Polybius

The frequent recent government “shutdowns” exemplify the weaknesses of the American constitution system. If Plato, Aristotle, Polybius, James Madison and Epicurus sat together over lunch to discuss the recent government “shutdown,” they would disapprove of the selfishness and corruption the “shutdowns” are used for. The majority of these men believed the government should look to further the well-being of the nation, yet the “shutdowns” are a clear example that corruption is not allowing the…

In this piece written by Polybius, illustrates how Rome’s concept of rewards and punishment established a great sense of loyalty and dedication. Inside their interpretation of punishment, there are two crucial components. The first is the rules that should never be broken, then the next is the consequences that strikes fear into the fellow soldiers once that line had been crossed. The night watchmen are a good example. For instance, if a soldier is on night watch. He shall never leave his post…

(Freud, 1900, p. 84). Hamlets and Oedipus’ autonomy is questioned as their sexual desires dictate the choices that they make. This is evident as Hamlet procrastinates killing King Claudius and resents his mother Gertrude and his deceased father King Polybius of Corinth as an outcome of his jealously and lust. Unlike Hamlet, Oedipus is oblivious to his marriage and children with his mother Jocasta until the near end when he feels a sense of guilt and recognises his sexual childhood desires, which…

empires ever. There are four main components to have a successful empire, they include, military strength, political organization and administrative presence, a vigorous cultural presence, and a viable economy. Two people that wrote about this were Polybius and Aelius. In addition to them, Simon Baker also wrote about it and had a more modern take on it. In their writings, it is shown that the Roman Empire did have the four components that were needed to become successful, even though it fell in…

The Ethiopians - unlike the Hyperboreans - are a real people but have been imagined by the ancient sources . Similarly, they are described as living in a golden age state in that they are purer, nobler, taller, just and more beautiful than the people at the centre . They also do not practice seafaring – despite their location beside the ocean - and have no want or use for gold . Homer’s Iliad gives the Ethiopians their first appearance in literature and in book I Thetis reports that the gods are…

Carthage, like every other Phoenician city, was first governed by Kings. In case of Rome it was perceived to have united three kinds of government which included monarchy, aristocracy and democracy such that the administration that resulted from their union, made it no easy thing to determine with assurance, whether the entire state was to be estimated as an aristocracy, a democracy, or a monarchy. Therefore to start with, the Carthaginian government was more similar with that of Roman republic…

swords that Romans used was not Roman at all. They were Gladius or Spanish swords (actually derived from Celts/Gauls) that Romans adopted and used. Whilst it is true that scene after the war would look violent even to the ancients like the Greeks (Polybius) could not be equated with innate violence that possessed as Harris…

“Give me liberty, or give me death” is one of the most infamous quotes of the modern age. Reiterated throughout the British colonies in the western hemisphere around the time of the American revolution. Patrick Henry is the one who sparked this idea in the American revolution. However, he found this concept almost directly in the British play, Cato that was written by Joseph Addison in 1713. At the end of Act II, scene 4, Cato declared “It is not now a time to talk of aught but chains or…

THE GREAT WAR BETWEEN ANTIOCHUS AND ROME The Eagle of Rome was rising, and the Western Mediterranean had already fell to its talons. In the East, however, a man was reforging an empire that are been birthed out of the conquests of Alexander the Great. The Empire was that of the Seleucids, and the man was Antiochus III, as per the Encyclopedia of World History’s article “Antiochus” (“Antiochus”). According to Michael Taylor, author of the book Antiochus the Great, The Eastern Mediterranean had…

In the first chapter of William V. Harris’s book, War and Imperialism in Republican Rome, the author makes use of primary sources, such as Polybius, and archeological evidence to analyze Roman attitudes towards war. Since warfare was an integral part of life for the Roman Empire, Harris attempts to provide the reasoning behind their desire to continuously engage in battle. Specifically, in the first half of chapter one entitled, “Roman Attitudes Towards War”, Harris looks at the aristocracy and…