- 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-grc2:6.39.1-6.39.15
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-08
Explains the various military rewards and the social impact of honors in the Roman army, followed by a detailed description of the pay and grain rations provided to infantry, cavalry, and allies.
καλῶς δὲ καὶ τοὺς νέους ἐκκαλοῦνται πρὸς τὸ κινδυνεύειν.
They also have an excellent method of encouraging the young men to face danger.
ἐπειδὰν γὰρ γένηταί τις χρεία καί τινες αὐτῶν ἀνδραγαθήσωσι, συναγαγὼν ὁ στρατηγὸς ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ στρατοπέδου, καὶ παραστησάμενος τοὺς δόξαντάς τι πεπραχέναι διαφέρον, πρῶτον μὲν ἐγκώμιον ὑπὲρ ἑκάστου λέγει περί τε τῆς ἀνδραγαθίας, κἄν τι κατὰ τὸν βίον αὐτοῖς ἄλλο συνυπάρχῃ τῆς ἐπʼ ἀγαθῷ μνήμης ἄξιον,1 μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα τῷ μὲν τρώσαντι πολέμιον γαῖσον δωρεῖται, τῷ δὲ καταβαλόντι καὶ σκυλεύσαντι, τῷ μὲν πεζῷ φιάλην, τῷ δʼ ἱππεῖ φάλαρʼ, ἐξ ἀρχῆς δὲ γαῖσον μόνον.2
For whenever some need arises and some of them perform acts of bravery, the general, having assembled a meeting of the camp and placed beside him those who are deemed to have done something distinguished, first delivers a panegyric upon each concerning their bravery, and also if there is anything else in their life worthy of good memory. After this, he presents a half-pike to the one who has wounded an enemy, and to the one who has slain and stripped an enemy, if he is a foot-soldier, a cup, and if a horseman, phalerae, though originally only a half-pike was given.
τυγχάνει δὲ τούτων οὐκ ἐὰν ἐν παρατάξει τις ἢ πόλεως καταλήψει τρώσῃ τινὰς ἢ σκυλεύσῃ τῶν πολεμίων, ἀλλʼ ἐὰν ἐν ἀκροβολισμοῖς ἤ τισιν ἄλλοις τοιούτοις καιροῖς, ἐν οἷς μηδεμιᾶς ἀνάγκης οὔσης κατʼ ἄνδρα κινδυνεύειν3 αὐτοί τινες ἑκουσίως καὶ κατὰ προαίρεσιν αὑτοὺς εἰς τοῦτο διδόασι.
And they obtain these gifts not if they wound or strip any of the enemy in a pitched battle or in the capture of a city, but if they do so in skirmishes or other similar occasions, where, there being no necessity for fighting single-handed, they voluntarily and of their own choice expose themselves to danger.
τοῖς δὲ πόλεως καταλαμβανομένης πρώτοις ἐπὶ τὸ τεῖχος ἀναβᾶσι χρυσοῦν δίδωσι στέφανον.
And to those who are the first to mount the wall when a city is being captured, he gives a golden crown.
ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τοὺς ὑπερασπίσαντας καὶ σώσαντάς τινας τῶν πολιτῶν ἢ συμμάχων ὅ τε στρατηγὸς ἐπισημαίνεται δώροις, οἵ τε χιλίαρχοι τοὺς σωθέντας, ἐὰν μὲν ἑκόντες ποιήσωσιν, εἰ δὲ μή, κρίναντες συναναγκάζουσι τὸν σώσαντα στεφανοῦν.4
In like manner, the general also distinguishes with gifts those who have shielded and saved any of the citizens or allies; and the tribunes compel those who were saved, if they do not do so voluntarily, to crown their savior after an inquiry.
σέβεται δὲ τοῦτον καὶ παρʼ ὅλον τὸν βίον ὁ σωθεὶς ὡς πατέρα, καὶ πάντα δεῖ τούτῳ ποιεῖν αὐτὸν ὡς τῷ γονεῖ.
And the one who was saved respects his savior throughout his whole life as a father, and must do everything for him just as for a parent.
ἐκ δὲ τῆς τοιαύτης παρορμήσεως οὐ μόνον τοὺς ἀκούοντας καὶ παρόντας ἐκκαλοῦνται πρὸς τὴν ἐν τοῖς κινδύνοις ἅμιλλαν καὶ ζῆλον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἐν οἴκῳ μένοντας·
By such incentive they encourage not only those who hear and are present to emulation and zeal in dangers, but also those who remain at home.
οἱ γὰρ τυχόντες τῶν τοιούτων δωρεῶν χωρὶς τῆς ἐν τοῖς στρατοπέδοις εὐκλείας καὶ τῆς ἐν οἴκῳ παραχρῆμα φήμης καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἐπάνοδον τὴν εἰς τὴν πατρίδα τάς τε πομπὰς ἐπισήμως πομπεύουσι διὰ τὸ μόνοις ἐξεῖναι περιτίθεσθαι κόσμον τοῖς ὑπὸ τῶν στρατηγῶν ἐπʼ ἀνδραγαθίᾳ τετιμημένοις, ἔν τε ταῖς οἰκίαις κατὰ τοὺς ἐπιφανεστάτους τόπους τιθέασι τὰ σκῦλα, σημεῖα ποιούμενοι καὶ μαρτύρια τῆς ἑαυτῶν ἀρετῆς.
