- 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-grc2:6.25.1-6.25.11
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-08
This section explains the organization of the Roman cavalry and details their transition from inadequate traditional equipment (lack of armor, fragile spears, and unstable shields) to superior Greek-style weapons.
παραπλησίως δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἱππεῖς εἰς ἴλας δέκα διεῖλον, ἐξ ἑκάστης δὲ τρεῖς προκρίνουσιν ἰλάρχας, οὗτοι δʼ αὐτοὶ τρεῖς προσέλαβον οὐραγούς.
In like manner, they also divided the cavalry into ten squadrons, and from each they elected three commanders, and these commanders selected for themselves three rear-leaders.
ὁ μὲν οὖν πρῶτος αἱρεθεὶς ἰλάρχης ἡγεῖται τῆς ἴλης, οἱ δὲ δύο δεκαδάρχων ἔχουσι τάξιν, καλοῦνται δὲ πάντες δεκουρίωνες. μὴ παρόντος δὲ τοῦ πρώτου πάλιν ὁ δεύτερος ἰλάρχου λαμβάνει τάξιν.
Thus, the first elected commander leads the squadron, and the other two have the rank of decurions, and all are called decurions. But if the first is absent, the second in turn takes the position of the commander.
ὁ δὲ καθοπλισμὸς τῶν ἱππέων νῦν μέν ἐστι παραπλήσιος τῷ τῶν Ἑλλήνων· τὸ δὲ παλαιὸν πρῶτον θώρακας οὐκ εἶχον, ἀλλʼ ἐν περιζώμασιν ἐκινδύνευον, ἐξ οὗ1 πρὸς μὲν τὸ καταβαίνειν καὶ ταχέως ἀναπηδᾶν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἵππους ἑτοίμως διέκειντο καὶ πρακτικῶς, πρὸς δὲ τὰς συμπλοκὰς ἐπισφαλῶς εἶχον διὰ τὸ γυμνοὶ κινδυνεύειν.
The equipment of the cavalry is now very similar to that of the Greeks; but in ancient times, first of all, they had no breastplates, but they fought in loincloths, as a result of which they were well-disposed and agile for dismounting and quickly leaping back onto their horses, but for close combat they were in a precarious state because they fought almost naked.
τὰ δὲ δόρατα κατὰ δύο τρόπους ἄπρακτʼ ἦν αὐτοῖς, καθʼ ἃ μὲν ᾗ λεπτὰ καὶ κλαδαρὰ ποιοῦντες οὔτε τοῦ προτεθέντος ἠδύναντο σκοποῦ στοχάζεσθαι, πρὸ τοῦ τε τὴν ἐπιδορατίδα πρός τι προσερεῖσαι,2 κραδαινόμενα διʼ αὐτῆς τῆς τῶν ἵππων κινήσεως τὰ πλεῖστα συνετρίβετο·
Their spears, moreover, were useless in two ways: first, because they made them thin and fragile, they could not aim at the target set before them, and before the spear-point could strike anything, most of them were shattered by the mere movement of the horses shaking them;
πρὸς δὲ τούτοις ἄνευ σαυρωτήρων κατασκευάζοντες μιᾷ τῇ πρώτῃ διὰ τῆς ἐπιδορατίδος ἐχρῶντο πληγῇ, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα κλασθέντων λοιπὸν ἦν ἄπρακτʼ αὐτοῖς καὶ μάταια. τόν γε μὴν θυρεὸν εἶχον ἐκ βοείου δέρματος, τοῖς ὀμφαλωτοῖς ποπάνοις παραπλήσιον τοῖς ἐπὶ τὰς θυσίας ἐπιτιθεμένοις· οἷς οὔτε πρὸς τὰς ἐπιβολὰς ἦν χρῆσθαι3 διὰ τὸ μὴ στάσιν ἔχειν, ὑπό τε τῶν ὄμβρων ἀποδερματούμενοι καὶ μυδῶντες δύσχρηστοι καὶ πρότερον ἦσαν καὶ νῦν ἔτι γίνονται παντελῶς. διόπερ ἀδοκίμου τῆς χρείας οὔσης, ταχέως μετέλαβον τὴν Ἑλληνικὴν κατασκευὴν τῶν ὅπλων, ἐν ᾗ τῶν μὲν δοράτων τὴν πρώτην εὐθέως τῆς ἐπιδορατίδος πληγὴν εὔστοχον ἅμα καὶ πρακτικὴν γίνεσθαι συμβαίνει, διὰ τὴν κατασκευὴν ἀτρεμοῦς καὶ στασίμου τοῦ δόρατος ὑπάρχοντος, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τὴν ἐκ μεταλήψεως τοῦ σαυρωτῆρος χρείαν μόνιμον καὶ βίαιον.
and in addition to this, since they made them without butt-spikes, they could only use the first strike with the spear-point, and after this was broken, they were useless and of no value. Furthermore, they had a shield made of ox-hide, similar to the round bossed cakes offered at sacrifices; which, having no stability, could not be used for defense, and when the leather peeled off and rotted from the rain, they were difficult to use before and now become completely useless. Therefore, since its use was disapproved, they quickly adopted the Greek fashion of armor, in which it happens that the first strike of the spear-point is straightway both accurate and effective because the spear is made steady and firm, and likewise the use of the butt-spike when turned around is reliable and powerful.
ὁ δʼ αὐτὸς λόγος καὶ περὶ τῶν θυρεῶν· καὶ γὰρ πρὸς τὰς ἐπιβολὰς καὶ πρὸς τὰς ἐπιθέσεις ἑστηκυῖαν καὶ τεταγμένην ἔχουσι τὴν χρείαν.
The same argument applies also to the shields; for they have a stable and orderly use both for defense and for attack.
ἃ συνιδόντες ἐμιμήσαντο ταχέως· ἀγαθοὶ γάρ, εἰ καί τινες ἕτεροι,4 μεταλαβεῖν ἔθη καὶ ζηλῶσαι τὸ βέλτιον καὶ Ῥωμαῖοι.
Having perceived this, they quickly imitated it; for the Romans, if any other people, are excellent at adopting new customs and emulating what is better.
- 6.25.4ἐξ οὗ
A relative construction expressing result or cause, meaning "as a result of which" or "whereby."
- 6.25.5πρὸ τοῦ τε τὴν ἐπιδορατίδα πρός τι προσερεῖσαι
The preposition πρό combined with the genitive article τοῦ functions conjunctionally, taking the infinitive προσερεῖσαι to mean "before [doing something]." τὴν ἐπιδορατίδα serves as the subject of the infinitive.
- 6.25.7οἷς οὔτε πρὸς τὰς ἐπιβολὰς ἦν χρῆσθαι
The relative pronoun οἷς in the dative is governed by the infinitive χρῆσθαι. The impersonal verb ἦν with the infinitive expresses capability ("it was not possible to use them").
- 6.25.11εἰ καί τινες ἕτεροι
An idiomatic formula for emphatic comparison meaning "if any other people [are so], then especially they" or "more than anyone else," functioning as a parenthetical clause without a main verb.