Detailed Census of Roman and Allied Military Forces — Polybius, The Histories Book 2 (2.24.1–2.24.17), Greek & English

§2.24.1

ἵνα δὲ συμφανὲς ἐπʼ αὐτῶν γένηται τῶν ἔργων ἡλίκοις Ἀννίβας ἐτόλμησε πράγμασιν ἐπιθέσθαι [μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα] καὶ πρὸς ἡλίκην δυναστείαν παραβόλως ἀντοφθαλμήσας ἐπὶ τοσοῦτο καθίκετο τῆς προθέσεως ὥστε τοῖς μεγίστοις συμπτώμασι περιβάλλειν Ῥωμαίους, ῥητέον ἂν εἴη¹ τὴν παρασκευὴν καὶ τὸ πλῆθος τῆς ὑπαρχούσης αὐτοῖς τότε δυνάμεως.

In order that it may become manifest from the actual facts how great were the undertakings Hannibal dared to attempt, and against how great a power he boldly stood face to face, achieving his purpose to such an extent as to involve the Romans in the greatest disasters, we must state the preparations and the amount of the forces available to them at that time.

§2.24.3

μετὰ μὲν δὴ τῶν ὑπάτων ἐξεληλύθει τέτταρα στρατόπεδα Ῥωμαϊκά, πεντάκις μὲν χιλίους καὶ διακοσίους πεζούς, ἱππεῖς δὲ τριακοσίους ἔχον ἕκαστον.

Now, there had gone out with the consuls four Roman legions, each having five thousand two hundred infantry and three hundred cavalry.

§2.24.4

σύμμαχοι δὲ μεθʼ ἑκατέρων ἦσαν οἱ συνάμφω πεζοὶ μὲν τρισμύριοι, δισχίλιοι δʼ ἱππεῖς.

And the allies with each of the two consuls were in all thirty thousand infantry and two thousand cavalry.

§2.24.5

τῶν δʼ ἐκ τοῦ καιροῦ προσβοηθησάντων εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην Σαβίνων καὶ Τυρρηνῶν² ἱππεῖς μὲν ἦσαν εἰς τετρακισχιλίους, πεζοὶ δὲ πλείους τῶν πεντακισμυρίων.

Of the Sabines and Etruscans, who came to the assistance of Rome in this crisis, there were about four thousand cavalry and more than fifty thousand infantry.

§2.24.6

τούτους μὲν ἁθροίσαντες ὡς ἐπὶ Τυρρηνίας προεκάθισαν, ἑξαπέλεκυν αὐτοῖς ἡγεμόνα συστήσαντες.³

These they assembled and stationed in front for the protection of Etruria, having appointed a praetor as commander over them.

§2.24.7

οἱ δὲ τὸν Ἀπεννῖνον κατοικοῦντες Ὄμβροι καὶ Σαρσινάτοι συνήχθησαν εἰς δισμυρίους, μετὰ δὲ τούτων Οὐένετοι καὶ Γονομάνοι δισμύριοι. τούτους δʼ ἔταξαν ἐπὶ τῶν ὅρων τῆς Γαλατίας, ἵνʼ ἐμβαλόντες εἰς τὴν τῶν Βοίων χώραν ἀντιπερισπῶσι τοὺς ἐξεληλυθότας.⁴ τὰ μὲν οὖν προκαθήμενα στρατόπεδα τῆς χώρας ταῦτʼ ἦν.

The Umbrians and Sarsinates, who inhabit the Apennines, were collected to the number of twenty thousand, and with them twenty thousand Veneti and Gonomani. These they stationed on the borders of Galatia, in order that by invading the territory of the Boii they might distract and recall the Gauls who had gone out. These, then, were the forces stationed in front to protect the country.

§2.24.9

ἐν δὲ τῇ Ῥώμῃ διέτριβον ἡτοιμασμένοι χάριν τῶν συμβαινόντων ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις, ἐφεδρείας ἔχοντες τάξιν, Ῥωμαίων μὲν αὐτῶν πεζοὶ δισμύριοι, μετὰ δὲ τούτων ἱππεῖς χίλιοι καὶ πεντακόσιοι, τῶν δὲ συμμάχων πεζοὶ μὲν τρισμύριοι, δισχίλιοι δʼ ἱππεῖς.

In Rome itself, there remained, ready to meet the emergencies of war, acting as a reserve force, twenty thousand infantry and fifteen hundred cavalry of the Romans themselves, and of the allies thirty thousand infantry and two thousand cavalry.

§2.24.10

καταγραφαὶ δʼ ἀνηνέχθησαν Λατίνων μὲν ὀκτακισμύριοι πεζοί, πεντακισχίλιοι δʼ ἱππεῖς, Σαυνιτῶν δὲ πεζοὶ μὲν ἑπτακισμύριοι, μετὰ δὲ τούτων ἱππεῖς ἑπτακισχίλιοι, καὶ μὴν Ἰαπύγων καὶ Μεσσαπίων συνάμφω πεζῶν μὲν πέντε μυριάδες, ἱππεῖς δὲ μύριοι σὺν ἑξακισχιλίοις, Λευκανῶν δὲ πεζοὶ μὲν τρισμύριοι, τρισχίλιοι δʼ ἱππεῖς, Μαρσῶν δὲ καὶ Μαρρουκίνων καὶ Φερεντάνων, ἔτι δʼ Οὐεστίνων πεζοὶ μὲν δισμύριοι, τετρακισχίλιοι δʼ ἱππεῖς.

