Quote Originally Posted by Zarax View Post
Except that we have also excerpts from Polybius' sources (although precious few and very little) plus quite a bit of material from excavations which shows one or two things in a different way than him.

Remember that Polybius aim was to write something akin to Machiavelli's prince rather than a detailed report.
Ok, what did such excavations refute?

And I'm sorry, but if his true aim was to write a treatise rather than a report on events, why on Earth would he visit the battlefields to get a first person perspective of such things as the topography? Such work only requires basic knowledge of events and deep critical thought. He was writing history, not an academic paper. Come on man.