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Polybius · The Histories §5.79.1-5.79.13

Forces and Troop Formations for the Battle of Raphia

Passage 443 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

With the arrival of spring, Ptolemy and Antiochus mobilize their forces for the Battle of Raphia, and the specific numbers and troop compositions of both armies are detailed.

§5.79.1χώρησε μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως εἰς Πέργαμον·
...retreated with his force to Pergamum.
Ἀντίοχος δὲ καὶ Πτολεμαῖος, τῆς ἐαρινῆς ὥρας ἐνισταμένης, ἑτοίμας ἔχοντες τὰς παρασκευὰς ἐγίνοντο πρὸς τῷ διὰ μάχης κρίνειν τὴν ἔφοδον. §5.79.2οἱ μὲν οὖν περὶ τὸν Πτολεμαῖον ὥρμησαν ἐκ τῆς Ἀλεξανδρείας, ἔχοντες πεζῶν μὲν εἰς ἑπτὰ μυριάδας, ἱππεῖς δὲ πεντακισχιλίους, ἐλέφαντας ἑβδομήκοντα τρεῖς· §5.79.3Ἀντίοχος δὲ γνοὺς τὴν ἔφοδον αὐτῶν συνῆγε τὰς δυνάμεις.
Antiochus and Ptolemy, as the spring season was beginning, having their preparations ready, turned their attention to deciding the issue of the campaign by a battle. Ptolemy and his men, then, set out from Alexandria, having about seventy thousand infantry, five thousand cavalry, and seventy-three elephants. Antiochus, learning of their advance, assembled his forces.
ἦσαν δʼ αὗται Δάαι μὲν καὶ Καρμάνιοι καὶ Κίλικες εἰς τὸν τῶν εὐζώνων τρόπον καθωπλισμένοι περὶ πεντακισχιλίους· τούτων δʼ ἅμα τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν εἶχε καὶ τὴν ἡγεμονίαν Βύττακος ὁ Μακεδών. §5.79.4ὑπὸ δὲ Θεόδοτον τὸν Αἰτωλὸν τὸν ποιησάμενον τὴν προδοσίαν ἦσαν ἐκ πάσης ἐκλελεγμένοι τῆς βασιλείας, καθωπλισμένοι δʼ εἰς τὸν Μακεδονικὸν τρόπον, ἄνδρες μύριοι· τούτων οἱ πλείονες ἀργυράσπιδες. §5.79.5τὸ δὲ τῆς φάλαγγος πλῆθος ἦν εἰς δυσμυρίους, ἧς ἡγεῖτο Νίκαρχος καὶ Θεόδοτος ὁ καλούμενος ἡμιόλιος. §5.79.6πρὸς δὲ τούτοις Ἀγριᾶνες καὶ Πέρσαι τοξόται καὶ σφενδονῆται δισχίλιοι. μετὰ δὲ τούτων χίλιοι Θρᾷκες, ὧν ἡγεῖτο Μενέδημος Ἀλαβανδεύς. §5.79.7ὑπῆρχον δὲ καὶ Μήδων καὶ Κισσίων καὶ Καδουσίων καὶ Καρμανῶν οἱ πάντες εἰς πεντακισχιλίους, οἷς ἀκούειν Ἀσπασιανοῦ προσετέτακτο τοῦ Μήδου. §5.79.8Ἄραβες δὲ καί τινες τῶν τούτοις προσχώρων ἦσαν μὲν εἰς μυρίους, ὑπετάττοντο δὲ Ζαβδιβήλῳ. §5.79.9τῶν δʼ ἀπὸ τῆς Ἑλλάδος μισθοφόρων ἡγεῖτο μὲν Ἱππόλοχος Θετταλός, ὑπῆρχον δὲ τὸν ἀριθμὸν εἰς πεντακισχιλίους. §5.79.10Κρῆτας δὲ χιλίους μὲν καὶ πεντακοσίους εἶχε τοὺς μετʼ Εὐρυλόχου, χιλίους δὲ Νεόκρητας τοὺς ὑπὸ Ζέλυν τὸν Γορτύνιον ταττομένους· §5.79.11οἷς ἅμα συνῆσαν ἀκοντισταὶ Λυδοὶ πεντακόσιοι καὶ Κάρδακες οἱ μετὰ Λυσιμάχου τοῦ Γαλάτου χίλιοι. §5.79.12τῶν δʼ ἱππέων ἦν τὸ πᾶν πλῆθος εἰς ἑξακισχιλίους· εἶχε δὲ τῶν μὲν τετρακισχιλίων τὴν ἡγεμονίαν Ἀντίπατρος ὁ τοῦ βασιλέως ἀδελφιδοῦς, ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν λοιπῶν ἐτέτακτο Θεμίσων. §5.79.13καὶ τῆς μὲν Ἀντιόχου δυνάμεως τὸ πλῆθος ἦν πεζοὶ μὲν ἑξακισμύριοι καὶ δισχίλιοι, σὺν δὲ τούτοις ἱππεῖς ἑξακισχίλιοι, θηρία δὲ δυσὶ πλείω τῶν ἑκατόν.
