Third Punic War
The main source for most aspects of the Punic Wars is the historian Polybius ( – ), a Greek sent to Rome in 167 BC as a hostage. His works include a now-lost manual on military tactics, but he is best known for "The Histories", written sometime after 146 BC. He accompanied his patron and friend, the Roman general Scipio Aemilianus, in North Africa during the Third Punic War; this causes the normally reliable Polybius to recount Scipio's actions in a favourable light. In addition, significant portions of "The Histories" account of the Third Punic War have been lost.