- Source
- Polybius. Vols. 1-4. Büttner-Wobst, Theodor, editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1893.
- 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:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.65.1-2.65.13
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-11
As the Macedonian-Achaean allied forces under Antigonus invade Laconia, Cleomenes fortifies the two hills at Sellasia to set up a formidable defensive line.
τοῦ δὲ θέρους ἐνισταμένου, καὶ συνελθόντων τῶν Μακεδόνων καὶ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν ἐκ τῆς χειμασίας, ἀναλαβὼν τὴν στρατιὰν Ἀντίγονος προῆγε μετὰ τῶν συμμάχων εἰς τὴν Λακωνικήν, ἔχων Μακεδόνας μὲν τοὺς εἰς τὴν φάλαγγα μυρίους, πελταστὰς δὲ τρισχιλίους, ἱππεῖς δὲ τριακοσίους, Ἀγριᾶνας δὲ σὺν τούτοις χιλίους καὶ Γαλάτας ἄλλους τοσούτους, μισθοφόρους δὲ τοὺς πάντας πεζοὺς μὲν τρισχιλίους, ἱππεῖς δὲ τριακοσίους, Ἀχαιῶν δʼ ἐπιλέκτους πεζοὺς μὲν τρισχιλίους, ἱππεῖς δὲ τριακοσίους, καὶ Μεγαλοπολίτας χιλίους εἰς τὸν Μακεδονικὸν τρόπον καθωπλισμένους, ὧν ἡγεῖτο Κερκιδᾶς Μεγαλοπολίτης, τῶν δὲ συμμάχων Βοιωτῶν μὲν πεζοὺς δισχιλίους, ἱππεῖς δὲ διακοσίους, Ἠπειρωτῶν πεζοὺς χιλίους, ἱππεῖς πεντήκοντα, Ἀκαρνάνων ἄλλους τοσούτους,1 Ἰλλυριῶν χιλίους ἑξακοσίους, ἐφʼ ὧν ἦν Δημήτριος ὁ Φάριος, ὥστʼ εἶναι2 πᾶσαν τὴν δύναμιν πεζοὺς μὲν εἰς δισμυρίους ὀκτακισχιλίους, ἱππεῖς δὲ χιλίους καὶ διακοσίους.
With the approach of summer, and the Macedonians and Achaeans having assembled from their winter quarters, Antigonus led out his army and advanced with his allies into Laconia, having ten thousand Macedonians for the phalanx, three thousand peltasts, and three hundred cavalry, along with one thousand Agrianians and as many Galatians, and of mercenaries in all three thousand infantry and three hundred cavalry, and of the Achaeans three thousand select infantry and three hundred cavalry, and one thousand Megalopolitans armed in the Macedonian fashion, who were commanded by Cercidas of Megalopolis, and of the allied Boeotians two thousand infantry and two hundred cavalry, one thousand Epirotes and fifty cavalry, as many Acarnanians, and one thousand six hundred Illyrians under the command of Demetrius of Pharos, so that the entire force amounted to about twenty-eight thousand infantry and twelve hundred cavalry.
ὁ δὲ Κλεομένης προσδοκῶν τὴν ἔφοδον τὰς μὲν ἄλλας τὰς εἰς τὴν χώραν εἰσβολὰς ἠσφαλίσατο φυλακαῖς καὶ τάφροις καὶ δένδρων ἐκκοπαῖς, αὐτὸς δὲ κατὰ τὴν Σελλασίαν καλουμένην μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως ἐστρατοπέδευε, τῆς πάσης ὑπαρχούσης αὐτῷ στρατιᾶς εἰς δύο μυριάδας, στοχαζόμενος ἐκ τῶν κατὰ λόγον ταύτῃ ποιήσασθαι τοὺς ὑπεναντίους τὴν εἰσβολήν· ὃ καὶ συνεκύρησε.
Cleomenes, expecting the invasion, secured the other entrances into the country with guards, trenches, and felled trees, and himself encamped with his army at the place called Sellasia, his entire force amounting to twenty thousand men, calculating on reasonable grounds that the enemy would make their invasion by this way; which indeed came to pass.
