§13.1ΛΕΟΝΤΙΧΟΣ
Ἐν δὲ τῇ πρὸς τοὺς Γαλάτας μάχῃ εἰπέ, ὦ Χηνίδα, ὅπως μὲν προεξήλασα τῶν ἄλλων ἱππέων ἐπὶ τοῦ ἵππου τοῦ λευκοῦ, ὅπως δὲ οἱ Γαλάται καίτοι ἄλκιμοι ὄντες ἔτρεσάν μ' εὐθὺς ὡς εἶδον καὶ οὐθεὶς ἔτι ὑπέστη.
LEONTICHOS: Tell me, Chenidas, about the battle against the Galatians, how I rode out ahead of the other horsemen on my white horse, and how the Galatians, brave though they were, trembled at me as soon as they saw me, and no one stood his ground anymore.
τότε τοίνυν ἐγὼ τὴν μὲν λόγχην ἀκοντίσας διέπειρα τὸν ἵππαρχον αὐτὸν καὶ τὸν ἵππον, ἐπὶ δὲ τὸ συνεστηκὸς ἔτι αὐτῶν—ἦσαν γάρ τινες οἳ ἔμενον διαλύσαντες μὲν τὴν φάλαγγα, ἐς πλαίσιον δὲ συναγαγόντες αὑτούς—ἐπὶ τούτους ἐγὼ σπασάμενος τὴν σπάθην ἅπαντι τῷ θυμῷ ἐπελάσας ἀνατρέπω μὲν ὅσον ἑπτὰ τοὺς προεστῶτας αὐτῶν τῇ ἐμβολῇ τοῦ ἵππου· τῷ ξίφει δὲ κατενεγκὼν διέτεμον τῶν λοχαγῶν ἑνὸς ἐς δύο τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτῷ κράνει.
Then, having hurled my spear, I ran the cavalry commander himself and his horse through, and against that part of them which was still holding together—for there were some who remained, having broken their phalanx but formed themselves into a square—against these I drew my sword and charged with all my fury, overturning about seven of their foremost men by the impact of my horse; and bringing down my sword, I cleft the head of one of their captains in two, helmet and all.
ὑμεῖς δέ, ὦ Χηνίδα, μετ' ὀλίγον ἐπέστητε ἤδη φευγόντων.
And you, Chenidas, arrived a little later, when they were already in flight.
§13.2ΧΗΝΙΔΑΣ
Ὅτε γάρ, ὦ Λεόντιχε, περὶ Παφλαγονίαν ἐμονομάχησας τῷ σατράπῃ, οὐ μεγάλα ἐπεδείξω καὶ τότε;
CHENIDAS: Yes, for when you fought in single combat with the satrap near Paphlagonia, Leontichos, did you not display great deeds then too?
ΛΕΟΝΤΙΧΟΣ
Καλῶς ὑπέμνησας οὐκ ἀγεννοῦς οὐδ’ ἐκείνης τῆς πράξεως·
LEONTICHOS: You have well reminded me of that exploit, which was indeed not ignoble either.
ὁ γὰρ σατράπης μέγιστος ὤν, ὁπλομάχων ἄριστος δοκῶν εἶναι, καταφρονήσας τοῦ Ἑλληνικοῦ, προπηδήσας ἐς τὸ μέσον προὐκαλεῖτο εἴ τις ἐθέλοι αὐτῷ μονομαχῆσαι.
For the satrap, who was extremely large and reputed to be the best of armed combatants, having despised the Greek force, leaped forward into the middle and challenged anyone who wished to fight him in single combat.
οἱ μὲν οὖν ἄλλοι κατεπεπλήγεσαν οἱ λοχαγοὶ καὶ οἱ ταξίαρχοι καὶ ὁ ἡγεμὼν αὐτὸς καίτοι οὐκ ἀγεννὴς ἄνθρωπος ὤν· Ἀρίσταιχμος γὰρ ἡμῶν ἡγεῖτο Αἰτωλὸς ἀκοντιστὴς ἄριστος, ἐγὼ δὲ ἐχιλιάρχουν ἔτι.
