Polybius (Sather Classical Lectures (Paperback))

by Frank William Walbank

As a young man, the historian Polybius was an active politician in the Achaean Confederacy of the second century B.C., and later, during his detention at Rome, became a close friend of some leading Roman families. His History is our most important source for the momentous half-century during which the Romans weathered the war with Hannibal and became masters of the Mediterranean world. F. W. Walbank describes the historical traditions within which Polybius wrote as well as his concept of history.

Genres: Ancient History, History

212 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

Frank William Walbank CBE was a scholar of ancient history, particularly the history of Polybius. He was born in Bingley, Yorkshire, and died in Cambridge. Walbank attended Bradford Grammar School and went on to study Classics at Peterhouse, Cambridge.

Reviews

[Inés Chamarro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Walbank is something of a myth when it comes to Polybius. Whenever you get stuck with what Polybius actually meant when he said something, you are really hoping Walbank picked up the problem, discussed it and can point you in the right direction on who else said what about it. That is the Historical Commentary though, where he dissects Polybius practically line by line and which you cannot expect to read in one go or even go through a couple of paragraphs unless you have the Greek text of Polybius in front of you to cross-reference.

This is a different book, not a reference book but rather a monograph. So I went into it hoping it was a biography of Polybius. On that account, sorry but no cigar. This is more like a collection of essays summarizing all the big subjects that come up when you decide to use Polybius as a source. Did he actually see this or that, or travel to this or that place, and when? In what order where the books written, and was there a rewriting and when? Who were his actual sources and influences? What is his position on the gods or tyche? How does the anacyclosis work and how does the Roman mixed constitution fit into it? How does his theory of causation compare with Thucydides? Is he pro-Roman world domination or not?

All in all I would say this is the perfect introductory work if you have read Polybius but never reflected on him, or have never used it but want to get up to speed before you actually get into his work, or if you are looking for a nice quote to beef up an academic essay. If you are conversant with the issues, it is a wonderful summary. If you read my previous paragraph and didn't know what I was talking about, you will find it roughly like taking up a book on differential equations when, like me, you haven't touched Maths in twenty years- it's written in your language, mostly, and you should be able to understand what it's about, maybe, more or less, if you are really paying attention when you read, but you may need to re-read sections several times before the contents sink in. Great book, though, and I will count it as one of the jewels in my library.

[Tyler Horton · Rating 4 out of 5]

“In short, (Polybius) came to the writing of history, not as a scholar, but rather in the spirit of the Roman senatorial writers, who saw this activity as a complement to their public careers, and also as a man who believed fervently and often repeated that the study of history was the best way of acquiring experience in war and politics.” (33)

“Polybius regards the study of the past as essentially a way to attain practical ends by learning lessons; some of these are of the kind useful to the politician, while others have a moral content - they assist men to bear the various blows of fortune by describing those that have befallen others in the past." (58)

Frank Walbank is 'the' author to read on Polybius. Besides a stack of essays he also wrote a massive historical commentary on the Histories. This smaller volume is from the Sather Classical Lectures series and provides a good starting point to Walbank's work.

These six essays are sort of 'things which Walbank got thinking about' as he worked on the commentary. This is important to note because the book does not set out to be a full introduction to Polybius. Most of the material works in that regard but some of the discussion is more technical or more narrowly focused than is ideal for someone looking for help in a general approach to the Histories. But as these were written first as lectures, the book reads comfortably.

Walbank was a pioneer in bringing focused attention to Polybius. He is a very careful reader of the Histories and was aimed at getting toward what exactly Polybius, who had been neglected in scholarship, was on about. This is definitely worth reading toward that end, but most readers will now be better off starting with Brian McGing's more recent introduction to the Histories.

[Jay Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very much a product of its time but still moving toward an acceptance that authors and human being are not consistent

[Nathan Balyeat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a true history, but a historian's analysis on Polybius's history of the rise of the Romans. It provides indispenable references, support, and context for understanding that ancient work. My only complaint is that it's a series of essays that never quite build on each other, but have to be assessed separately.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book to consult for Polybian scholarship.