A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

POLY BI US. POLYBI US. 445:impossible to determine. He tells us (iii. 59) of particular men, and laying open their tempers
that he undertook long and dangerous journies and designs, as well in private life as in the affairs
into Africa, Spain, Gaul, and even as far as the of government....... To render, therefore, this
Atlantic, on account of the ignorance which pre- history complete and perfect, it will be necessary
vailed respecting those parts. Some of these to lay open and explain the circumstances and concountries he visited while serving under Scipio, dition of each several people, from the time that
who afforded him every facility for the prosecution the contest was decided which gave to the Romans
of his design. Thus we learn from Pliny (II. N. the sovereignty of the world, to the rise of new
v. 1), that Scipio, during the third Punic war, commotions and disorders. And as these too were
placed a fleet at the disposal of his friend, in order of great importance, and attended with manly uncomthat he might explore the African coast. At a later mon incidents, and as I was myself engaged in the
period of his life he visited Egypt likewise; and execution of some of them, in the conduct and conthis journey must have been taken after the fall of trivance of others, and was an eye-witness of
Corinth, since he was in that country in the reign almost all, I shall undertake the task of relating
of Ptolemy Physcon, who did not ascend the throne them at large, and begin, as it were, a new history."
till B. C. 146 (Strab. xvii. p. 797). It has been This second part, which formed a kind of supconjectured that Polybius accompanied Scipio to plement, comprised the period from the conquest
Spain in B. c. 134, and was present at the fall of of Perseus in B.c. 168, to the fall of Corinth in
Numantia in the followving year, since Cicero B. C. 146. The history of the conquest of Greece
states (ad Fam. v. 12) that Polybius wrote a seems to have been completed in the thirty-ninth
history of the Numantine war. The year of his book; and the fortieth book probably contained a
death is uncertain. We have only the testimony chronological summary of the whole work. (Comp.
of Lucian (MiAacrob. 23), that he died at the age of Clinton, F. H. ad ann. 146.)
82, in consequence of a fall from his horse, as he The subjects contained in each of these parts
was returning from the country. If we are correct are related circumstantially by Polybius in the
in placing his birth in B. C. 204, his death would following passage, which will give the reader the
fall in B.C. 122 best idea of the contents of the work.
The history of Polyblus consisted of forty books. " Having first explained the causes of the war
It began B. C. 220, where the history of Aratus between the Carthaginians and the Romans, which
left off, and ended at B. C. 146, in which year is most frequently called the war of Hannibal, we
Corinth was destroyed, and the independence of shall show in what manner this general entered
Greece perished. It consisted of two distinct Italy, and gave so great a shock to the empire of the
parts, which were probably published at different Romans, that they began to fear that they should
times and afterwards united into one work. The soon be dispossessed even of their proper country and
first part comprised a period of fifty-three years, seat of government: while their enemies, elate with
beginning with the second Punic war, the Social a success which had exceeded all their hopes, were
War in Greece, and the war between Antiochus persuaded that Rome itself must fall, as soon as they
and Ptolemy Philopator in Asia, and ending with should once appear before it. We shall then speak
the conquest of Perseus and the downfal of the of the alliance that was made by Philip with the
Macedonian kingdom, in B. C. 168. This was in Carthaginians as soon as he had ended his war
fact the main portion of his work, and its great with the Aetolians, and settled the affairs of Greece.
object was to show how the Romans had in this Next will follow the disputes between Antiochus
brief period of fifty-three years conquered the and Ptolemy Philopator, and the war that ensued
greater part of the world; but since the Greeks between them for the sovereignty of Coele-Syria;
were ignorant for the nlost part of the early history together with the war which Prusias and the
of Ronle, he gives a survey of Roman history from Rhodians made upon the people of Byzantium;
the taking of the city by the Gauls to the com- with design to force them to desist from exacting
mencement of the second Punic war, in the first certain duties, which they were accustomed to
two books, which thus form an introduction to the demand from all vessels that sailed into the Pontus.
body of the work. With the fall of the Macedonian In this place we shall pause awhile, to take a view
kingdom the supremacy of the Roman dominion was of the form and constitution of the Roman governdecided, and nothing more remained for the other ment; and, in the course of our inquiry, shall ennations of the world than to receive laws from the deavour to demonstrate, that the peculiar temperarepublic, and to yield submission to its sway. But, ment and spirit of their republic supplied the chief
says Polybius (iii. 4), " the view only of the and most effectual means by which this people
manner in which wars are terminated can never were enabled, not only to acquire the sovereignty
lead us into a complete and perfect knowledge, of Italy and Sicily, and to reduce the Gauls and
either of the conquerors or the conquered nations, Spaniards to their yoke, but to subdue the Carsince, in many instances, the most eminent and thaginians also, and when they had completed this
signal victories, through an injudicious use and great conquest, to form the project of obtaining
application of them, have proved fatal and per- universal empire. We shall add, likewise, a short
nicious; as, on the other hand, the heaviest ills digression concerning the fate of Hiero's kingdom
of fortune, when supported with constancy and in Sicily; and afterwards go on to speak of those
courage, are frequently converted into great advan- commotions that were raised in Egypt, after the
tage. On this account it will be useful, likewise, death of Ptolemy, by Philip and Antiochus: the
to review the policy which the Romans afterwards wicked arts by which those princes attempted to
observed, in governing the countries that were share between themselves the dominions of the infant
subdued, and to consider also, what were the king; and the mnannel in which the former of them
sentiments of the conquered states with respect to invaded Egypt, Samos, and Caria; and the latter
the conduct of their masters: at the same time Coele-Sylia and Phoenicia. We then shall make
describing the va!ious characters and inclinations a general recapitulation of all that was transacted