Emma’s Reviews > The Histories, Vol 1: Books 1-2 > Status Update

Well, I certainly could have done without this recount of the Cleomenic War. It had too many not-properly-introduced names in it, and was (I guess) only included because Polybius father was involved, and/or because he as a Greek thought Greek matters are of everyone's interest). Anyhow, that part I found hard to follow as to many names and places were thrown at me as if i read about them in the papers every day.

Fascinating. The Romans won the first Punic War with a host of hostile Celts and many un-submitted and untrustworthy tribes of Italy in their back yard. Fascinating to see how military prowess, technique and resiliance had such other and more immediate meaning in that era.

A feminist he was not, Polybius: "As, with a woman's natural shortness of view, she could see nothing but the recent success and had no eyes for what was going on elsewhere."

Polybius the Greek has me rooting for Hamilcar the Carthaginian during the Libyan war.

Never deploy mercenaries.

Never deploy mercenaries.