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Polybius · The Histories §6.33.1-6.33.12

Oath against Theft and Daily Camp Duties of the Maniples

Passage 510 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Describes the strict oath against theft administered to everyone in the Roman camp, and explains the systematic distribution of daily services, camp maintenance, and guard duties assigned to various infantry maniples.

§6.33.1μετὰ δὲ τὴν στρατοπεδείαν συναθροισθέντες οἱ χιλίαρχοι τοὺς ἐκ τοῦ στρατοπέδου πάντας ἐλευθέρους ὁμοῦ καὶ δούλους ὁρκίζουσι, καθʼ ἕνα ποιούμενοι τὸν ὁρκισμόν.
After the encampment is completed, the tribunes assemble and administer an oath to everyone in the camp, both free men and slaves, making them swear one by one.
§6.33.2ὁ δʼ ὅρκος ἐστὶ μηδὲν ἐκ τῆς παρεμβολῆς κλέψειν, ἀλλὰ κἂν εὕρῃ τι, τοῦτʼ ἀνοίσειν ἐπὶ τοὺς χιλιάρχους.
The oath is that they will steal nothing from the camp, and that if they find anything, they will bring it to the tribunes.
§6.33.3ἑξῆς δὲ τούτοις διέταξαν τὰς σημαίας ἐξ ἑκάστου στρατοπέδου τῶν πριγκίπων καὶ τῶν ἁστάτων, δύο μὲν εἰς τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν τοῦ τόπου τοῦ πρὸ τῶν χιλιάρχων· §6.33.4τὴν γὰρ διατριβὴν ἐν ταῖς καθημερείαις οἱ πλεῖστοι τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἐν ταύτῃ ποιοῦνται τῇ πλατείᾳ· διόπερ ἀεὶ σπουδάζουσι περὶ ταύτης, ὡς ῥαίνηται καὶ καλλύνηται σφίσιν ἐπιμελῶς.
Next to this, they station the maniples of the principes and hastati from each legion, assigning two of them to the care of the area in front of the tribunes' tents; for most of the Romans spend their time during the day in this street; wherefore they always take care of it, that it may be carefully watered and swept for them.
§6.33.5τῶν δὲ λοιπῶν ὀκτωκαίδεκα τρεῖς ἕκαστος τῶν χιλιάρχων διαλαγχάνει· τοσαῦται γάρ εἰσι τῶν ἁστάτων καὶ πριγκίπων ἐν ἑκάστῳ στρατοπέδῳ σημαῖαι κατὰ τὴν ἄρτι ῥηθεῖσαν διαίρεσιν, χιλίαρχοι δʼ ἕξ.
Of the remaining eighteen, each of the tribunes draws three by lot; for there are this many maniples of hastati and principes in each legion according to the division just mentioned, and there are six tribunes.
§6.33.6τῶν δὲ τριῶν σημαιῶν ἀνὰ μέρος ἑκάστη τῷ χιλιάρχῳ λειτουργεῖ λειτουργίαν τοιαύτην.
Each of the three maniples in turn performs the following service for its tribune.
ἐπειδὰν καταστρατοπεδεύσωσι, τὴν σκηνὴν ἱστᾶσιν οὗτοι καὶ τὸν περὶ τὴν σκηνὴν τόπον ἠδάφισαν.
Whenever they encamp, they pitch his tent and level the ground around it.
κἄν τι περιφράξαι δέῃ τῶν σκευῶν ἀσφαλείας χάριν, οὗτοι φροντίζουσι.
And if any of his baggage needs to be fenced in for safety, they take care of it.
§6.33.7διδόασι δὲ καὶ φυλακεῖα δύο — τὸ δὲ φυλακεῖόν ἐστιν ἐκ τεττάρων ἀνδρῶν — ὧν οἱ μὲν πρὸ τῆς σκηνῆς, οἱ δὲ κατόπιν παρὰ τοὺς ἵππους ποιοῦνται τὴν φυλακήν.
They also furnish two guards—each guard consisting of four men—of whom some keep watch in front of the tent, and others behind it near the horses.
