“I, Polybius of Megalopolis, was born in Megalopolis and lived in the era when the Romans were laying the foundations of their great empire—when they also conquered Greece. When the Romans entered the Peloponnese and took Megalopolis, I was captured and taken as a hostage to Rome. There, I began writing the history of the known world up to my time. Since the years of Alexander the Great, the known world had expanded eastward. In my time (2nd century BC), with the rise of the Romans, it began expanding westward as well. Great roads connected bustling cities from East to West. Swift ships crossed the seas, sailing to the most distant ports of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea…”
The second part of this valuable historical narrative is presented by the program “Narratives” – “Stories and Tales for Children and Adults”, on Saturday, 11 April 2026, from 17:00 to 18:00 (Athens time), on Voice of Greece.
This adaptation of the first volume published by Kedros, “Stories from Polybius for Young and Adult Readers: The Greek and Roman World, 3rd Century BC”, is by Anthi Leousi and Andreas Spyrou, translated by N. D. Triantafyllopoulos, translator of Polybius into Modern Greek. The remarkable illustrations accompanying Polybius’ narratives are by artist Elli Spania.
According to historiography, at a time when the known world had greatly expanded—first under Alexander the Great and later under Rome—Polybius (203–120 BC) set out to write a Universal History. He intended his work to have “truth as its guiding eye,” aiming not merely to entertain or impress, but to instruct. He presents the determined Romans and the exotic Celts, recounting gripping events and harsh wars. He narrates how, when, and by whom the once-impregnable Sparta was conquered for the first time. And since History always goes hand in hand with Geography, Polybius vividly unfolds before our eyes the Geography of the world—he was not a desk-bound historian. He traveled whenever he had the opportunity, gaining first-hand knowledge of many regions across Asia, Europe, and Africa.
[From the book’s back cover]
Produced and presented by Maria Karagiannaki Iona
Broadcast: Holy Saturday, 11 April 2026, 17:00 (Athens time)
