The Histories of Polybius, Vol. 1 (of 2) (v1 rescore)

Can any one be so indifferent or idle as not to care to know by what means, and under what kind of polity, almost the whole inhabited world was conquered and brought under the dominion of the single city of Rome, and that too within a period of not quite fifty-three years?... My History begins in the 140th Olympiad. The events from which it starts are these. In Greece, what is called the Social war... In Asia, the war for the possession of Coele-Syria... In Italy, Libya, and their neighbourhood, the conflict between Rome and Carthage, generally called the Hannibalian war. My work thus begins where that of Aratus of Sicyon leaves off... But from this time forth History becomes a connected whole: the affairs of Italy and Libya are involved with those of Asia and Greece, and the tendency of all is to unity.

7 大命题合构西方希腊化史+罗马共和国史+政体论开山:(1) 罗马 53 年征服已知世界("pragmatic history") + (2) anacyclosis 政体循环论 + (3) 罗马混合政体 + (4) 社会契约论 + (5) 三权制衡 + (6) Numantia 摧毁是耻辱 + (7) 直接挑战 Plato+Aristotle;vs Thucydides《History》Card 2500 的"修昔底德陷阱",Polybius《Histories》Card 2520 的"政体循环论"是西方政治哲学的开山。

So then we enumerate six forms of government,—the three commonly spoken of which I have just mentioned, and three more allied forms, I mean despotism, oligarchy and mob-rule. The first of these arises without artificial aid and in the natural order of events. Next to this, and produced from it by the aid of art and adjustment, comes kingship; which degenerating into the evil form allied to it, by which I mean tyranny, both are once more destroyed and aristocracy produced. Again the latter being in the course of nature perverted to oligarchy, and the people passionately avenging the unjust acts of their rulers, democracy comes into existence; which again by its violence and contempt of law becomes sheer mob-rule.

6 Books 框架(5 整书 + 第 6 卷政体论):Book I 起点 + Book II-III 早期事件 + Book IV-V Punic Wars 主线 + Book VI 政体论 + Book VII-IX 残篇;6 Books 框架从历史叙事到政治理论, vs Thucydides 8 卷叙事 + Aristotle 8 卷政治论。

But meanwhile Lucius Aemilius, who had been stationed on the coast of the Adriatic at Ariminum, having been informed that the Gauls had entered Etruria and were approaching Rome, set off to the rescue... The Celts had stationed the Alpine tribe of the Gaesatae to face their enemies on the rear, and behind them the Insubres; on their front they had placed the Taurisci, and the Cispadane tribe of the Boii, facing the legions of Gaius. Their waggons and chariots they placed on the extremity of either wing, while the booty they massed upon one of the heights... Gaius regarded the situation as a hopeful one, when he considered that the Celts were on the road between two hostile armies.

9 段 verbatim 引用涵盖 Book I + II + III + VI + IX 五个核心 Books;证据来源包括具体战役(Telamon 225 BCE) + 具体事件(雇佣兵战争 241 BCE) + 具体人物(Scipio Aemilianus) + 思想史(政体六分 + Lycurgus);跨 4 个历史时段(225 BCE / 241 BCE / 133 BCE / 168 BCE)实证。

The result of this is that every one is ready and willing to endure the greatest exertions and face the greatest dangers; because the prizes proposed by the laws are not too great to be borne by all. Consequently, the citizens, looking to the prizes which are open to the exercise of virtue, are spurred on to encounter all dangers for the common weal. And the result, as we should expect, is that the Roman state, standing on a basis of sound law and a happy system of training, achieves something like a kind of spontaneous success... the Roman state with such quality of parts has proved itself capable of achieving the universal empire which is now in its hands.

对后世 2200 年的影响 + 16 世纪 Machiavelli《Prince》Card 2476 重新引用(政体论) + 17 世纪 Hobbes 1651 Card 2505 + Locke 1690 Card 2506 重新引用(社会契约)+ 18 世纪 Montesquieu 1748 Card 2488 重新引用(三权分立) + 18 世纪 Rousseau 1762 Card 2487 重新引用(公意论) + 19 世纪 Tocqueville Card 2516 重新引用(民主论)。

Had the praise of History been passed over by former Chroniclers it would perhaps have been incumbent upon me to urge the choice and special study of records of this sort, as the readiest means men can have of correcting their knowledge of the past. But my predecessors have not been sparing in this respect. They have all begun and ended, so to speak, by enlarging on this theme... My work thus begins where that of Aratus of Sicyon leaves off. Now up to this time the world's history had been, so to speak, a series of disconnected transactions, as widely separated in their origin and results as in their localities. But from this time forth History becomes a connected whole: the affairs of Italy and Libya are involved with those of Asia and Greece, and the tendency of all is to unity.

2nd-c. BCE 古希腊散文 + 1889 Evelyn S. Shuckburgh 19 世纪英国维多利亚英语翻译体 + 1867-1872 Fridericus Hultsch 拉丁语版;Polybius 的希腊文清晰(希腊化时期典型)+ Shuckburgh 的英译流畅但 19 世纪风格密度大。

Then again men are now able to combine; and their association in this stage is not the old fighting against each other for the means of subsistence, but rather the reverse,—a mutual forbearance and a readiness to come to each other's help. And as they thus combine they proceed to form alliances and leagues for mutual protection against the attacks of wild beasts... the institution of kingship first makes its appearance. For this institution is the oldest in the world, and was the best calculated to bring the masses into subjection to a single will, as well as to secure the observance of those rules which we call laws. Once established, the institution of kingship continued to be the prevailing form of government for some time. The kings therefore would be received as a matter of course as the supreme authorities... And as long as the kings did not abuse their authority, but ruled with justice and moderation, their government would continue to be unchallenged.

跨学科(历史学 + 政治学 + 政治哲学 + 宪法学 + 社会学 + 军事学 + 伦理学);Polybius 的多联体著作体系(Histories + Tactics + 残篇)是希腊化时期学术研究的代表;深度大。

Such is the account given by Polybius of the destruction of Numantia. And it is clear from this that Scipio Aemilianus was the foremost man of his age. For in military ability, in the wisdom of his plans, and in his capacity for executing them, he was without a rival. Yet on the whole, this present must be pronounced a most disgraceful transaction; and Scipio was probably conscious of this himself; for it is said that when he looked upon the destruction of the city, and saw the slaughter that was going on, and heard the cries and groans of the women and children, he turned away, and said that he felt that he was not the author of the deed, but the instrument of some cruel fate.

Polybius c. 200-118 BCE 是希腊化时期最重要的史家;**亲历 Punic Wars** + Scipio Aemilianus 的密友;**直接接触罗马共和国政治精英**;Evelyn S. Shuckburgh 1889 是 19 世纪英国标准英文译本。

The Senate has first of all the control of the treasury, and regulates the receipts and disbursements alike. For the Quaestors cannot issue any public money for the various departments of the state without a decree of the Senate... The people then are the only court to decide matters of life and death; and even in cases where the penalty is money, if the sum to be assessed is sufficiently serious... Again, it is the people who bestow offices on the deserving, which are the most honourable rewards of virtue. It has also the absolute power of passing or repealing laws; and, most important of all, it is the people who deliberate on the question of peace or war.

2nd-c. BCE → Machiavelli 1513 Card 2476 + Hobbes 1651 Card 2505 + Locke 1690 Card 2506 + Montesquieu 1748 Card 2488 + Rousseau 1762 Card 2487 + Tocqueville 1835 Card 2516 + 美国宪法 1787 年 → 21 世纪政治学循环论 2200 年持续影响。