ἀνθρώποισι πᾶσι μέτεστι γινώσκειν ἑωυτοὺς καὶ σωφρονεῖν.
The sea known as the Pontus is very nearly twenty-two thousand stades in circumference and has two mouths exactly opposite each other, one communicating with the Propontis and the other with the Palus Maeotis, which itself has a circumference of eight thousand stades. Continue reading “Polybius’ description of Pontus and Byzantium”
The Arcadian nation on the whole has a very high reputation for virtue among the Greeks, due not only to their humane and hospitable character and usages, but especially to their piety to the gods. Continue reading “Ancient Arcadia; interesting notions on Music by Polybius”
Hasdrubal, the Carthaginian commander in Iberia, after fitting out during the winter the thirty ships his brother had left him, and manning ten others, put out at the beginning of summer from New Carthage with his fleet of forty decked ships, appointing Hamilcar his admiral. Continue reading “The events that led many Iberians to abandon the Carthaginians and ally with Rome”
On the news of the defeat reaching Rome the chiefs of the state were unable to conceal or soften down the facts, owing to the magnitude of the calamity, and were obliged to summon a meeting of the commons and announce it. Continue reading “Extreme conditions impose extreme measures: The Romans elect a Dictator after the battle of lake Thrasymene”
In the early spring (217 B.C.) Gaius Flaminius with his army advanced through Etruria and encamped before Arretium, while Gnaeus Servilius advanced as far as Ariminum to watch for the invasion of the enemy from that side. Continue reading “The battle of lake Thrasymene (or Trasimene) in Etruria between the Romans and Carthaginians”
During this time Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio, who, as I said, had been left by his brother Publius in command of the naval forces, sailing from the mouths of the Rhone with his whole fleet to the place in Spain called Emporium, and starting from there made a series of landings, reducing by siege the towns on the coast as far as the Ebro, which refused his advances, but bestowing favours on those which accepted them and taking all possible precautions for their safety. Continue reading “Τhe state of matters in Spain on the time of Hannibal’s arrival to Italy”
