“I, Polybius of Megalopolis, was born in Megalopolis and lived at a time when the Romans were laying the foundations of their great empire—when they also conquered Greece. When the Romans entered the Peloponnese and seized Megalopolis, I was captured and taken as a hostage to Rome. There, I began to write the history of the known world up to my time. Since the era of Alexander the Great, the known world had expanded eastward. In my time (2nd century BC), with the rise of Rome, it began to expand westward as well. Great roads connected bustling cities from East to West, while swift ships crossed the seas, heading for the most distant ports of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea…”
The second part of this valuable historical narrative was presented by the program “Narratives – Stories and Tales for Children and Adults”, on Saturday, 11 April 2026, on Voice of Greece.
The adaptation of the book by Kedros Publications, “Stories from Polybius for Young and Old: The Greek and Roman World, 3rd Century BC,” is by Anthi Leousi and Andreas Spyrou, translated by N. D. Triantafyllopoulos, the translator of Polybius into modern Greek. The remarkable illustrations of 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 (c. 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, describing dramatic events and fierce wars. He recounts how, when, and by whom the once-impregnable Sparta was conquered. And since History always goes hand in hand with Geography, Polybius vividly unfolds before us the geography of the world—he was no armchair historian, but a traveler who, whenever possible, journeyed across regions of Asia, Europe, and Africa, gaining first-hand knowledge.
Production – Presentation: Maria Karagiannaki Iona