Polybius' Histories

by Brian McGing

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 politics of power. The author was himself a leading Greek politician and general who moved at ease among the most powerful men of the day and participated in many of the events that he describes. This volume provides an accessible introduction to this important work of classical literature. Beginning with an outline of its contents and organization, Brian McGing goes on to examine Polybius' theoretical approach to writing history and the careful artistry behind his work. Later chapters discuss Polybius' eventful life and how it affected his views on history and politics, and analyze the influential theorizing of book six of the Histories. In an epilogue, McGing chronicles the fate of Polybius' work after his death, from classical antiquity to the Renaissance to the American Revolution and up to the present. The volume includes detailed maps and a list of prominent persons.

Genres: History, Ancient History, Classics

288 pages, Hardcover

First published March 24, 2010

About the author

Brian C. McGing (who also publishes as B.C. McGing) is Regius Professor of Greek in the Department of Classics of the School of Histories and Humanities at Trinity College Dublin, where he was elected a Fellow in 1989 and is now Fellow Emeritus. He was Elected Member of the Royal Irish Academy in 2004, and Foreign Member, Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium, in 2008. He describes himself as "primarily a Greek papyrologist and historian of the Hellenistic period."

Reviews

[Tyler Horton · Rating 4 out of 5]

“(Polybius' Histories) was not a masterpiece of literary style, although it was constructed with greater artistry than is usually recognized, and over the ages it suffered serious losses, so that it has come to the modern world in diminished and fragmentary form. Even burdened with these imperfections, it has retained its fascination as a story of imperial rise (and decline) and its ability to stimulate imaginative responses.”

A helpful guide to reading Polybius and understanding his place among the ancient historians as well as his reception up to the modern period. This is a pretty straightforward book which is written well. I think it is best read after reading some of the Histories itself. McGing is looking to polish up Polybius' reputation but does not appear to succumb to the temptation to overstate his case.