Polybius, Histories
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Book 25 - Chapter 1

1
<head lang="la">A. Olymp. 150, 1. I. Res Hispaniae</head><w lemma="%2Apolubi%2Fou">Πολυβίου</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="ei%29po%2Fntos">εἰπόντος</w> <w lemma="triakosi%2Fas">τριακοσίας</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3Dn">αὐτῶν</w> <w lemma="katalu%3Dsai">καταλῦσαι</w> <w lemma="po%2Fleis">πόλεις</w> <w lemma="%2Atebe%2Frion">Τεβέριον</w> <w lemma="%2Agra%2Fkxon">Γράκχον</w>, <w lemma="kwmw%7Cdw%3Dn">κωμῳδῶν</w> <w lemma="fhsi">φησι</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dto">τοῦτο</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="%2Agra%2Fkxw%7C">Γράκχῳ</w> <w lemma="xari%2Fsasqai">χαρίσασθαι</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fndra">ἄνδρα</w>, <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="pu%2Frgous">πύργους</w> <w lemma="kalou%3Dnta">καλοῦντα</w> <w lemma="po%2Fleis">πόλεις</w>, <w lemma="w%28%2Fsper">ὥσπερ</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="qriambikai%3Ds">θριαμβικαῖς</w> <w lemma="pompai%3Ds">πομπαῖς</w>.
2
<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="i%29%2Fsws">ἴσως</w> <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fpiston">ἄπιστον</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dto">τοῦτο</w> <w lemma="le%2Fgei:">λέγει·</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="strathgoi%5C">στρατηγοὶ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="suggrafei%3Ds">συγγραφεῖς</w> <w lemma="r%28a%7Cdi%2Fws">ῥᾳδίως</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dto">τοῦτο</w> <w lemma="fe%2Frontai">φέρονται</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="yeu%3Dsma">ψεῦσμα</w>, <w lemma="kallwpi%2Fzontes">καλλωπίζοντες</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fceis">πράξεις</w>.
<head>Destruction of Celtiberian Cities</head>TIBERIUS GRACCHUS destroyed three hundred cities of the Celtiberes.<note anchored="yes" place="unspecified" id="note1">From<bibl n="Strab. 3.4" default="NO" valid="yes">Strabo 3, ch. 4</bibl>, who quotes Poseidonius as criticising this state. ment by remarking that Polybius must count every tower as a city.</note>. . .

Walbank Commentary

Overview
25.1.0 - 25.1.0
<p rend="Plain Text">Tiberius Gracchus in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Spain&groupId=983&placeId=1735">Spain</a></p> <p rend="Plain Text">This fragment from Strabo (iii. 4. 13, C. 163) refers to Ti. Gracchus' propraetorship in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Spain&groupId=983&placeId=1735">Spain</a> (179), when he won victories over the Celtiberians and made treaties which smoothed relations between <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a> and the Spaniards (Livy, xl. 44. 4–5, 47. 1–50. 5; Diod. xxix. 26; Frontin. Strat. ii. 5. 3, 5. 14, iii. 5. 2, iv. 7. 33; Plut. Tib. Gracch. 5. 3; App. Hisp. 43; Flor. i. 33. 9; de uir. ill. 57. 2; Oros. iv. 20. 32); but it probably belongs to book xxiv rather than here (see pp. 20–1).</p>
Specifics
25.1.1 - 25.1.1
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">τριακοσίας . . . πόλεις</w>:</emph> 'he overthrew three hundred cities.' Pdech, Mthode, 368 n. 88, translates 'he dissolved three hundred village communities', as part of a policy of concentrating the population in towns; but <w lang="el-GR">καταλύειν</w> implies the dissolution of a larger unit into its component parts (cf. xxvii. 2. 10) rather than synoecism, and the reference to triumphs and boastful generals suggests destruction, not reorganization. The annalistic tradition also stresses the number of places taken (cf. Livy, xl. 49. 1: 103 in one campaign; Florus, i. 33. 9: 150 places; Oros. iv. 20. 32 f.: 150 in one campaign, 200 in the second). </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">Τεβέριον Γράκχον</w>:</emph> Ti. Sempronius Gracchus, cos. 177 (cf. 4. 1 n.); above, 1 n. The person who <w lang="el-GR">κωμωδῶν</w> accused P. of exaggerating his achievements to please him is Poseidonius. </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">τοὺς πύργους καλοῦντα πόλεις</w>:</emph> for P.'s loose use of <w lang="el-GR">πόλεις</w> see iii. 18. 1 n., vii. 9. 5 n., x. 27. 3 n.; these 300 cities are unlikely to have been substantial communities <w lang="el-GR">(πύργοι</w> are forts). On the use of <w lang="el-GR">πόλεις</w> to describe fortified villages in non-Greek areas see the discussion of Briant, Antigone, 86 n. 5. </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ἐν ταῖς θριαμβικαῖς πομπαῖς</w>:</emph> in the first part of a Roman triumphal procession booty and captured wealth were often accompanied by pictures and models of captured cities, mountains, rivers etc.; cf. Cic. in Pis. 60, simulacra oppidorum; off. ii. 28, 'portari in triumpho Massiliam uidimus'; other passages in W. Ehlers, RE, 'triumphus', cols. 502–3. Poseidonius suggests that the grandiloquent word <w lang="el-GR">πόλεις</w> like the models, is intended to glorify the victorious general. <milestone unit="page" n="270">[270]</milestone> </p>

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