Polybius Book I, A Commentary

by David D. Phillips

Book cover: Polybius Book I, A Commentary

Extent: 280 pages

Publisher: Michigan Classical Press

Subjects: Classical Studies, Literary Studies

Language: English

Hardback (Published)

(February 2016)

ISBN: 9780979971372

5.98 x 8.98 inches

Price: $65.00

In stock

David D. Phillips presents a commentary on Polybius’ first book. Volume includes the definitive text by Theodor Buttner-Wobst, with detailed commentary on points of linguistic and historical interest, and an introduction to Polybius’ life, the Histories and Polybian language, style, and tone. An index of Greek words is included.


Born about 200 B.C. in Greece to a politically prominent family, Polybius had his own political career cut short when he was deported to Rome as a hostage. During his exile, he commenced the composition of his Histories, with the original goal of examining Rome’s rise to supremacy during the years from 220 to 168 B.C.; later he would extend his investigation down to the aftermath of the Third Punic and Achaean wars, which ended in 146 B.C. Of the original forty books of the Histories, today only the first five survive essentially intact, with most of the remaining books represented by fragments of various lengths. In this volume, David D. Phillips presents a commentary on Polybius’ first book. The volume includes the definitive text by Theodor Buttner-Wobst, together with detailed commentary on points of linguistic and historical interest, and an introduction to Polybius’ life, the Histories (with special attention to book 1), and Polybian language, style, and tone. An index of Greek words is also provided.

  • By (author) David D. Phillips

"Teachers and students reading Polybius in Greek will find this commentary to be a useful asset for understanding the language and context of the first book of the Histories. [...]I recommend this commentary as a companion text for students reading Polybius in Greek at the advanced undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, or early graduate levels." --Daniel Walker Moore, University of Virginia, Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2017.11.54 "As a volume whose primary purpose is to introduce the reader to the intricacies of Polybius' Greek, it works very well and allows the reader to concentrate on the language unimpeded by tangential concerns. [...]It will no doubt open doors to the teaching, analysis , and reception of Polybius." --Emma Nicholson, University of Exeter, Histos 12 (2018)
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