These consisted of Dahae, Carmanians, and Cilicians, armed in the manner of light-armed troops, to the number of about five thousand; and Byttacus the Macedonian had both the care and the command of these. Under Theodotus the Aetolian, who had committed the treason, were ten thousand men, chosen from the whole kingdom and armed in the Macedonian fashion; the majority of these were Silver-shields. The number of the phalanx was about twenty thousand, and was commanded by Nicarchus and Theodotus, surnamed Hemiolius. In addition to these, there were two thousand Agrianians and Persian archers and slingers; and with them a thousand Thracians, commanded by Menedemus of Alabanda. There were also Medes, Cissians, Cadusians, and Carmanians, in all about five thousand, who had been ordered to obey Aspasianus the Mede. The Arabs and some of those who bordered on them numbered about ten thousand, and were subject to Zabdibelus. The mercenaries from Greece were commanded by Hippolochus the Thessalian, and numbered about five thousand. Of Cretans he had fifteen hundred with Eurylochus, and a thousand Neo-Cretans, who were placed under Zelys of Gortyn. With these were associated five hundred Lydian javelin-throwers, and a thousand Cardaces under Lysimachus the Galatian. The total number of the cavalry was about six thousand; Antipater, the nephew of the king, had the command of four thousand of them, while Themison was placed over the rest. The total force of Antiochus consisted of sixty-two thousand infantry, and with them six thousand cavalry, and a hundred and two elephants.

Notes

  1. 5.79.1πρὸς τῷ διὰ μάχης κρίνειν — The preposition πρὸς combined with the dative articular infinitive τῷ κρίνειν expresses being intent on or devoted to an action. The phrase διὰ μάχης ('by means of battle') is an adverbial modifier of the infinitive.
  2. 5.79.4ὑπὸ δὲ Θεόδοτον — The preposition ὑπό with the accusative denotes being placed under someone's control or command. Here it indicates that the ten thousand men were under the command of Theodotus, construing with ἦσαν... ἄνδρες μύριοι.
  3. 5.79.7οἷς ἀκούειν Ἀσπασιανοῦ προσετέτακτο — The verb ἀκούω governs the genitive (Ἀσπασιανοῦ) in the sense of 'to obey.' The dative οἷς is the indirect object of the passive verb προσετέτακτο ('it had been commanded'), which has the infinitive clause ἀκούειν Ἀσπασιανοῦ as its subject.
  4. 5.79.13δυσὶ πλείω — The dative δυσί is a dative of measure of difference (or degree of difference) modifying the comparative πλείω (contracted form of πλείονα), meaning 'more by two than a hundred' (i.e., 102).

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §5.79.1-5.79.13. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.79.1-5.79.13

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