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Polybius · The Histories §6.27.1-6.27.7

Layout of the Camp and Arrangement of the Tents

Passage 504 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Polybius begins explaining the layout of the Roman camp, detailing the positioning of the consul's tent around the standard and the alignment of the tribunes' tents parallel to it.

§6.27.1ἔστι δὴ τὸ γένος αὐτῶν τῆς στρατοπεδείας τοιόνδε.
Indeed, the manner of their encampment is of this kind.
τοῦ κριθέντος αἰεὶ τόπου πρὸς στρατοπεδείαν, τούτου τὸν ἐπιτηδειότατον εἰς σύνοψιν ἅμα καὶ παραγγελίαν ἡ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ σκηνὴ καταλαμβάνει. τεθείσης δὲ τῆς σημαίας,
Of the place chosen on each occasion for encampment, the consul's tent occupies the most suitable part for both general view and issuing orders.
§6.27.2οὗ μέλλουσι πηγνύναι ταύτην, ἀπομετρεῖται πέριξ τῆς σημαίας τετράγωνος τόπος, ὥστε πάσας τὰς πλευρὰς ἑκατὸν ἀπέχειν πόδας τῆς σημαίας, τὸ δʼ ἐμβαδὸν γίνεσθαι τετράπλεθρον.
After the standard is set up, at the place where they intend to pitch it, a square space is measured out around the standard, so that all its sides are one hundred feet distant from the standard, and the area is four plethra.
§6.27.3τούτου δὲ τοῦ σχήματος αἰεὶ παρὰ μίαν ἐπιφάνειαν καὶ πλευράν, ἥτις ἂν ἐπιτηδειοτάτη φανῇ πρός τε τὰς ὑδρείας καὶ προνομάς, παραβάλλεται τὰ Ῥωμαϊκὰ στρατόπεδα τὸν τρόπον τοῦτον.
And always along one front and side of this figure, whichever appears most suitable for fetching water and foraging, the Roman legions are drawn up in the following manner.
§6.27.4ἓξ ὑπαρχόντων χιλιάρχων ἐν ἑκάστῳ στρατοπέδῳ κατὰ τὸν ἄρτι λόγον, δυεῖν δὲ στρατοπέδων ὄντων τῶν Ῥωμαϊκῶν ἀεὶ μεθʼ ἑκατέρου τῶν ὑπάτων, φανερὸν ὅτι δώδεκα χιλιάρχους ἀνάγκη συστρατεύειν ἑκατέρῳ τῶν ὑπάτων.
Since there are six tribunes in each legion, according to the account just given, and there are always two Roman legions with each of the consuls, it is clear that twelve tribunes must campaign with each of the consuls.
§6.27.5τιθέασι δὴ τὰς τούτων σκηνὰς ἐπὶ μίαν εὐθεῖαν ἁπάσας, ἥτις ἐστὶ παράλληλος τῇ τοῦ τετραγώνου προκριθείσῃ πλευρᾷ, πεντήκοντα δʼ ἀπέχει πόδας ἀπʼ αὐτῆς, ἵνʼ ᾗ τοῖς ἵπποις, ἅμα δʼ ὑποζυγίοις καὶ τῇ λοιπῇ τῶν χιλιάρχων ἀποσκευῇ τόπος.
They place all their tents along a single straight line, which is parallel to the chosen side of the square and is fifty feet distant from it, so that there may be space for the horses, and at the same time for the beasts of burden and the rest of the baggage of the tribunes.
§6.27.6αἱ δὲ σκηναὶ τοῦ προειρημένου σχήματος εἰς τοὔμπαλιν ἀπεστραμμέναι πήγνυνται πρὸς τὴν ἐκτὸς ἐπιφάνειαν, ἣ νοείσθω καὶ καλείσθω δὲ καθάπαξ ἡμῖν ἀεὶ τοῦ παντὸς σχήματος κατὰ πρόσωπον.
These tents are pitched facing towards the outer side, turned away in the opposite direction from the aforementioned figure; let this outer side once and for all be understood and called by us always the "front" of the whole structure.
§6.27.7ἀφεστᾶσι δʼ ἀλλήλων μὲν ἴσον αἱ τῶν χιλιάρχων σκηναί, τοσοῦτον δὲ τόπον ὥστε παρʼ ὅλον τὸ πλάτος ἀεὶ τῶν Ῥωμαϊκῶν στρατοπέδων παρήκειν.
The tents of the tribunes are distant at equal intervals from one another, and occupy so much space that they extend along the entire width of the Roman legions.

Notes

  1. §6.27.1τοῦ κριθέντος αἰεὶ τόπου πρὸς στρατοπεδείαν, τούτου τὸν ἐπιτηδειότατον... ἡ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ σκηνὴ καταλαμβάνει — The genitive phrase τοῦ κριθέντος... τόπου is a partitive genitive depending on the subsequent demonstrative pronoun τούτου, which in turn limits the superlative τὸν ἐπιτηδειότατον (the most suitable part).
  2. §6.27.2τετράπλεθρον — Refers to "four plethra" as a measure of area. Since one plethron is 100 feet, a square with sides of 200 feet (2 plethra) has an area of 40,000 square feet, which equals four square plethra.
  3. §6.27.6αἱ δὲ σκηναὶ τοῦ προειρημένου σχήματος εἰς τοὔμπαλιν ἀπεστραμμέναι πήγνυνται πρὸς τὴν ἐκτὸς ἐπιφάνειαν — τοῦ προειρημένου σχήματος functions as a genitive of separation governed by the participle ἀπεστραμμέναι (turned away), meaning "turned away from the aforementioned figure (i.e., the square of the praetorium)".

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §6.27.1-6.27.7. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.27.1-6.27.7

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