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The Rise of the Roman Empire (Penguin Classics) Paperback – February 28, 1980
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For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
- Print length576 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherPenguin Classics
- Publication dateFebruary 28, 1980
- Grade level12 and up
- Reading age18 years and up
- Dimensions7.84 x 5.16 x 1.05 inches
- ISBN-100140443622
- ISBN-13978-0140443622
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About the Author
F.W. Walbank has published numerous works on ancient Greece.
Ian Scott-Kilvert has also translated Plutarch's works for Penguin Classics.
Product details
- Publisher : Penguin Classics; Reprint edition (February 28, 1980)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 576 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0140443622
- ISBN-13 : 978-0140443622
- Reading age : 18 years and up
- Grade level : 12 and up
- Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
- Dimensions : 7.84 x 5.16 x 1.05 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #48,192 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #9 in Classic Roman Literature
- #19 in Ancient & Classical Literature
- #1,724 in Classic Literature & Fiction
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in less then fifty years. The instructive and philosophical pause which Polybius employs as he describes some
of the greatest events and most epic battles in history is enriching and fascinating. As he states from the
outset, his goal is to make his writings "profitable". And they are indeed. I read some reviews and was surprised
to find out, that some parts of the writings were left out. Still, we're talking five hundred pages. But, it's an
easy fast read, a page turner, and you will come out on the other side, a wiser person. Lastly, the translation
is in and in itself, a work of art, deserving of praise.
Greece was waning in 200 BC and Roman was rising and the Mediterranean gained a new empires. His book is more a personal overview and historical discussion of the events in tune to Tocqueville's Democracy in America, but less a study like the brilliant Capitalism and Civilization in the 15th to 18th Century by Braudel. If you like reading the Roman histories from Livy, this will give you an understanding of the early part of the history, while still a republic. Learn about the effect of Hannibal and the destruction of Carthage in 146 BC.
It is just sad that a lot of his other writings have been lost to us.
We also live in an era where America and its ideals are waning and running out of energy. Its decadence and decay are apparent everywhere you look. The American flag is seen as a symbol of freedom no longer but of facism. People are shamed or even ATTACKED for showing pride in their country. I'm just glad I'm old enough that I won't have to see its true end. Only the beginnings of that end.
To me, the author of this book, Polybius (c.200-118BC) was what journalists USED to be like in America. He was very interested in getting the facts right. He tried to be as objective as he could be without letting his personal prejudices influence what he was writing about. He wanted to educate people about the world. He thought he was doing something important. He visited the places he wrote about instead of sitting in his office surfing the net. He was involved in the wars and politics of his day. He interviewed and knew people involved in the historical events he was depicting. Everything he was doing 2000 years ago is what the media should be doing now.
The main theme of The Rise of the Roman Empire was for Polybius to tell the world how Rome, an undistinguished city at the time, came to conquer what was then the known world. How it became the superpower of its time. He also wanted to document events to educate generations in hopes that they would find wisdom and inspiration to do the right thing at the right time through noting the actions of the leaders of Rome and Carthage.
Rome's rise is depicted mainly through the prism of the Punic Wars, a series of three wars fought between Rome and Carthage and their allies. The book begins with the origins of the first war and ends with the destruction of Carthage in the third. Along the way Polybius also informs us what was going on simultaneously in other parts of the Mediterranean, such as Egypt and Greece. Polybius strays from the Punic Wars because he saw this era as a time when the Mediterranean was an organic whole with each part having influence on each other through war and trade.
What I loved about this book is that Polybius was alive during parts of the history and was personally involved in the Punic Wars because he was really good friends with Scipio, one of the greatest Roman generals of all time. He was given access to people, sources, and lands to do his research.
I think Polybius's original work was about 40 volumes. This is merely a selection of the existing books. A complaint I have is what the editors or translator chose to include in The Rise of the Roman Empire. Scott-Kilvert does a really good job with the 1st and 2nd Punic Wars, but there is only about ONE PAGE covering the 3rd. I have no clue as to what happened to make the Romans totally destroy Carthage or even who was involved or what led up to it. But yet the translator wastes a lot of pages including events in Greece, Egypt, and even a long section about Polybius evening scores with a fellow history writer. I'm going to have to read another work or book to find out what went on in the Third Punic War. Very unfortunate choice of what to include and not include in this book.
Something else I liked about Polybius is that he knew he was writing about Rome in its prime. He believed that all governments descend into destruction on a long enough timeline. He was aware that he was living in Rome's Golden Age, before the decadence and insanity of it becoming an empire. Scipio was the opposite of Ceasar. He was not in the Punic Wars to crown himself king or emperor. He was serving Rome and always remembered it was a privelage to serve his city. He could very easily have seized power and done whatever he wanted. But at the conclusion of the wars, he quietly retired. Carthage too was in its prime. Everything and everyone needs a competitor to bring out the best in each other. So it was very interesting to see these two powers playing chess games through war and diplomacy.
To me, Polybius acheived his goals. I understood how Rome became the superpower of its time. And I also gained a lot of wisdom and insights into my OWN time and place. I think after World War 2 we were like Rome at the conclusion of the Punic Wars. The world was its oyster for a time. But as soon as we didn't have a true toe to toe enemy with the collapse of Russia, the spiritual and material decay began to set in. Maybe China is our rival now but we owe them so much money and are so economically dependent on their manufacturing, we are more their slave than anything else.
I wanted to try different authors who were describing their own time period (first-hand accounts) but had poor sources for early time periods. Fighting in Africa and the Alps in Northern Italy. Hannibal versus Scipio and others. His elephants mostly die in the cold, but an impressive feat marching an army through those mountains. Much of these histories is written as year by year calendar record of notable events (tabulated). 300BCE before the common era
Top reviews from other countries
R. Plains. The rockfall is the key all worked out by Mahaney et al and published in the journal Archaeometry. Bill Mahaney
A capa e a estrutura do livro é extremamente mole e sofre danos facilmente, além de contar com páginas amassadas e misteriosas folhas com papel extra.
Enfim, vou ter que dar um jeito de por o livro em um estado um pouco melhor e acabo ficando com receio de comprar com a Pinguim novamente.
Reviewed in Brazil on November 16, 2021
A capa e a estrutura do livro é extremamente mole e sofre danos facilmente, além de contar com páginas amassadas e misteriosas folhas com papel extra.
Enfim, vou ter que dar um jeito de por o livro em um estado um pouco melhor e acabo ficando com receio de comprar com a Pinguim novamente.
Ignore reviews, saying it lacks depth of a full history or that it is not chronological. These people clearly lack the knowledge that this fine text is simply a selection of his many histories of the Roman Empire. He wrote over 40 in total, but this book is from extracts of the six complete ones we currently have.
Polybius is recognized as providing one of the (and possibly the most) authoritative history of the early Roman Republic.
I strongly advise this book, especially if you are a academic. You cannot really claim to know that much about the the early Roman Republic without knowing Polybius's works, especially this text.
For non-academics I would say that the book is very readable and the translation is great. Since the book is not in narrative form, I would suggest you do not read it unless you have some prior knowledge of the time, especially the; Punic, Macedonian, Illyrian and Seleucid Wars.