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The histories

Polybius

First published 1889 · 1620 pages

An authoritative, tactical immersion into the military doctrines and political statecraft of the ancient world.

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What it feels like

Reading this text feels like stepping into a nineteenth-century scholar's study, surrounded by maps of the ancient Mediterranean and diagrams of Roman sieges. The pace is steady and deliberate, demanding the reader's full attention as it navigates through dense treatises on military tactics, the defense of ancient strongholds, and the political maneuvering of the Second Punic War. The mood is deeply academic and serious, steeped in the weight of classical antiquity and imperial history. Its prose is analytical and structured, reflecting its nature as a translated compilation of historical and martial doctrines. This is a book that will delight dedicated students of ancient Rome and Greece, offering a granular, tactical look at the mechanics of early empires and classical warfare.

Mood
  • academic
  • serious
  • contemplative
  • antiquarian
Tone
  • scholarly
  • analytical
  • authoritative
  • tactical
Pace
steady
Themes
ancient warfare · imperial expansion · military strategy · political statecraft · historical analysis
The writing
Dense and academic, characterized by translated treatises, tactical breakdowns, and classical historiography.
The arc
The reader moves from a broad view of antiquity into a deeply focused, analytical immersion in ancient military and political mechanics.
Who it's for
History enthusiasts and scholars who crave granular details about ancient Roman statecraft, Greek history, and classical military strategy.
Content notes
  • warfare
  • imperialism

About the book

Translated by Johann Theobald Bion.

"Abhandlung von der Kolonne": v. 1, p. [75]-134.

"Abhandlung von dem Angriffe und der Vertheidigung der Plätze der Alten": v. 2, p. [189]-412, v. 3, p. [35]-202.

"Abhandlung ueber die Staatsklugheit und das Betragen der Römer, während dem zweyten punischen Kriege": v. 4, p. 467-498.

T.p. of v. 7 reads: Anhang zur Geschichte des Polyb, mit den kriegerischen Auslegungen des Herrn Ritters von Folard, enthaltend die neuen Entdeckungen vom Kriege, durch eben denselben; kunstrichterliches Sendschreiben eines holländischen Offiziers [Terson]; und Meynungen eines Kriegsmannes [Savornin] von dem kriegerischen Lehrgebäude des Ritters von Folard; nebst den Antworten auf diese kunstrichterlichen Beurtheilungen...

No. 652 in a collection designated as "Max Reinhardt" in the Special Collections Unit of the State University of New York at Binghamton Libraries.

Description from Open Library.

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