Now all the other captains, commanders, and the general himself, though he was not a cowardly man, were struck with terror; for Aristaichmos the Aetolian, a most excellent javelin-thrower, was leading us, and I was still only a chiliarch.
τολμήσας δ’ ὅμως καὶ τοὺς ἑταίρους ἐπιλαμβανομένους ἀποσεισάμενος, ἐδεδοίκεσαν γὰρ ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ ὁρῶντες ἀποστίλβοντα μὲν τὸν βάρβαρον ἐπιχρύσοις τοῖς ὅπλοις, μέγαν δὲ καὶ φοβερὸν ὄντα τὸν λόφον, κραδαίνοντα τὴν λόγχην—
ΧΗΝΙΔΑΣ
Κἀγὼ ἔδεισα τότε, ὦ Λεόντιχε, καὶ οἶσθα ὡς εἰχόμην σου δεόμενος μὴ προκινδυνεύειν· ἀβίωτα γὰρ ἦν μοι σοῦ ἀποθανόντος.
Nevertheless, I dared, and shaking off my comrades who were holding me back—for they feared for me, seeing the barbarian glittering with gilded armor, and his crest being huge and terrifying, and him brandishing his spear— CHENIDAS: I too was afraid then, Leontichos, and you know how I clung to you, begging you not to run into danger; for life would not have been worth living for me if you had died.
§13.3ΛΕΟΝΤΙΧΟΣ
Ἀλλ' ἐγὼ τολμήσας παρῆλθον ἐς τὸ μέσον οὐ χεῖρον τοῦ Παφλαγόνος ὡπλισμένος, ἀλλὰ πάγχρυσος καὶ αὐτός, ὥστε βοὴ εὐθὺς ἐγένετο καὶ παρ' ἡμῶν καὶ παρὰ τῶν βαρβάρων· ἐγνώρισαν γάρ με κἀκεῖνοι ἰδόντες ἀπὸ τῆς πέλτης μάλιστα καὶ τῶν φαλάρων καὶ τοῦ λόφου.
LEONTICHOS: But I dared and went out into the middle, armed no worse than the Paphlagonian, but myself all in gold, so that a shout immediately arose from both our men and the barbarians; for they too recognized me when they saw me, especially by my shield, my horse-trappings, and my crest.
εἰπέ, ὦ Χηνίδα, τίνι με τότε πάντες εἴκαζον;
Tell me, Chenidas, to whom did everyone then compare me?
ΧΗΝΙΔΑΣ
Τίνι δὲ ἄλλῳ ἢ Ἀχιλλεῖ νὴ Δία τῷ Θέτιδος καὶ Πηλέως;
CHENIDAS: To whom else, by Zeus, but to Achilles, the son of Thetis and Peleus?
οὕτως ἔπρεπέ μέν σοι ἡ κόρυς, ἡ φοινικὶς δὲ ἐπήνθει καὶ ἡ πέλτη ἐμάρμαιρεν.
So well did the helmet become you, and the scarlet cloak bloomed, and the shield flashed.
ΛΕΟΝΤΙΧΟΣ
Ἐπεὶ δὲ συνέστημεν, ὁ βάρβαρος πρότερος τιτρώσκει με ὀλίγον ὅσον ἐπιψαῦσαι τῷ δόρατι μικρὸν ὑπὲρ τὸ γόνυ, ἐγὼ δὲ διελάσας τὴν ἀσπίδα τῇ σαρίσῃ παίω διαμπὰξ ἐς τὸ στέρνον, εἶτ' ἐπιδραμὼν ἀπεδειροτόμησα τῇ σπάθῃ ῥᾳδίως καὶ τὰ ὅπλα ἔχων ἐπανῆλθον ἅμα καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν ἐπὶ τῆς σαρίσης πεπηγυῖαν κομίζων λελουμένος τῷ φόνῳ.
LEONTICHOS: And when we engaged, the barbarian first wounded me slightly, just grazing me with his spear a little above the knee, but I, driving my pike through his shield, struck him right through the breast, and then running up, I easily cut off his head with my sword, and came back holding his armor and at the same time carrying his head fixed upon my pike, drenched in blood.