Polybius and the principles of his historical investigation: some remarks

Abstract

 This article deals with some of the central issues in the work of the Greek historian Polybius, emphasizing its metahistorical conceptions (how did Rome conquer the known world in about 50 years) and its relations with the theory of “anacyclosis”. With that in mind, I will try to present the debate on the so-called “pragmatic history” by Polybius and the mixed constitution of the Romans, as a way to cast light on the abovementioned elements according to Polybius himself