Quote Originally Posted by Gelatinous Cube
From what i've read of Polybius, neither side technically violated the treaty, and both were eager to fight.

Polybius is, at least compared to Livy and Herodotus, which I'm reading atm, very objective, concise, and as factual as was within his limits.
Polybius is one of the most reliable there was in the era, but he was still tied directly to the Roman viewpoint. His sources were primarily Roman. No matter how objective he might have tried to be (and let's not forget how strong his ties were to the Scipios) one can only expect so much.

Don't get the idea that I'm anti-Roman. There is much about the Republic that is appealing. Each of the societies of the time had its virtues and flaws. The claims of Carthaginian treachery by Rome are heavily hyped. Rome was opportunistic, and certainly not alone in that regard. Where it differed from many of its neighbors was in how consistent it was in expanding its reach, yet without over reaching. (There are some parallels to the way the U.S./colonists dealt with the native americans--although I would actually describe Rome of the Etruscan/Samnite/Punic/Greek times as being *less* ruthless overall.)