed that Polybius had laid down the foundations for exploring and studying political and social movements such as the transformation and changes in the structure of the government and the tactics and strategic course of action adopted by the military. This study would concentrate on discussing the war accounts witnessed by Polybius first hand. The Battles of Cannae and Corinth will be discussed. Polybius always concentrated on analyzing factors that gave rise to a trend that gave rise to the military or political trend rather than discussing details. This makes him stand out among his contemporaries and as the pioneer of classical historiography by giving new tools and methods of conducting historiography.
Polybius work, the Histories, is of great significance and form the basis of classical historiography. This essay would mainly concentrate on discussing politics, military actions and the entire process of history itself used in the Histories. For this purpose, brief biography of Polybius would be given including his association and link with the Achaean Confederacy. Roman imperialism and its expansion in Northern parts of Africa would be discussed. Furthermore, the wars which he had witnessed firsthand would also be discussed[footnoteRef:3]. Furthermore, Polybius personal relationships with prominent figures including his companionship with Scipio would be analyzed and explored. Lastly, his contribution in the field of historiography would be analyzed. [3: Clarke, K. (1999a) Between Geography and History: Hellenistic Reconstructions of the Roman World, Oxford ]
Biography
Polybius, a great name in history, is known to be one of the most popular historian of all times. Belonging from the Hellenistic world, he had written a book, the Histories, which covers the history of the period 220 to 146 B.C. His work concentrates on explaining how the Romans came into power and how it had been successful in taking full control of Greece. Furthermore, his work contains the concept of political balance in a government. This concept has been extensively in the Spirit of Laws as well as in forming the Constitution...
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