author
Polybius
A Greek statesman turned historian, he set out to explain how Rome rose so quickly to dominate the Mediterranean. His work is still valued for its clear-eyed reporting, practical approach, and firsthand feel for politics and war.
2 Audiobooks
The Histories of Polybius, Vol. 2 (of 2)
by Polybius
The Histories of Polybius, Vol. 1 (of 2)
by Polybius
About the author
Born in Megalopolis in Arcadia around 200 BC, Polybius grew up in a politically active family and became involved in the affairs of the Achaean League. After Rome defeated Macedon, he was taken to Rome in 168 BC as one of many Greek hostages, a change of fortune that gave him unusual access to Roman leaders and institutions.
That experience shaped his great work, The Histories, a sweeping account of the years 264 to 146 BC and of Rome’s rise to power. Polybius believed history should be based on inquiry, travel, eyewitness testimony, and practical knowledge of public life, which gives his writing a grounded, almost modern tone.
Only part of The Histories survives in full, but Polybius has remained influential for centuries. Readers still turn to him not only for his account of the Punic Wars and the wider Mediterranean world, but also for his reflections on government, fortune, and the ways states gain and lose power.