For those who obtain such gifts, quite apart from their renown in the camps and their immediate reputation at home, even after their return to their country march in processions with distinction, because only those who have been honored for bravery by the generals are allowed to wear such decorations; and in their houses they place the spoils in the most conspicuous parts, making them tokens and testaments of their own valor.
τοιαύτης δʼ ἐπιμελείας οὔσης καὶ σπουδῆς περί τε τὰς τιμὰς καὶ τιμωρίας τὰς ἐν τοῖς στρατοπέδοις, εἰκότως καὶ τὰ τέλη τῶν πολεμικῶν πράξεων ἐπιτυχῆ καὶ λαμπρὰ γίνεται διʼ αὐτῶν.
Such being the care and zeal shown regarding honors and punishments in the camps, it is natural that the outcomes of their military operations are successful and brilliant through them.
ὀψώνιον δʼ οἱ μὲν πεζοὶ λαμβάνουσι τῆς ἡμέρας δύʼ ὀβολούς, οἱ δὲ ταξίαρχοι διπλοῦν, οἱ δʼ ἱππεῖς δραχμήν.
As pay, the foot-soldiers receive two obols a day, the centurions double, and the cavalrymen a drachma.
σιτομετροῦνται δʼ οἱ μὲν πεζοὶ πυρῶν Ἀττικοῦ μεδίμνου δύο μέρη5 μάλιστά πως, οἱ δʼ ἱππεῖς κριθῶν μὲν ἑπτὰ μεδίμνους εἰς τὸν μῆνα, πυρῶν δὲ δύο, τῶν δὲ συμμάχων οἱ μὲν πεζοὶ τὸ ἴσον, οἱ δʼ ἱππεῖς πυρῶν μὲν μέδιμνον ἕνα καὶ τρίτον μέρος, κριθῶν δὲ πέντε.
For their grain allowance, the foot-soldiers receive about two-thirds of an Attic medimnus of wheat, and the cavalrymen seven medimni of barley for a month, and two of wheat; and of the allies, the foot-soldiers receive the same amount, and the cavalrymen one and a third medimnus of wheat, and five of barley.
δίδοται δὲ τοῖς μὲν συμμάχοις τοῦτʼ ἐν δωρεᾷ· τοῖς δὲ Ῥωμαίοις τοῦ τε σίτου καὶ τῆς ἐσθῆτος, κἄν τινος ὅπλου προσδεηθῶσι, πάντων τούτων ὁ ταμίας τὴν τεταγμένην τιμὴν ἐκ τῶν ὀψωνίων ὑπολογίζεται.
This is given to the allies as a free gift; but in the case of the Romans, the quaestor deducts the fixed price for all these things—both the grain and the clothing, and if they need any weapon—from their pay.
- 6.39.2κἄν τι κατὰ τὸν βίον αὐτοῖς ἄλλο συνυπάρχῃ τῆς ἐπʼ ἀγαθῷ μνήμης ἄξιον
The conjunction κἄν is a contraction of καὶ ἐάν, forming a conditional or concessive clause with the present subjunctive συνυπάρχῃ. The neuter singular adjective ἄξιον modifies the pronoun ἄλλο (something else) and governs the genitive of worthiness μνήμης (memory). The phrase τῆς ἐπʼ ἀγαθῷ is an attributive modifier of μνήμης, meaning 'good/honorable memory'.
- 6.39.3ἐξ ἀρχῆς δὲ γαῖσον μόνον
An extremely elliptical clause in which the verb ἐδωρεῖτο (was presented/given) or a similar verb of presenting is omitted. While receiving the list of rewards from the previous sentence, it acts as a parenthetical remark explaining that historically ('originally') only the half-pike was given.
- 6.39.4ἐν οἷς μηδεμιᾶς ἀνάγκης οὔσης κατʼ ἄνδρα κινδυνεύειν
The relative pronoun οἷς refers back to καιροῖς. The phrase μηδεμιᾶς ἀνάγκης οὔσης is a genitive absolute construction with the present participle οὔσης, expressing a concessive force ('although there is no necessity'). The infinitive κινδυνεύειν depends on the noun ἀνάγκης, meaning 'necessity to run risk'.
- 6.39.6κρίναντες συναναγκάζουσι τὸν σώσαντα στεφανοῦν
The subject of the main verb συναναγκάζουσι (they compel) is the preceding οἵ τε χιλίαρχοι (the tribunes). The logical subject of the infinitive στεφανοῦν (to crown) is the previously mentioned accusative τοὺς σωθέντας (those who were saved), while τὸν σώσαντα (the savior) is the grammatical object of the infinitive.
- 6.39.13πυρῶν Ἀττικοῦ μεδίμνου δύο μέρη
The phrase δύο μέρη (literally 'two parts') is a standard Greek idiomatic expression for 'two-thirds' (i.e., two parts out of three). Thus, it means 'two-thirds of an Attic medimnus of wheat'.