<p rend="Plain Text">In devoting this book to criticism of Timaeus P. digresses from his theme, but justifies this as preferable to several short digressions (11. 6–7). Since the account of the lotus (2) was written after P. had visited <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Africa&groupId=300&placeId=294">Africa</a> (2. 1 n.), the composition of at least this part of the book was later than 151, and so probably later than 146; and the reference to a historian who emulates <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Odysseus&groupId=801&placeId=1446">Odysseus</a> (28. 1 n.) also suggests composition after 146. Pdech (Mthode, 571–2) may therefore be right in putting the composition of xii as a whole after 146; but this is not certain, for an original draft can have had extensive revision. In any case, the book is not necessarily an afterthought; it can have been planned ab initio but written later. Lorenz (66 ff.) argues that in making xii a digression P. is continuing the hexadic arrangement of books already marked by the account of the Roman constitution and army in vi. But if the history as a whole shows traces of such a hexadic arrangement, this is not pressed and is of no significance; and there are other reasons why xii should take its special form. As Schweighaeuser saw, the attack on Timaeus develops out of criticism of his mis-statements about <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Africa&groupId=300&placeId=294">Africa</a>, which now comes to the fore as the scene of Scipio's forthcoming campaigns; it was part of his province for 205 (Livy, xxviii. 38. 12, 40–45; Plut. Fab. 25; App. Hann. 55; Lib. 7; Sil. It. xvi. 692–700) and he crossed over in 204 (cf. xiv. 1; Livy, xxix. 24–36). True, Scipio's capture of Locri and subsequent troubles there (Livy, xxix. 6–9, 16–22) may have led P. to consider Timaeus' false statements about this town, where P. had personal connexions (5. 1 n.); so Reiske (and cf. Ziegler, RE, 'Polybios (1)', col. 1548). But <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Africa&groupId=300&placeId=294">Africa</a>, not Locri, stands at the beginning of the book, and seems to have furnished the occasion for P.'s polemic.</p>
Walbank Commentary