- 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-grc2:6.41.1-6.41.12
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-08
The Roman advance party surveys the campsite and measures the layout, lines, and streets based on the general's tent, marking them with flags and spears so that the incoming army can find their designated spots instantly like entering their own city.
ὅταν δὲ κατὰ τὰς πορείας ἐγγίζωσι στρατοπεδεύειν, προπορεύονται χιλίαρχος καὶ τῶν ταξιάρχων οἱ πρὸς τοῦτο τὸ μέρος ἀεὶ προχειρισθέντες, οἵτινες ἐπειδὰν συνθεάσωνται τὸν ὅλον τόπον, οὗ δεῖ στρατοπεδεύειν, ἐν αὐτῷ τούτῳ πρῶτον μὲν διέλαβον1 τὴν τοῦ στρατηγοῦ σκηνὴν οὗ δεήσει θεῖναι κατὰ τὸν ἄρτι λόγον, καὶ παρὰ ποίαν ἐπιφάνειαν καὶ πλευρὰν τῆς περὶ τὴν σκηνὴν περιστάσεως παρεμβαλεῖν τὰ στρατόπεδα·
And when in the course of their march they near the place of encampment, a tribune and those of the centurions who are from time to time appointed for this duty go on in advance. When these have surveyed the whole site where the camp is to be made, they first of all in this very place mark out the position for the general’s tent, where it must be placed according to the account just given, and on which aspect and face of the area surrounding the tent the legions are to encamp.
τούτων δὲ προκριθέντων διαμετροῦνται τὴν περίστασιν τῆς σκηνῆς, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα τὴν εὐθεῖαν, ἐφʼ ἧς αἱ σκηναὶ τίθενται τῶν χιλιάρχων, ἑξῆς δὲ τὴν ταύτης παράλληλον, ἀφʼ ἧς ἄρχεται τὰ στρατόπεδα παρεμβάλλειν.
When these points have been decided, they measure out the area surrounding the tent, and after this the straight line on which the tents of the tribunes are placed, and next the line parallel to this, from which the encampment of the legions begins.
ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ θάτερα μέρη τῆς σκηνῆς κατεμετρήσαντο γραμμαῖς, περὶ ὧν ὑπεδείξαμεν ἄρτι διὰ πλειόνων κατὰ μέρος.
In like manner they also measure out with lines the parts on the other side of the general’s tent, which we have just described in detail at greater length.
γενομένων δὲ τούτων ἐν βραχεῖ χρόνῳ διὰ τὸ ῥᾳδίαν εἶναι τὴν καταμέτρησιν, ὡς ἁπάντων ὡρισμένων καὶ συνήθων ὄντων διαστημάτων,2 μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα σημαίαν ἔπηξαν μίαν μὲν καὶ πρώτην, ἐν ᾧ δεῖ τόπῳ τίθεσθαι τὴν τοῦ στρατηγοῦ σκηνήν, δευτέραν δὲ τὴν ἐπὶ τῆς προκριθείσης πλευρᾶς, τρίτην ἐπὶ μέσης τῆς γραμμῆς ἐφʼ ἧς οἱ χιλίαρχοι σκηνοῦσι, τετάρτην, παρʼ ἣν τίθενται τὰ στρατόπεδα. καὶ ταύτας μὲν ποιοῦσι φοινικιᾶς, τὴν δὲ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ λευκήν. τὰ δʼ ἐπὶ θάτερα ποτὲ μὲν ψιλὰ δόρατα πηγνύουσι, ποτὲ δὲ σημαίας ἐκ τῶν ἄλλων χρωμάτων.
Since the measurement is easy, as all the distances are fixed and familiar, these operations are completed in a short time. After this they plant flags, first and foremost one in the place where the general’s tent is to stand, a second on the side chosen, a third in the middle of the line on which the tribunes camp, and a fourth where the legions are to be stationed. And while they make these flags scarlet, that of the general is white. On the other sides they sometimes plant simple spears, and sometimes flags of other colors.
γενομένων δὲ τούτων ἑξῆς τὰς ῥύμας διεμέτρησαν καὶ δόρατα κατέπηξαν ἐφʼ ἑκάστης ῥύμης.
When this is done, they next measure out the streets and plant spears at the end of each street.
ἐξ ὧν εἰκότως, ὅταν ἐγγίσῃ τὰ στρατόπεδα κατὰ τὰς πορείας καὶ γένητʼ εὐσύνοπτος ὁ τόπος τῆς παρεμβολῆς, εὐθέως ἅπαντα γίνεται πᾶσι γνώριμα, τεκμαιρομένοις καὶ συλλογιζομένοις ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ στρατηγοῦ σημαίας.
Consequently, as is natural, when the legions draw near on the march and the site of the camp comes into full view, everything at once becomes familiar to everyone, as they calculate and infer their positions from the general’s flag.
λοιπὸν ἑκάστου σαφῶς γινώσκοντος ἐν ποίᾳ ῥύμῃ καὶ ποίῳ τόπῳ τῆς ῥύμης σκηνοῖ διὰ τὸ πάντας ἀεὶ τὸν αὐτὸν ἐπέχειν τῆς στρατοπεδείας,3 γίνεταί τι παραπλήσιον, οἷον ὅταν εἰς πόλιν εἰσίῃ στρατόπεδον ἐγχώριον.
Thus, since everyone knows clearly in which street and in what part of that street he camps, because all of them always occupy the same position in the camp, something very similar happens to what occurs when a native army enters its own city.
καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖ διακλίναντες ἀπὸ τῶν πυλῶν εὐθέως ἕκαστοι προάγουσι καὶ παραγίνονται πρὸς τὰς ἰδίας οἰκήσεις ἀδιαπτώτως, διὰ τὸ καθόλου καὶ κατὰ μέρος γινώσκειν ποῦ τῆς πόλεώς ἐστιν αὐτοῖς ἡ κατάλυσις.
For there, turning aside from the gates, they all advance at once and reach their own dwellings without fail, because they know both generally and individually where in the city their quarters are.
τὸ δὲ παραπλήσιον τούτοις καὶ περὶ τὰς Ῥωμαϊκὰς συμβαίνει στρατοπεδείας.
Something very similar to this happens in the case of Roman camps.
- 6.41.2διέλαβον
Although an aorist, it functions as a gnomic aorist to describe a regular, habitual military procedure.
- 6.41.5ὡς ἁπάντων ὡρισμένων καὶ συνήθων ὄντων διαστημάτων
A genitive absolute construction introduced by the particle ὡς, which presents a logical reason ('on the ground that...'). The noun phrase ἁπάντων διαστημάτων (all distances) is modified by the coordinate participles ὡρισμένων (perfect passive, having been fixed) and ὄντων (present, being).
- 6.41.10διὰ τὸ πάντας ἀεὶ τὸν αὐτὸν ἐπέχειν τῆς στρατοπεδείας
An articular infinitive construction (τὸ ... ἐπέχειν) introduced by the preposition διὰ to express cause. The subject accusative of the infinitive is πάντας (everyone). In the phrase τὸν αὐτὸν (the same), the noun τόπον (place) is omitted. τῆς στρατοπεδείας is a genitive of range or relation indicating 'of the encampment.'