Assignment for Wednesday, February 4:

Read: Polybius, selections from Books 12-15.19 (pp. 429-82 in Penguin)

Things to think about:

• Polybius’ criticisms of the historian Timaeus are a distinctive feature of his History. Identify one such criticism – and then locate a moment or passage in Polybius’ text where he surpasses Timaeus (i.e., avoids doing that which he criticizes Timaeus for doing)…or does exactly that which he criticizes Timaeus for doing. Be prepared to spend about 5-10 minutes or so presenting and discussing what you find.

• One of the most distinctive moments in Polybius’ History is the meeting between Scipio and Hannibal in Book 15. Spend some time comparing the two speeches – Hannibal at 15.6-7 (pp 470-71) and Scipio at 15.8 (pp. 471-72). And then look carefully at the pre-battle speeches of both men at 15.10 and 15.11 respectively. Who has the stronger arguments? Who comes off as the wiser commander/leader? How do these compare to the speeches you’ve read in Thuc. – esp. that of Nicias prior to the battle in the great harbor? What would you deduce to be Polybius’ views on speeches in historical writing? Similar to Thucydides’…or much different?

• If you were Thucydides, how might you have written differently the battle of Zama?

Looking ahead (so you might want to go photocopy this now, before the week is out): For Monday I’ll ask you to read pp. 1-56 in Mary Jaeger’s Livy’s Written Rome – copy on our reserve shelf in Odegaard