Similarities Between Polybius And Livy

In the readings, both Polybius and Livy give separate accounts regarding the siege of Saguntum. Although they are speaking about the same event, the way in which it is described makes it obvious that their backgrounds shape their accounts of Saguntum. For example, Polybius was a Greek politician who wrote about Rome while living in Rome. Whereas, Livy was born and raised in Rome. They each bring their own biases towards the events leading up to siege of Saguntum. Therefore, it makes the events that they depicted seem overly exaggerated or understated such as when Livy goes on to depict the battle at Saguntum. However, even though biases affect the content within documents, it provides different perspectives from people who were either involved directly or indirectly.

Polybius was a Greek politician who was taken as a hostage to Rome. While at Rome, Polybius was made to be tutor of Scipio and Fabius. He later became a military and political advisor to Scipio which made him an eyewitness to the events that occurred. It gave Polybius the chance to write about Rome while living there. By living in Rome as someone who came from a different nationality, it enabled Polybius to write about the siege of Saguntum from an outsider’s perspective unlike a patriotic Roman citizen such as Livy. For example, when the Romans heard the news about the fall of Saguntum he states, “The Romans did not assuredly hold a debate on the question of the war… They had at once appointed ambassadors and sent them post- haste to Carthage” (Polybius). Whereas, Livy states that the Romans held an assembly to discuss what their next move was going to