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| Title: The Construction of the Sixth Book of Polybius Volume: 4 (3/4) Pages: 97-122 Type: Journal Article Year: 1954 Abstract: The authors argue that the previously articulated view of Book VI of Polybius as an inconsistent compilation is incorrect and misleading. The position they take is a reversal of Walbank's position as articulated in a paper he had published a decade earlier.1 Walbank and Brink purport that the structure of Book VI was not one of a layered history, but that a modified 'unitarian' view of the work is the most appropriate and correct. The authors approach the issue from two different areas of expertise: one focuses on Cicero's philosophic works and other treats in depth the scholarship surrounding Polybius. They claim that many of those who have taken the unitarian approach before them have overestimated the degree to which the book is logically holistic. They recognize that while the book is a unified whole, it is a complex and somewhat confusing whole. In this paper they examine the book in considerable depth, to explore its unity or lack thereof. The first section notes a methodological error employed by some scholars in examining the 6th book in isolation from the entire work. They note that there is no way of knowing whether it was written after Book V, or after VII, as has been argued by those who take a 'separatist' view. While they acknowledge that because of its important subject matter Book VI may have changed before publication, they note that there is no evidence in the book itself to justify separation into distinct layers or timeframes. They argue that the contrast between passages in which Polybius emphasizes the stability of the Roman mixed constitution and those in which he describes the decline of the Roman constitution can be explained. From the beginning of his project, Polybius was aware of the decline in the constitution and mores of the Roman people, while at the same time he conceived of this decline as incidental to his main theme. They conclude that the single focus and theme of Book VI is a description of the ability of Rome to achieve world domination. They speculate that it is Polybius' effort to apply a science of systematic political diagnosis that gives the impression of disunity. They conclude that Polybius had applied a unified plan using fundamental principles of Greek political theory in the writing of this portion of his history. Keywords: Polybius, Rome, political system |