And the registers returned gave of the Latins eighty thousand infantry and five thousand cavalry, and of the Samnites seventy thousand infantry and seven thousand cavalry, and indeed of the Iapyges and Messapians together fifty thousand infantry and sixteen thousand cavalry, of the Lucanians thirty thousand infantry and three thousand cavalry, and of the Marsi, Marrucini, Ferentani, and also the Vestini, twenty thousand infantry and four thousand cavalry.

§2.24.13

ἔτι γε μὴν καὶ ἐν Σικελίᾳ καὶ Τάραντι στρατόπεδα δύο παρεφήδρευεν, ὧν ἑκάτερον ἦν ἀνὰ τετρακισχιλίους καὶ διακοσίους πεζούς, ἱππεῖς δὲ διακοσίους.

Furthermore, in Sicily and Tarentum two legions were stationed as a reserve, each consisting of four thousand two hundred infantry and two hundred cavalry.

§2.24.14

Ῥωμαίων δὲ καὶ Καμπανῶν ἡ πληθὺς πεζῶν μὲν εἰς εἴκοσι καὶ πέντε κατελέχθησαν μυριάδες, ἱππέων δʼ ἐπὶ ταῖς δύο μυριάσιν ἐπῆσαν ἔτι τρεῖς χιλιάδες.⁵

And the total number of Romans and Campanians was enrolled at two hundred and fifty thousand infantry, and there were three thousand cavalry in addition to twenty thousand.

§2.24.15

ὥστʼ εἶναι τὸ [κεφάλαιον τῶν μὲν προκαθημένων τῆς Ῥώμης δυνάμεων πεζοὶ μὲν ὑπὲρ πεντεκαίδεκα μυριάδες, ἱππεῖς δὲ πρὸς ἑξακισχιλίους, τὸ δὲ] σύμπαν πλῆθος τῶν δυναμένων ὅπλα βαστάζειν, αὐτῶν τε Ῥωμαίων καὶ τῶν συμμάχων, πεζῶν ὑπὲρ τὰς ἑβδομήκοντα μυριάδας, ἱππέων δʼ εἰς ἑπτὰ μυριάδας.

So that the [total of the forces protecting Rome was over one hundred and fifty thousand infantry, and about six thousand cavalry, while the] entire multitude of those capable of bearing arms, both of the Romans themselves and of their allies, exceeded seventy thousand infantry and reached about seven thousand cavalry.

§2.24.17

ἐφʼ οὓς Ἀννίβας ἐλάττους ἔχων δισμυρίων ἐπέβαλεν εἰς τὴν Ἰταλίαν. περὶ μὲν οὖν τούτων ἐν τοῖς ἑξῆς σαφέστερον ἐκποιήσει κατανοεῖν.

Against whom Hannibal invaded Italy with a force of less than twenty thousand. Concerning these matters, it will be possible to understand more clearly in what follows.

Syntax notes5 items

2.24.1ἵνα δὲ συμφανὲς ἐπʼ αὐτῶν γένηται τῶν ἔργων ... ῥητέον ἂν εἴη
In terms of the sentence structure, the purpose clause introduced by ἵνα in 2.24.1 is completed by the main clause ῥητέον ἂν εἴη in 2.24.2. Placing the purpose clause at the beginning emphasizes the motivation behind the list of military forces that follows.
2.24.5τῶν δʼ ἐκ τοῦ καιροῦ προσβοηθησάντων ... Σαβίνων καὶ Τυρρηνῶν
The genitive plurals τῶν ... προσβοηθησάντων ... Σαβίνων καὶ Τυρρηνῶν function as a partitive genitive qualifying the following subjects ἱππεῖς and πεζοί, indicating the portion of the Sabine and Etruscan relief forces that consisted of cavalry and infantry.
2.24.6ἑξαπέλεκυν αὐτοῖς ἡγεμόνα συστήσαντες
The word ἑξαπέλεκυς (literally, 'having six axes') is a Greek designation for the Roman magistrate of praetor, derived from the fact that a praetor was accompanied by six lictors carrying fasces. Here it indicates that a praetor was appointed as the commander of the Sabine and Etruscan forces.
2.24.8ἀντιπερισπῶσι τοὺς ἐξεληλυθότας
The verb ἀντιπερισπάω means 'to distract' or 'to divert the enemy's attention'. It describes a strategic diversion whereby attacking the homeland of the Boii would force the invading Gallic forces to retreat to protect their own territory.
2.24.14ἱππέων δʼ ἐπὶ ταῖς δύο μυριάσιν ἐπῆσαν ἔτι τρεῖς χιλιάδες
In this numerical expression, the preposition ἐπί with the dative (ἐπὶ ταῖς δύο μυριάσιν) means 'in addition to twenty thousand', which when combined with ἔτι τρεῖς χιλιάδες ('still three thousand') represents a total of 23,000 cavalry.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (2, latest 2026-09-21)

2026-09-21 AI review — translation 2

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.24.1-2.24.17