Polybius, Histories
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Book 19 - Chapter 1

1
<head lang="la">I. Res Italiae</head><w lemma="%2Apolu%2Fbios">Πολύβιος</w> <w lemma="me%2Fn">μέν</w> <w lemma="ge%2F">γέ</w> <w lemma="fhsi">φησι</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29nto%5Cs">ἐντὸς</w> <w lemma="%2Abai%2Ftios">Βαίτιος</w> <w lemma="potamou%3D">ποταμοῦ</w> <w lemma="po%2Flewn">πόλεων</w> <w lemma="h%28me%2Fra%7C">ἡμέρᾳ</w> <w lemma="mia%3D%7C">μιᾷ</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="tei%2Fxh">τείχη</w> <w lemma="keleu%2Fsantos">κελεύσαντος</w> <w lemma="au%29tou%3D">αὐτοῦ</w> <w lemma="periaireqh%3Dnai:">περιαιρεθῆναι·</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fmpollai">πάμπολλαι</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dsan">ἦσαν</w> <w lemma="au%28%3Dtai">αὗται</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ge%2Fmousai">γέμουσαι</w> <w lemma="maxi%2Fmwn">μαχίμων</w> <w lemma="a%29ndrw%3Dn">ἀνδρῶν</w>.
<head>Summary Based on Livy</head>THE only fragment we possess of the nineteenth book of Polybius is a statement quoted by Plutarch as to M. Porcius Cato, to the effect that by his orders the walls of all the numerous Spanish cities north of the Baetis were dismantled on the same day. Cato was in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Spain&groupId=983&placeId=1735">Spain</a> B. C. 195. The means taken by him to secure this simultaneous destruction of fortifications are told by Frontinus,<bibl n="Fron. Str. 1.1.1" default="NO" valid="yes"><title>Strateg,</title>1, 1, 1</bibl>.We thus lose the history of the years B. C. 195, 194, 193; as well as the greater part of that of B. C. 192, 191, contained in the early part of book 20, of which only a few fragments remain. Livy, however, has evidently translated from Polybius in his history of these years, and a brief abstract of events in Greece may help the reader in following the fragmentary book which follows with more interest.

Walbank Commentary

Overview
19.1.2 - 19.1.2
<p rend="Plain Text"> = Livy, xxxiv. 50. 5–6, derived from P.'s res Graeciae of Ol. 146. 2 = 195/4. The Roman slaves, taken prisoner in the Hannibalic War, were ransomed in response to an appeal made by Flamininus at a meeting of Greek delegations summoned to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Corinth&groupId=493&placeId=928">Corinth</a> in spring 194; cf. Diod. xxviii. 13; Plut. Flam. 13. 4–6. Livy's 500 denarii stand for 500 drachmae; Plutarch says 'five minae'. See Aymard, PR, 258. <milestone unit="page" n="63">[63]</milestone> </p>
Specifics
19.1.1 - 19.1.1
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">Πολύβιος μέν γέ φησι κτλ</w>.:</emph> = Plut. Cato mai. 10. 3. This passage, from res Hispaniae (hardly res Italiae, as Bttner-Wobst) of Ol. 146, 1 = 196/5, is from the Spanish campaign of M. Porcius M.f. Cato. The revolt of the Turdetani (197) spread to north <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Spain&groupId=983&placeId=1735">Spain</a>, where the proconsul C. Sempronius Tuditanus was defeated and died of wounds (Livy, xxxiii. 25. 8–9; Oros. iv. 20. 10). Cato was sent out as consul for 195; see Livy, xxxiv. 8. 4–21. 8; App. Hisp. 39–41 (embroidered); Zon. ix. 17. 5–7. Livy (xxxiv. 17. 5–11) describes the disarming of the Spaniards and dismantling of city walls after the submission of the Bergistani. But this he relates twice, once before and once after the Turdetanian expedition (Livy, xxxiv. 16. 9–10, 21. 1–6). The later occasion is the more probable; cf. De Sanctis, iv. 1. 453 n. 157. The towns to suffer stood near or north of the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Ebro&groupId=549&placeId=1031">Ebro</a>; cf. Livy, xxxiv. 17. 5, cis Hiberum; App. Hisp. 42, <w lang="el-GR">περὶ ῎Ι</w>§<w lang="el-GR">βηρα ποταμόν</w>; Zon. ix. 17; Frontin. i. 1. 1; Polyaen. viii. 17; de uir. ill. 47. 2 puts them in Celtiberia. That they were <w lang="el-GR">ἔντος Βαίτιος ποταμοῦ</w> must be wrong (though Nissen, KU, 156, prefers it); it is either Plutarch's error (cf. Gelzer, RE, 'Porcius (7)', col. 115; De Sanctis, iv. 1. 454 n. 157)he also mentions fighting around the Baetis in Mor. 199 cor that of P.'s source (Fraccaro, Opuscula, i. 199). Cato's achievement is probably exaggerated (some of the sources go back to him), but does not merit complete scepticism. That Cato's province was Hispania (not Hispania Citerior) is the contention of D. Fishwick, CP, 1977, 126–30, especially 126–7, who there (and in Arethusa, 1970, 85 ff.) argues that the division of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Spain&groupId=983&placeId=1735">Spain</a> into two separate provinces took place, not in 197, but (probably) in the settlement of 133/2, following the fall of Numantia. He takes Plutarch's statement that Cato acted against towns <w lang="el-GR">ἐντὸς Βαίτιος ποταμοῦ</w> as evidence that he was operating within what is usually regarded as Ulterior. </p>
Addenda & corrigenda
19.1.1 - 19.1.1
<p rend="Plain Text">that Cato's province was Hispania (not Hispania Citerior) is the contention of D. Fishwick, CP, 1977, 126–30, especially 126–7, who there (and in Arethusa, 1970, 85 ff.) argues that the division of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Spain&groupId=983&placeId=1735">Spain</a> into two separate provinces took place, not in 197, but (probably) in the settlement of 133/2, following the fall of Numantia. He takes Plutarch's statement that Cato acted against towns <w lang="el-GR">ἐντὸς Βαίτιος ποταμοῦ</w> as evidence that he was operating within what is usually regarded as Ulterior.</p>

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