Eleanor Finch
Polybius was a Greek historian from Megalopolis in Arcadia who was taken as a hostage to Rome after the Roman victory in the Third Macedonian War (171–168 BC). There, he began to write an account of the rise of Rome to a great power, focusing on the 53 years in which Ancient Rome became a dominant world power. In Book VI of his Histories, Polybius outlines his theory of the cycle of constitutions and describes the Roman constitution as a mixed form of government, with monarchical, aristocratic, and democratic elements existing in stable equilibrium. Polybius's analysis of constitutional change and the separation of powers in government has had a lasting influence, shaping the thinking of figures such as Montesquieu, John Locke, and the framers of the United States Constitution.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Time period covered in "Histories" | 264 BC to 146 BC, with a focus on 221 to 146 BC |
| Subject matter | Rome's rise to supremacy in the Mediterranean |
| Purpose | To narrate the history of the 53 years (220–168 BC) during which Rome became master of the world |
| Description of the Roman constitution | A mixed constitution with monarchical, aristocratic, and democratic elements in stable equilibrium |
| Influence | Influenced the works of Montesquieu, John Locke, and the framers of the US Constitution |
| Key figures | Consuls, Senate, and People |
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What You'll Learn
Polybius's 'Histories'
Polybius, a Greek historian from the city of Megalopolis in Arcadia, wrote 'The Histories' to document the political and military affairs of the Hellenistic Mediterranean between 264 and 146 BC. The work focuses on the years 221 to 146 BC, detailing Rome's rise to power in the Mediterranean and its conquest of Carthage, Macedonia, and the Seleucid Empire.
'The Histories' is divided into 39 books, with the first six books serving as an introduction and covering events before 221 BC, such as the First Punic War, Rome's wars with the Gauls, and the rise of the Achaean League. In Book VI, Polybius outlines his theory of the "cycle of constitutions" or "anacyclosis", describing the Roman constitution as a mixed form of government that combines monarchical, aristocratic, and democratic elements. He attributes Rome's success to its constitution, which allowed it to escape the cycle of revolutions faced by other states with singular constitutions.
Polybius also provides an in-depth analysis of the Roman constitution, describing the powers of the consuls, senate, and people. He notes that each element of the Roman constitution possesses sovereign powers, with a scrupulous regard for equality and equilibrium. The consuls, for example, had absolute power over military preparation and authority in the field, while the senate was responsible for settling controversies, imposing requisitions, and receiving submissions from Italian allies. The people, meanwhile, held the power to decide matters of honour and punishment.
Polybius' work on the Roman constitution has had a lasting influence, shaping the thinking of figures such as Montesquieu, John Locke, and the framers of the United States Constitution. His analysis of constitutional change, the separation of powers, and the introduction of "the people" as a political force have made 'The Histories' a significant work in the study of constitutional theory and the development of Western political thought.
'The Histories' is also notable for being the only substantial Hellenistic historical work to survive, with later books providing eyewitness accounts of significant events such as the sack of Carthage and Corinth in 146 BC, and the Roman annexation of mainland Greece after the Achaean War.
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The Roman Constitution
Polybius, a Greek historian from Megalopolis in Arcadia, was taken as a hostage to Rome after the Roman victory in the Third Macedonian War (171–168 BC). There, he began to write an account of the rise of Rome to a great power. Polybius' Histories documents in detail the political and military affairs across the Hellenistic Mediterranean between 264 and 146 BC, focusing mainly on the years 221 to 146 BC. The work includes eyewitness accounts of the sack of Carthage and Corinth in 146 BC and the Roman annexation of mainland Greece after the Achaean War.
Polybius' Histories is important for its analysis of constitutional change and the mixed constitution of Rome. In Book VI, he digresses into an explanation of the Roman constitution and outlines his famous theory of the "cycle of constitutions" (the anacyclosis). He describes the Roman constitution as having three elements, each with sovereign powers: the consuls, the senate, and the people. The consuls were the supreme masters of administration, the senate managed the empire's foreign affairs and controlled the receipts and expenditures of the exchequer, and the people were the sole fountain of honour and punishment, with the power to summon popular meetings, bring forward proposals, and carry out the decrees of the majority.
Polybius' discussion of the separation of powers in government and his introduction of "the people" influenced the framers of the United States Constitution, including John Adams, who considered him one of the most important teachers of constitutional theory. According to Polybius, the Roman constitution, with its mix of monarchical, aristocratic, and popular elements, enabled Rome to escape the cycle of eternal revolutions (anacyclosis) faced by those with singular constitutions, such as the Greeks and Macedonians.
Polybius' theory of the cycle of constitutions suggests that governments cycle through a process from monarchy to tyranny, aristocracy to oligarchy, and democracy to ochlocracy (mob rule). This theory is based on Aristotle's three integral types of government and their nefarious counterparts. Polybius believed that the Roman constitution, with its mix of different elements, was the strongest form of government, promoting noble acts, a love of virtue, piety towards parents and elders, and a fear of the gods.
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Separation of powers
Polybius, a Greek historian from Megalopolis in Arcadia, was taken as a hostage to Rome following the Roman victory in the Third Macedonian War (171–168 BC). During his time in Rome, he began to write an account of the rise of Rome to a great power, known as "The Histories". The work documents political and military affairs across the Hellenistic Mediterranean between 264 and 146 BC, with a particular focus on the years 221 to 146 BC, during which Rome rose to supremacy in the Mediterranean.
