§18.29.1ὅτι μὲν ἐχούσης τῆς φάλαγγος τὴν αὑτῆς ἰδιότητα καὶ δύναμιν οὐδὲν ἂν ὑποσταίη κατὰ πρόσωπον οὐδὲ μείναι τὴν ἔφοδον αὐτῆς, εὐχερὲς καταμαθεῖν ἐκ πολλῶν.
That nothing could withstand the phalanx face to face, nor support its charge, as long as it retains its proper character and strength, is easy to understand from many considerations.
§18.29.2ἐπεὶ γὰρ ὁ μὲν ἀνὴρ ἵσταται σὺν τοῖς ὅπλοις ἐν τρισὶ ποσὶ κατὰ τὰς ἐναγωνίους πυκνώσεις, τὸ δὲ τῶν σαρισῶν μέγεθός ἐστι κατὰ μὲν τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὑπόθεσιν ἑκκαίδεκα πηχῶν, κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἁρμογὴν τὴν πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν δεκατεττάρων,
For while a soldier with his arms stands in a space of three feet in the close order of actual battle, the length of the sarissas, according to the original design, is sixteen cubits, but according to its adaptation to actual practice, fourteen cubits.
§18.29.3τούτων δὲ τοὺς τέτταρας ἀφαιρεῖ τὸ μεταξὺ τοῖν χεροῖν διάστημα καὶ τὸ κατόπιν σήκωμα τῆς προβολῆς,
Of these fourteen cubits, the space between the two hands and the counter-weight of the spear behind the grip deduct four cubits.
§18.29.4φανερὸν ὅτι τοὺς δέκα πήχεις προπίπτειν ἀνάγκη τὴν σάρισαν πρὸ τῶν σωμάτων ἑκάστου τῶν ὁπλιτῶν, ὅταν ἴῃ διʼ ἀμφοῖν τοῖν χεροῖν προβαλόμενος ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους.
It is therefore manifest that when the soldier advances against the enemy, holding the sarissa couched with both hands, it must project ten cubits in front of the body of each hoplite.
§18.29.5ἐκ δὲ τούτου συμβαίνει τὰς μὲν τοῦ δευτέρου καὶ τρίτου καὶ τετάρτου πλεῖον, τὰς δὲ τοῦ πέμπτου ζυγοῦ σαρίσας δύο προπίπτειν πήχεις πρὸ τῶν πρωτοστατῶν, ἐχούσης τῆς φάλαγγος τὴν αὑτῆς ἰδιότητα καὶ πύκνωσιν κατʼ ἐπιστάτην καὶ κατὰ παραστάτην,
From this it follows that, if the phalanx preserves its proper character and closeness both in depth and in breadth, the sarissas of the second, third, and fourth ranks project further, and those of the fifth rank project two cubits, in front of the front-rank men.
§18.29.6ὡς Ὅμηρος ὑποδείκνυσιν ἐν τούτοις· ἀσπὶς ἄρʼ ἀσπίδʼ ἔρειδε, κόρυς κόρυν, ἀνέρα δʼ ἀνήρ· ψαῦον δʼ ἱππόκομοι κόρυθες λαμπροῖσι φάλοισι
νευόντων· ὣς πυκνοὶ ἐφέστασαν ἀλλήλοισι. τούτων δʼ ἀληθινῶς καὶ καλῶς λεγομένων, §18.29.7δῆλον ὡς ἀνάγκη καθʼ ἕκαστον τῶν πρωτοστατῶν σαρίσας προπίπτειν πέντε, δυσὶ πήχεσι διαφερούσας ἀλλήλων κατὰ μῆκος.
As Homer indicates in these lines: "Shield pressed on shield, helm on helm, man on man; and the horse-hair crests on the glittering helmet-ridges touched as they nodded, so closely stood they packed." Now, since these words are spoken truly and beautifully, it is manifest that in front of each front-rank man there must project five sarissas, differing from one another in length by two cubits.