History journal 3
Rome, with the end of the third Punic war, 146 B. C., had completely conquered the last of the “civilized” world. The best authority for this period of her history is Polybius. He was born in Arcadia, in 204 B. C., and died in 122 B. C. Polybius was an officer of the Achaean League, which sought by federating the Peloponnesus to make it strong enough to keep its independence against the Romans, but Rome was already too strong to be resisted, and arresting a thousand of the most influential members, sent them to Italy to await trial for conspiracy. Polybius had the good fortune, during seventeen years exile, to be allowed to live with the Scipios. He was present at the destructions of Carthage and Corinth, in 146 B.C.E., and did more than anyone else to get the Greeks to accept the inevitable Roman rule. Polybius tends to be the most reliable of ancient historians.
Answer these questions in a 300-500 word essay. Make sure you put these in context using the textbook(Jerry H. Bentley & Herb Zeigler. Traditions & Encounters, Vol. 1 From the Beginnings to 1500, 6th Ed). Use the document as your examples.
Pay attention to the relative power of the consuls, the Senate, and the people. What is the most important function of the Roman government according to Polybius? Given what you have read about this particular period, i.e. the imperialism and the problems arising from it, what would be the potential problems or sources of instablility in such a constitution?