δύο δὲ λόφων ἐπʼ αὐτῆς τῆς εἰσόδου κειμένων, ὧν τὸν μὲν Εὔαν, τὸν δʼ ἕτερον Ὄλυμπον καλεῖσθαι συμβαίνει, τῆς δʼ ὁδοῦ μεταξὺ τούτων παρὰ τὸν Οἰνοῦντα ποταμὸν φερούσης εἰς τὴν Σπάρτην, ὁ μὲν Κλεομένης τῶν προειρημένων λόφων συνάμφω τάφρον καὶ χάρακα προβαλόμενος ἐπὶ μὲν τὸν Εὔαν ἔταξε τοὺς περιοίκους καὶ συμμάχους, ἐφʼ ὧν ἐπέστησε τὸν ἀδελφὸν Εὐκλείδαν, αὐτὸς δὲ τὸν Ὄλυμπον κατεῖχε μετὰ Λακεδαιμονίων καὶ τῶν μισθοφόρων.
Two hills lay right at the entrance itself, of which one was called Euas, and the other Olympus. Since the road to Sparta ran between these hills along the river Oenus, Cleomenes, having thrown up a trench and palisade in front of both the aforementioned hills, stationed the perioeci and allies on Euas, placing his brother Eucleidas over them, while he himself held Olympus with the Lacedaemonians and mercenaries.
ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἐπιπέδοις παρὰ τὸν ποταμὸν ἐφʼ ἑκάτερα τῆς ὁδοῦ τοὺς ἱππεῖς μετὰ μέρους τινὸς τῶν μισθοφόρων παρενέβαλεν.
On the level ground along the river on both sides of the road, he posted the cavalry along with a portion of the mercenaries.
Ἀντίγονος δὲ παραγενόμενος καὶ συνθεωρήσας τήν τε τῶν τόπων ὀχυρότητα καὶ τὸν Κλεομένη πᾶσι τοῖς οἰκείοις μέρεσι τῆς δυνάμεως οὕτως εὐστόχως προκατειληφότα τὰς εὐκαιρίας ὥστε παραπλήσιον εἶναι3 τὸ σύμπαν σχῆμα τῆς στρατοπεδείας τῆς τῶν ἀγαθῶν ὁπλομάχων προβολῆς·
Antigonus, on his arrival, observed the strength of the positions and how Cleomenes had so skillfully pre-occupied the advantageous posts with all the respective parts of his force that the whole disposition of his camp resembled the posture of a skilled master of fence.
οὐδὲν γὰρ ἀπέλειπε τῶν πρὸς ἐπίθεσιν ἅμα καὶ φυλακήν, ἀλλʼ ἦν ὁμοῦ παράταξις ἐνεργὸς καὶ παρεμβολὴ δυσπρόσοδος·
For nothing was wanting for attack as well as defense, but there was at once an active battle array and a camp difficult to approach.
διὸ καὶ τὸ μὲν ἐξ ἐφόδου καταπειράζειν καὶ συμπλέκεσθαι4
Therefore, making an immediate attempt and joining battle...
- 2.65.4ἄλλους τοσούτους
A demonstrative phrase indicating a number equal to the previously mentioned forces of the Epirotes (1,000 infantry and 50 cavalry).
- 2.65.5ὥστʼ εἶναι
The conjunction of result ὥστε followed by the infinitive εἶναι, introducing the grand total of the various contingents detailed above.
- 2.65.11ὥστε παραπλήσιον εἶναι
An infinitive clause introduced by the conjunction of result ὥστε, in which the accusative τὸ σύμπαν σχῆμα serves as the subject and παραπλήσιον as its predicate adjective.
- 2.65.13τὸ μὲν ἐξ ἐφόδου καταπειράζειν καὶ συμπλέκεσθαι
An articular infinitive phrase in the accusative with τὸ. Since this chunk is cut off here, it lacks the main verb, but syntactically it serves as the direct object of the transitive verb in the subsequent chunk.