The Histories

​And they gave this town the name of Pallantium, after their mother city in Arcadia; but as some relate, among whom is Polybius of Megalopolis, it was named after a youth Pallas who died there, and this youth was the son of Heracles and Launa, the daughter of Evander; and his maternal grandfather raised a tomb for him on the hill and named the place Pallantium after the youth.

​For I did not think it sufficient, as Polybius of Megalopolis did, to say merely: “I am convinced that Rome was founded in the second year of the seventh Olympiad,” nor to leave the matter to be believed without examination, relying on a single tablet kept by the high priests. ​Aristodemus of Elis and his school relate that from the twenty-seventh Olympiad the athletes, that is, the victors, began to be registered; for before that none were registered, because the ancients neglected it; but in the twenty-eighth, Coroebus of Elis, winning the stadium-race, was registered first; and this Olympiad was appointed as the first from which the Greeks reckon their dates. Polybius also relates the same as Aristodemus. And among the Romans, ​as Polybius says in the sixth book, women are forbidden to drink wine, but they drink what is called passum. This is made from raisins, and when drunk it is very like the sweet wine of Aegosthena and the Cretan; therefore they use it for pressing thirst. But it is impossible for a woman to drink wine undetected. For in the first place, she has no control over wine; and besides, she is obliged to kiss her own and her husband’s relatives as far as first cousins, and to do this every day when she first sees them. Consequently, as it is uncertain whom she may meet, she is on her guard; for if she has only tasted it, the matter needs no accusation. He also founded the city of Ostia on the Tiber.

​Polybius, Book 6.

​Lucius, the son of Demaratus the Corinthian, set out for Rome, trusting in himself and his wealth, convinced that by certain resources he would hold a position second to none in the state, having a wife who was useful in other ways and a naturally gifted assistant for every practical enterprise. On arriving in Rome and obtaining citizenship, he immediately adapted himself to please the king. Soon, both through his resources and his natural cleverness, and especially through his education from childhood, by adapting himself to the ruler, he obtained great acceptance and trust with him. As time went on, he reached such a degree of acceptance that he shared in the administration and managed the affairs of the kingdom with Marcius. In these matters, becoming a source of good to all, always cooperating and helping to arrange something useful for those in need, and at the same time using his resources generously, properly, and opportunely on each occasion, he laid up gratitude with many, won goodwill and a reputation for nobility among all, and obtained the kingship. Doing the deed of a wise and sensible man, ​namely, to know according to Hesiod “how much more the half is than the whole.”

​For learning to be truthful towards the gods is a preparation for truth towards one another.

​For in most human affairs, those who have acquired wealth are naturally gifted for keeping it, while those who have received it ready-made are naturally gifted for losing it.