Camp Layout for Cavalry and Infantry Units — Polybius, The Histories Book 6 (6.28.1–6.28.5), Greek & English

§6.28.1

Ἀπομετρηθέντων δὲ πάλιν ἑκατὸν ποδῶν¹ εἰς τὸ πρόσθεν κατὰ πάσας τὰς σκηνάς, λοιπὸν ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦτο τὸ πλάτος ὁριζούσης εὐθείας, ἥτις γίνεται παράλληλος ταῖς τῶν χιλιάρχων σκηναῖς, ἀπὸ ταύτης ἄρχονται ποιεῖσθαι τὰς τῶν στρατοπέδων παρεμβολάς, χειρίζοντες τὸν τρόπον τοῦτον.

When a hundred feet are measured out again to the front along all the tents, next, starting from the straight line defining this width, which becomes parallel to the tents of the tribunes, they begin to make the encampments of the legions, managing it in the following manner.

§6.28.2

διχοτομήσαντες τὴν προειρημένην εὐθεῖαν, ἀπὸ τούτου τοῦ σημείου πρὸς ὀρθὰς τῇ γραμμῇ τοὺς ἱππεῖς ἀντίους αὑτοῖς ἑκατέρου τοῦ στρατοπέδου² παρεμβάλλουσι, πεντήκοντα διέχοντας πόδας ἀλλήλων, μέσην ποιοῦντες τὴν τομὴν τοῦ διαστήματος.

Having bisected the aforementioned straight line, from this point at right angles to the line they place the cavalry of each legion facing opposite to one another, fifty feet apart from each other, making the bisection the middle of this distance.

§6.28.3

ἔστι δʼ ἥ τε τῶν ἱππέων καὶ τῶν πεζῶν σκηνοποιία παραπλήσιος· γίνεται γὰρ τὸ ὅλον σχῆμα καὶ τῆς σημαίας καὶ τῶν οὐλαμῶν³ τετράγωνον.

The method of pitching tents for both the cavalry and the infantry is very similar; for the entire shape, both of the company and of the troop, becomes square.

§6.28.4

τοῦτο δὲ βλέπει μὲν εἰς τὰς διόδους, ἔχει δὲ τὸ μὲν μῆκος ὡρισμένον τὸ παρὰ τὴν δίοδον⁴ — ἔστι γὰρ ἑκατὸν ποδῶν — ὡς δʼ ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ καὶ τὸ βάθος ἴσον πειρῶνται ποιεῖν πλὴν τῶν συμμάχων.

This faces the streets, and while its length along the street is fixed—for it is of a hundred feet—they try for the most part to make its depth equal as well, except in the case of the allies.

§6.28.5

ὅταν δὲ τοῖς μείζοσι στρατοπέδοις χρῶνται, τὸ κατὰ λόγον καὶ τῷ μήκει καὶ τῷ βάθει προστιθέασι.

And whenever they employ larger legions, they add a proportionate amount both to the length and to the depth.

Syntax notes4 items

6.28.1Ἀπομετρηθέντων δὲ πάλιν ἑκατὸν ποδῶν
A genitive absolute construction ("when a hundred feet are measured out"), where the genitive aorist passive participle functions with ἑκατὸν ποδῶν as its subject.
6.28.2ἀντίους αὑτοῖς ἑκατέρου τοῦ στρατοπέδου
ἑκατέρου τοῦ στρατοπέδου ("of each legion") is a possessive genitive modifying "the cavalry" (τοὺς ἱππεῖς). ἀντίους αὑτοῖς ("facing opposite to one another") is an accusative adjective phrase acting as a predicative modifier of τοὺς ἱππεῖς.
6.28.3τὸ ὅλον σχῆμα καὶ τῆς σημαίας καὶ τῶν οὐλαμῶν
The correlative conjunctions καὶ ... καὶ ... ("both ... and ...") connect the two genitives τῆς σημαίας (of the infantry company) and τῶν οὐλαμῶν (of the cavalry troop), which modify τὸ ὅλον σχῆμα ("the entire shape").
6.28.4ἔχει δὲ τὸ μὲν μῆκος ὡρισμένον τὸ παρὰ τὴν δίοδον
The predicate adjective ὡρισμένον modifies the object τὸ μῆκος ("has its length fixed"). The prepositional phrase τὸ παρὰ τὴν δίοδον ("that along the street") functions attributively to restrict μῆκος.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)

2026-09-21 AI review — note 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.28.1-6.28.5