Repeated Narratives and Didactic History in Polybius Book 3

Bradley Potter (Pontifical College Josephinum)

Polybius begins his Histories by claiming that the study of history is essential for anyone wishing to pursue a career in politics.  History offers lessons for bearing the vicissitudes of fortune by reading the misfortunes of others (1.1.2).  I argue that Polybius’ didactic view of history influences his emplotment of historical events.  In this paper I look at two battle scenes in the Fabius Maximus episodes of Book 3, which Polybius describes in strikingly similar terms.  These battles, between Hannibal’s forces and the Roman army led by M. Minucius, Fabius’ Master of the Horse, are both fought for control of a strategic hill.  Each time, Hannibal sends out troops after dark to lie in ambush.  In the first battle as Minucius’ forces threaten to destroy Hannibal, Hasdrubal comes with reinforcements and saves him.  In the second, when Minucius is in a similarly precarious position, Fabius comes to his rescue.  In the first narrative, Minucius succeeds in delivering the first serious blow to the Carthaginians.  In the second, Hannibal overcomes Minucius by allowing him to repeat his successful tactics, which Hannibal uses against him.  Because Hannibal is such a shrewd judge of character, he knows how Minucius, a rash individual, will respond to the circumstances of the battle.  In this paper, I show that Polybius uses these episodes to illustrate how Hannibal’s success as a general arises from his self-control.  The three figures of these episodes represent different character traits: Fabius is an extremely cautious leader whose strategy of non-engagement gives him a reputation for cowardice; M. Minucius is governed by a rashness that initially brings him success, but then nearly destroys him; Hannibal is the synthesis of these two characters, a man who has learned to temper his rashness with caution.  Because he is always meeting Roman commanders who are either cautious or rash and he possesses both traits, Hannibal continuously has the upper hand over his opponents.  By constructing the two battle narratives in similar terms, Polybius demonstrates the difference between the limited abilities of the rash soldier and the flexible talents of the forward-thinking general who has the capacity to understand circumstances and to fashion strategies proper to him.  Thus Hannibal serves as a paradigm for Polybius who seeks to teach others how to be successful leaders.