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Herodotus · Histories §9.29.1-9.29.2

Numbers of Greek Hoplites and Light-Armed Troops

Passage 1484 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The author counts the total number of Greek forces at Plataea, specifying thirty-eight thousand seven hundred hoplites, alongside the light-armed troops accompanying the Spartans (thirty-five thousand) and other Greeks (thirty-four thousand five hundred).

§9.29.1οὗτοι, πλὴν τῶν ἑπτὰ περὶ ἕκαστον τεταγμένων Σπαρτιήτῃσι, ἦσαν ὁπλῖται, σύμπαντες ἐόντες ἀριθμὸν τρεῖς τε μυριάδες καὶ ὀκτὼ χιλιάδες καὶ ἑκατοντάδες ἑπτά.
These, except for the seven posted around each of the Spartans, were hoplites, being in total thirty-eight thousand seven hundred in number.
ὁπλῖται μὲν οἱ πάντες συλλεγέντες ἐπὶ τὸν βάρβαρον ἦσαν τοσοῦτοι, ψιλῶν δὲ πλῆθος ἦν τόδε, τῆς μὲν Σπαρτιητικῆς τάξιος πεντακισχίλιοι καὶ τρισμύριοι ἄνδρες, ὡς ἐόντων ἑπτὰ περὶ ἕκαστον ἄνδρα, καὶ τούτων πᾶς τις παρήρτητο ὡς ἐς πόλεμον· §9.29.2οἱ δὲ τῶν λοιπῶν Λακεδαιμονίων καὶ Ἑλλήνων ψιλοί, ὡς εἷς περὶ ἕκαστον ἐὼν ἄνδρα, πεντακόσιοι καὶ τετρακισχίλιοι καὶ τρισμύριοι ἦσαν.
The hoplites assembled against the barbarian were in all this many, and the number of the light-armed troops was as follows: from the Spartan contingent, thirty-five thousand men, on the basis of there being seven around each man, and of these every single one was equipped as if for war; and the light-armed troops of the remaining Lacedaemonians and Greeks, on the basis of there being one around each man, were thirty-four thousand five hundred.

Notes

  1. 9.29.1Σπαρτιήτῃσι — Dative plural. It depends on the passive participle τεταγμένων, indicating the persons for whom or in relation to whom the men were posted ("posted in relation to the Spartans").
  2. 9.29.1ἀριθμὸν — Accusative of respect (or specification) used adverbially, meaning "in number," qualifying the following numerical phrase.
  3. 9.29.1ὡς ἐόντων ἑπτὰ — Genitive absolute construction with the participle ἐόντων, introduced by ὡς, which denotes a subjective reason or an assumed proportion ("on the assumption that there were seven").

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §9.29.1-9.29.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:9.29.1-9.29.2

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