Book VI of The Histories is dedicated to the Roman constitution and is considered the most influential part of the work. In it, Polybius outlines his theory of the "cycle of constitutions" or "anacyclosis". He describes the Roman constitution as a mixed constitution, comprising monarchical, aristocratic, and popular elements that existed in a stable equilibrium. This mixed constitution, according to Polybius, enabled Rome to escape the cycle of eternal revolutions (anacyclosis) faced by states with singular constitutions, such as many of the Greek city-states and Macedonia.
The Roman constitution, as described by Polybius, consisted of three elements: the Consuls, the Senate, and the People. Each of these elements possessed sovereign powers and had a regulated share of power in the state. The Consuls, for example, had absolute power over military preparations and authority in the field. The Senate was responsible for settling controversies and imposing requisitions on Italian allies, as well as handling foreign diplomacy. The People, meanwhile, had the power to authorize matters of state, impose levies, appoint military leaders, and expend public money.
Polybius' analysis of the Roman Constitution and his theory of the separation of powers had a significant influence on political thought and constitutional theory. His ideas influenced philosophers such as John Locke and Montesquieu, and the framers of the United States Constitution. The American Constitution, with its executive, legislative, and judicial branches, bears a resemblance to Polybius' depiction of Rome's system of checks and balances among the three branches of government.
In conclusion, Polybius' work on the Roman constitution, particularly his theory of the separation of powers and checks and balances, continues to be relevant today. His ideas have shaped our understanding of constitutional government and the importance of separating and balancing powers to prevent the abuse of power and promote stability.
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'The People'
Polybius' *Histories* is a detailed account of political and military affairs across the Hellenistic Mediterranean between 264 and 146 BC. The work focuses on the years 221 to 146 BC, detailing Rome's rise to power in the Mediterranean and its conquest of Carthage, Macedonia, and the Seleucid Empire.
Polybius' work is notable for its analysis of constitutional change and the mixed constitution of Rome. He introduces "the people" as one of the three elements of the Roman constitution, alongside the consuls and the senate. Each of these elements possessed sovereign powers, and their respective share of power was carefully regulated to maintain equality and equilibrium.
The people held significant decision-making powers in the Roman constitution. They were responsible for summoning popular meetings, proposing and carrying out decrees, and had a crucial role in war preparations and campaign administration. They could impose levies on allies, appoint military tribunes, select soldiers, and inflict punishments on those under their command. The people also had the authority to expend public money as they saw fit, accompanied by a quaestor.
However, the people's power was not without limits. Matters of state that required authorisation, such as settling controversies or imposing requisitions on Italian allies, fell under the jurisdiction of the Senate. The Senate also handled the reception of foreign ambassadors and answered them. The consuls held absolute power over military preparations and had authority in the field.
Polybius' analysis of the Roman constitution and the concept of a system of checks and balances among its branches had a significant influence on political thinkers such as Montesquieu, John Locke, and the framers of the United States Constitution. His work provided valuable insights into the factors contributing to Rome's success and the stability of its constitution.
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Rome's rise to power
The historian Polybius, a Greek from Arcadia, was taken as a hostage to Rome after the Roman victory in the Third Macedonian War (171–168 BC). There, he began to write an account of Rome's rise to power. Polybius' Histories documents political and military affairs across the Hellenistic Mediterranean between 264 and 146 BC, focusing primarily on the years 221 to 146 BC. During this period, Rome rose to supremacy in the Mediterranean by overcoming its geopolitical rivals: ancient Carthage, Macedonia, and the Seleucid Empire.
Polybius' work is important for its analysis of constitutional change and the mixed constitution of Rome. He describes the Roman constitution as having three elements, each with sovereign powers: the consuls, the Senate, and the people. The consuls were the supreme masters of administration, the Senate managed the exchequer and conducted diplomacy, and the people were the sole fountain of honour and punishment. Polybius believed that Rome's success was due to its mixed constitution, which balanced monarchical, aristocratic, and democratic elements, thus escaping the cycle of revolutions faced by other states.
In his Histories, Polybius also includes eyewitness accounts of the sack of Carthage and Corinth in 146 BC and the Roman annexation of mainland Greece after the Achaean War. Books I-II are an introduction, describing events in Italy and Greece before 221/220 BC, including the First Punic War, Rome's wars with the Gauls, and the rise of the Achaean League. Books III-V cover the affairs of important states at the time, such as Ptolemaic Egypt, Hellenistic Greece, and Macedon, and deal extensively with the First and Second Punic Wars.
Polybius' work has had a lasting influence on political thought. His discussion of the separation of powers and checks and balances influenced the writings of John Locke and Montesquieu, as well as the framers of the United States Constitution. Polybius' analysis of the Roman Constitution and its system of checks and balances among three branches of government is similar to the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the American Constitution.
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Frequently asked questions
Polybius wrote about the Roman constitution in Book VI of his Histories.
Polybius' Histories covers the period from 264 BC to 146 BC, focusing mainly on the years 221 to 146 BC.
Polybius' Histories documents political and military affairs across the Hellenistic Mediterranean, detailing Rome's rise to supremacy in the region.
In Book VI, Polybius outlines his theory of the "'cycle of constitutions' or anacyclosis, describing the political, military, and moral institutions that allowed the Romans to defeat their rivals.
Polybius' analysis of constitutional change and the mixed constitution has been influential. His discussion of the separation of powers and checks and balances influenced the framers of the United States Constitution, among others.
