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Why was Polybius allowed to remain in Rome after other Achaean detainees were sent away?

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Marble statue of Polybius seated with one arm raised, draped in classical robes, against a blue sky in Vienna, Austria. The base is inscribed with the name Polybius. — Polybius Polybius, statue in Vienna.

Polybius was able to remain in Rome because he formed a close friendship with the prominent Roman general Scipio Aemilianus.1

While Polybius was originally among the 1,000 eminent Achaeans deported to Italy and detained without trial following the Roman victory over Perseus in 168 BCE, he secured his status through his relationship with Scipio. Serving as a mentor to the general, Polybius leveraged the influence of Scipio’s family to gain permission to stay in Rome rather than being sent away with the other detainees.12