Transcriber’s note:
This book was published in two volumes, of which this is the first. The second volume was released as Project Gutenberg ebook #44126, available at http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/44126. Where possible, references to the second volume in the text are linked to the version at Project Gutenberg.
Following entries in the Index in Vol. II. are erroneous, as there is no Chapter 15 in Book XXXIV and no Chapter 59 in Book VI.:
Sallentini, a tribe in Calabria. 34, 15, Rhyncus, in Aetolia, 6, 59, Morini, a Gallic tribe, 34, 15, Mauretania, 34, 15, Lugdunum, a town in Gaul, 34, 15. and there are no references in the text related to these entries.
The cover image was created by the transcriber and is placed in the public domain.
TRANSLATED FROM THE TEXT OF F. HULTSCH
BY
EVELYN S. SHUCKBURGH, M.A.
LATE FELLOW OF EMMANUEL COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE
IN TWO VOLUMES
VOL. I
London
MACMILLAN AND CO.
AND NEW YORK
1889
All rights reserved
TO
F. M. S.
IN GRATITUDE FOR MUCH PATIENT HELP
This is the first English translation of the completeworks of Polybius as far as they are now known. Inattempting such a task I feel that I ought to statedistinctly the limits which I have proposed to myselfin carrying it out. I have desired to present toEnglish readers a faithful copy of what Polybiuswrote, which should at the same time be a readableEnglish book. I have not been careful to follow theGreek idiom; and have not hesitated to break upand curtail or enlarge his sentences, when I thoughtthat, by doing so, I could present his meaning in moreidiomatic English. Polybius is not an author likely tobe studied for the sake of his Greek, except by a fewtechnical scholars; and the modern complexion of muchof his thought makes such a plan of translation bothpossible and desirable. How far I have succeeded Imust leave my readers to decide. Again, I have notundertaken to write a commentary on Polybius, nor todiscuss at length the many questions of interest whicharise from his text. Such an undertaking would haverequired much more space than I was able to give: andhappily, while my translation was passing through thepress, two books have appeared, which will supplyEnglish students with much that I might have feltbound to endeavour to give—the Achaean leagueviiiby Mr. Capes, and the sumptuous Oxford edition ofextracts by Mr. Strachan-Davidson.
The translation is made from the text of Hultschand follows his arrangement of the fragments. If thiscauses some inconvenience to those who use the oldertexts, I hope that such inconvenience will be minimisedby the full index which I have placed at the end ofthe second volume.
I have not, I repeat, undertaken to write a commentary.I propose rather to give the materials forcommentary to those who, for various reasons, do notcare to use the Greek of Polybius. I have therefore inthe first five complete books left him to speak forhimself, with the minimum of notes which seemednecessary for the understanding of his text. The caseof the fragments was different. In giving a translation