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The Rise of the Roman Empire (Penguin Classics) Paperback – February 28, 1980

by Polybius (Author), Ian Scott-Kilvert (Translator), F. W. Walbank (Introduction)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 177 ratings
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The Greek statesman Polybius (c.200–118 BC) wrote his account of the relentless growth of the Roman Empire in order to help his fellow countrymen understand how their world came to be dominated by Rome. Opening with the Punic War in 264 BC, he vividly records the critical stages of Roman expansion: its campaigns throughout the Mediterranean, the temporary setbacks inflicted by Hannibal and the final destruction of Carthage. An active participant of the politics of his time as well as a friend of many prominent Roman citizens, Polybius drew on many eyewitness accounts in writing this cornerstone work of history.

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.
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  1. Print length
    576 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Penguin Classics
  4. Publication date
    February 28, 1980
  5. Grade level
    12 and up
  6. Reading age
    18 years and up
  7. Dimensions
    7.84 x 5.16 x 1.05 inches
  8. ISBN-10
    0140443622
  9. ISBN-13
    978-0140443622
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Polybius (200-118 BC) was a Greek statesman and historian.

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
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 177 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
177 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

N. Ben-horin
5.0 out of 5 stars A masterpiece, and a great lesson on ife
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2020
Verified Purchase
I ordered this book ten years ago, and decided to read it again. For a reason. It's a fascinating account of the evolution of the roman empire and its expansion from the Italian peninsual to the rest of the known world
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.
3 people found this helpful
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D S Book
5.0 out of 5 stars Rome Rising
Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2006
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Our times can be best understood from those that have come prior. Reading Polybius's The Rise of the Roman Empire is one of the good historical sources to assist in this process. A Greek statesman, who saw the rise of Roman first hand and wrote about it.

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.
5 people found this helpful
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John Barchilon
5.0 out of 5 stars Superb
Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 1997
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Finally, a lively, modern translation so we can grasp what that sophisticated Greek was talking about! Earlier translations were stilted and terribly formal, but worst of all they failed to realize that Polybius was trying to save Greece from the excesses that led to her decline. He often digresses into Greek politics to prove to his Greek readers that he knew exactly what was going on, and therefore was neither an outsider nor a turncoat, but rather a patriot explaining that Rome was the new world power and that the warring Greek states would be a lot better off if they traded Roman Law for Greek Civil War. He wrote all this while a prisoner of the Romans, but he had powerful friends -- like the Scipios. He had to be careful about what he wrote on the one hand and yet he had to get his point across. Polybius was in the hot seat. This translation by Ian Scott-Kilvert shows you just how hot that seat was.
13 people found this helpful
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Rachel
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for understanding the strength of the Romans
Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2016
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This is an in-depth, detailed explanation of the Punic Wars as well as the Roman Republic constitution. It is a difficult reading for high school students or older, but Polybius' perspective is truly worth the effort. He promotes the Roman cause and explains in detail why the Romans were so successful, but does not shy away from praising characters on the Carthaginian side, such as the incredible Hannibal.
2 people found this helpful
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Sesho
4.0 out of 5 stars WHERE'S THE THIRD PUNIC WAR?
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2020
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We live in an era when journalism is truly dead. Nobody is interested in causes or patterns or the truth. Nobody is interested in investigating or consulting sources. Lots of new stories are done based only on tweets or hearsay or rumors. Nobody has the time to check or verify anything. It's just constantly flowing information, with no differentiation between lies and facts. And the internet is infinite so there's no reason to condense or weed out the trivial. EVERYTHING is important.

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.
17 people found this helpful
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Summers
5.0 out of 5 stars Roman Empire
Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2012
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The earliest written histories belong to Egypt, but it's Italy's expanding Roman empire that usually sparks the most interest because of it's sheer size. They were said to have brought civilization with their roads, aqueducts, baths, and soldiers. The Hellenization of the world with the spread of Greek philosphy influenced the Romans whose system was then adopted by both European and US government's (are based on Roman law).

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
2 people found this helpful
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William C. Mahaney
5.0 out of 5 stars Is it simply a history?
Reviewed in Canada on December 25, 2023
Verified Purchase
Polybius' Histories is more than a history of how Rome came to dominate the Mediterranean World. Partially, it is a roadmap to the invasion of Italia, put together after he interviewed countless members, veterans of the original invasion. It tis from these interviews that he drew a sketch of the exact route, all traced in Book III to the extent there should be no question of which col his army trekked over onto the Po
R. Plains. The rockfall is the key all worked out by Mahaney et al and published in the journal Archaeometry. Bill Mahaney
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Marthin E. Scherer
2.0 out of 5 stars Primeira compra com a Pinguim depois de tanto tempo e...
Reviewed in Brazil on November 16, 2021
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Depois de tanto tempo querendo comprar The Rise of the Roman Empire acabo tendo uma experiência desagradável. Paguei quase 100 reais e esperei praticamente 1 mês para que o livro chegasse. O produto entregue está na situação apresentada nas fotos. Nunca tive problemas do tipo em todo meu tempo comprando livros na internet e infelizmente foi acontecer logo com esse exemplar.

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.
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Marthin E. Scherer
2.0 out of 5 stars Primeira compra com a Pinguim depois de tanto tempo e...
Reviewed in Brazil on November 16, 2021
Depois de tanto tempo querendo comprar The Rise of the Roman Empire acabo tendo uma experiência desagradável. Paguei quase 100 reais e esperei praticamente 1 mês para que o livro chegasse. O produto entregue está na situação apresentada nas fotos. Nunca tive problemas do tipo em todo meu tempo comprando livros na internet e infelizmente foi acontecer logo com esse exemplar.

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.
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Pushyamitra Deo
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a book or rather i will say undying ...
Reviewed in India on July 25, 2016
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This is a book or rather i will say undying History which must be read by every Indian because it gives definite account of an empire whose glory reverberated around the world
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J
5.0 out of 5 stars What is the problem guys?
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 15, 2013
Verified Purchase
Polybius book; "The Rise of the Roman Empire", is a very good resource for anyone looking at the Roman Republic in it's earlier days.

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.
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Sany176
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on February 27, 2018
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Great view on historical events from an ancient historian.
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