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Historian - Polybius

Polybius was an influential second century B.C. historian from Greece. Polybius wrote about various governments and provided data on the Punic Wars from a non-Roman perspective.

Polybius on the Roman Military

From The Histories of Polybius published in Vol. III of the Loeb Classical Library edition.

Analysis of the Roman Government

Roman government allots to the people the distribution of rewards and punishments while the senate has the sovereign power and the consuls have charge of public affairs. The government is a mix of aristocracy, democracy, and monarchy.

Polybius - The Battle of Cannae, 216 BCE

From the Ancient History Sourcebook, an account by Polybius of the Battle of Cannae with Hannibal in the Second Punic War.

Polybius - The Character of Hannibal

Polybius says that like most people Hannibal was both good and bad, although he seems to have been greedy and to have been cruel to the Romans.

Polybius - The Destruction of Corinth, 146 BCE

Polybius compares the destruction of Carthage and that of Corinth, saying the latter was far more of a disgrace.

Polybius - The Roman Maniple vs. The Macedonian Phalanx

From the Ancient History Sourcebook, Polybius writing on the different troop formations, arms, and armor of the Romans and Macedonians.

Polybius - The Third Punic War, 149-146 B.C.

From Ancient History Sourcebook, Polybius Book XXXVI-XXXIX: his account of the Third Punic War.

Polybius - Rome and Carthage Compared

Although similar in government and distribution of powers, Carthage's republic, in decline, had permitted the bulk of the powers to reside in the people whereas the Roman government, still in its prime, vested most of its power in the senate.

Siege of Syracuse - Polybius

Polybius describes Archimedes and the Siege of Syracuse. Site includes an introduction to the siege.

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