§6.33.8οὐσῶν δὲ σημαιῶν ἑκάστῳ χιλιάρχῳ τριῶν, ἐν ἑκάστῃ δὲ τούτων ἀνδρῶν ὑπαρχόντων ὑπὲρ τοὺς ἑκατὸν χωρὶς τῶν τριαρίων καὶ γροσφομάχων — οὗτοι γὰρ οὐ λειτουργοῦσι — §6.33.9τὸ μὲν ἔργον γίνεται κοῦφον διὰ τὸ παρὰ τετάρτην ἡμέραν ἑκάστῃ σημαίᾳ καθήκειν τὴν λειτουργίαν, τοῖς δὲ χιλιάρχοις ἅμα μὲν τὸ τῆς εὐχρηστίας ἀναγκαῖον, ἅμα δὲ τὸ τῆς τιμῆς διὰ τῶν προειρημένων ἀποτελεῖται σεμνὸν καὶ προστατικόν.
Since there are three maniples for each tribune, and in each of these there are over a hundred men, excluding the triarii and the light-armed—for these latter do not perform this service— the labor becomes light because the duty falls to each maniple only every fourth day, while for the tribunes, the necessary utility is achieved, and at the same time, through the aforementioned honors, a dignity and authoritative status suitable to their rank is accomplished.
§6.33.10αἱ δὲ τῶν τριαρίων σημαῖαι τῆς μὲν τῶν χιλιάρχων παραλύονται λειτουργίας, εἰς δὲ τοὺς τῶν ἱππέων οὐλαμοὺς ἑκάστη σημαία καθʼ ἡμέραν δίδωσι φυλακεῖον ἀεὶ τῷ γειτνιῶντι κατόπιν τῶν οὐλαμῶν· §6.33.11οἵτινες τηροῦσι μὲν καὶ τἄλλα, μάλιστα δὲ τοὺς ἵππους, ἵνα μήτʼ ἐμπλεκόμενοι τοῖς δέμασι βλάπτωνται πρὸς χρείαν μήτε λυόμενοι καὶ προσπίπτοντες ἄλλοις ἵπποις ταραχὰς καὶ θορύβους ἐμποιῶσι τῷ στρατοπέδῳ.
The maniples of the triarii are exempt from the service of the tribunes, but each maniple daily furnishes a guard to the cavalry squadrons, always to the one stationed directly behind them; and these keep watch over other things, but especially over the horses, lest becoming entangled in their tethers they should be injured so as to be unfit for use, or getting loose and running against other horses, they should cause disturbances and tumults in the camp.
§6.33.12μία δʼ ἐξ ἁπασῶν καθʼ ἡμέραν σημαία ἀνὰ μέρος τῷ στρατηγῷ παρακοιτεῖ· ἥτις ἅμα μὲν ἀσφάλειαν παρασκευάζει τῷ στρατηγῷ πρὸς τὰς ἐπιβουλάς, ἅμα δὲ κοσμεῖ τὸ πρόσχημα τῆς ἀρχῆς.
Additionally, one maniple from the whole force in turn bivouacs daily by the tent of the general; this at once secures the general against plots, and lends dignity to the prestige of his office.

Notes

  1. §6.33.3διέταξαν — This functions as a gnomic aorist, expressing a regular custom or general rule rather than a single event in the past. It is therefore translated in the present tense in all target languages.
  2. §6.33.6ἠδάφισαν — Coordinated with the preceding present tense `ἱστᾶσιν`, this verb is also a gnomic aorist describing a regular, habitual action (leveling the ground) accompanying the pitching of tents upon encamping.
  3. §6.33.9παρὰ τετάρτην ἡμέραν — The preposition `παρά` with the accusative denotes intervals, meaning "every fourth day" (i.e., with a three-day gap). This reflects inclusive counting (where the current day is included), representing the rotation system of the three maniples assigned to each tribune.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §6.33.1-6.33.12. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.33.1-6.33.12

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