Polybius' Histories - McGing, B. C. (Oxford University Press, 2010)
Includes bibliographical references and index
Polybius' Histories is one of classical antiquity's great political narratives. Written in 40 books (of which only the first five are preserved in full), it originally set out to explain the dramatic rise of Rome in the half century from the war against Hannibal to the defeat and abolishment of the Macedonian kingdom in 167 BC. At a later stage, Polybius extended his coverage down to the Roman destruction of Carthage and Corinth in the year 146 BC. Although written in an ordinary Greek style, the work was composed with great care, clarity and skill, and provides a fascinating discourse on the
And organization of the work -- The historian's task -- Art and history: the narrative of books 4 and 5 -- The historian as Homeric hero -- The political theorizing of book 6 -- Epilogue: Into the future -- Appendix: Outline of the work -- Prominent persons