- Source
- Thucydides. Historiae, Vol 1-2. Jones, Henry Stuart, editor. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1910. (1942 printing).
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.68.1-5.68.3
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-03
The author explains the difficulty of writing down the exact numbers of both armies, and then presents a calculation method to estimate the Lacedaemonian force based on their organizational structure and front rank numbers.
τάξις μὲν ἥδε καὶ παρασκευὴ ἀμφοτέρων ἦν, τὸ δὲ στρατόπεδον τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων μεῖζον ἐφάνη.
Such was the order of battle and preparation of both sides, and the army of the Lacedaemonians appeared to be larger.
ἀριθμὸν δὲ γράψαι ἢ καθ’ ἑκάστους ἑκατέρων ἢ ξύμπαντας οὐκ ἂν ἐδυνάμην1 ἀκριβῶς· τὸ μὲν γὰρ Λακεδαιμονίων πλῆθος διὰ τῆς πολιτείας τὸ κρυπτὸν ἠγνοεῖτο, τῶν δ’ αὖ2 διὰ τὸ ἀνθρώπειον κομπῶδες ἐς τὰ οἰκεῖα πλήθη ἠπιστεῖτο. ἐκ μέντοι τοιοῦδε λογισμοῦ ἔξεστί τῳ σκοπεῖν τὸ Λακεδαιμονίων τότε παραγενόμενον πλῆθος.
But I should not have been able to write down accurately the number, either of each division of both sides or of the whole; for the number of the Lacedaemonians was unknown because of the secrecy of their constitution, while that of the others was disbelieved because of the natural human tendency to boast about one’s own numbers. Nevertheless, from the following calculation one may estimate the number of the Lacedaemonians who were present on that occasion.
λόχοι μὲν γὰρ ἐμάχοντο ἑπτὰ ἄνευ Σκιριτῶν ὄντων ἑξακοσίων, ἐν δὲ ἑκάστῳ λόχῳ πεντηκοστύες ἦσαν τέσσαρες, καὶ ἐν τῇ πεντηκοστύι ἐνωμοτίαι τέσσαρες. τῆς τε ἐνωμοτίας ἐμάχοντο ἐν τῷ πρώτῳ ζυγῷ τέσσαρες· ἐπὶ δὲ βάθος ἐτάξαντο μὲν οὐ πάντες ὁμοίως, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς λοχαγὸς ἕκαστος ἐβούλετο, ἐπὶ πᾶν δὲ κατέστησαν ἐπὶ ὀκτώ. παρὰ δὲ ἅπαν πλὴν Σκιριτῶν τετρακόσιοι καὶ δυοῖν δέοντες πεντήκοντα3 ἄνδρες ἡ πρώτη τάξις ἦν.
For seven regiments fought, excluding the Sciritae, who were six hundred; and in each regiment there were four pentecosties, and in each pentecostys four enomotiai. Of each enomotia, four men fought in the front rank. As for the depth, they were not all drawn up alike, but as each captain wished; but on average they were drawn up eight deep. Thus, along the whole line except for the Sciritae, the front rank consisted of four hundred and forty-eight men.
- 5.68.2οὐκ ἂν ἐδυνάμην
A construction of 'ἄν + past indicative' (ἐδυνάμην) expressing past potentiality or a hypothetical past impossibility. The infinitive γράψαι depends on ἐδυνάμην.
- 5.68.2τῶν δ’ αὖ
In contrast to 'the number of the Lacedaemonians' (τὸ Λακεδαιμονίων πλῆθος) in the preceding clause, the noun 'number' (πλῆθος) is omitted here. The genitive τῶν refers to 'that of the other side'.
- 5.68.3τετρακόσιοι καὶ δυοῖν δέοντες πεντήκοντα
An expression for the number 448, literally 'four hundred and fifty wanting two'. This matches the calculation: 7 (regiments) × 4 (pentecosties) × 4 (enomotiae) = 112 enomotiae in total, multiplied by 4 men in the front rank of each enomotia (112 × 4 = 448).