Πολύβιος

E516650

Πολύβιος (Polybius) was a 2nd-century BCE ancient Greek historian best known for his work "The Histories," which analyzed the rise of the Roman Republic and its domination of the Mediterranean world.

All labels observed (3)

Label Occurrences
Polybius 4
Livy 1
Πολύβιος canonical 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (53)

Predicate Object
instanceOf ancient Greek historian
historiographer
political thinker
accompanied Scipio Aemilianus in military campaigns
associatedWith Scipionic Circle
birthDate c. 200 BCE
birthPlace Megalopolis
birthPolity Achaean League
birthRegion Arcadia
citizenship Achaean League
deathDate c. 118 BCE
ethnicity Greek
eyewitnessTo Roman campaigns in Greece
destruction of Carthage in 146 BCE
father Lycortas
fatherOccupation Achaean statesman
focusPolity Roman Republic
focusRegion Mediterranean world
friendOf Scipio Aemilianus
genre universal history
historicalMethod critical use of sources
emphasis on eyewitness testimony
focus on causation in history
use of autopsy (personal inspection of sites)
historicalReputation major source for Hellenistic and early Roman history
hostagePeriod from 167 BCE
influenced Cicero
Montesquieu
Niccolò Machiavelli
early modern theories of separation of powers
knownFor The Histories
analysis of the rise of the Roman Republic
concept of mixed constitution
theory of anacyclosis (cycle of constitutions)
language Ancient Greek
mainWorkBooksPartiallyPreserved books 6–18 in fragments and excerpts
mainWorkBooksPlanned 40
mainWorkBooksSurviving 5 complete books
mainWorkGreekTitle Ἱστορίαι
linked to: Histories
mainWorkSubject Roman domination of the Mediterranean
rise of Roman power
mainWorkTimeSpan 264–146 BCE
mainWorkTitle The Histories
nameInLatin Polybius
occupation historian
military analyst
statesman
politicalAffiliation Achaean League aristocracy
politicalTheoryConcept anacyclosis
mixed constitution balancing monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy
roleInAchaeanLeague hostage negotiator and diplomat
wasHostageIn Rome
workPeriod 2nd century BCE

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (6)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Polybius nameInGreek Πολύβιος
Barqid family source Polybius
linked to: Πολύβιος
Battle of Pydna (168 BC) recordedBy Livy
linked to: Πολύβιος
Gaius Popillius Laenas sourceMention Polybius
linked to: Πολύβιος
Siege of Agrigentum primarySource Polybius
linked to: Πολύβιος
Mamertines of Messana sourceMentionedIn Polybius
linked to: Πολύβιος