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Polybius · The Histories §6.36.1-6.36.9

Conduct of Night Patrols and Inquiries into Neglect

Passage 513 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

This passage describes the specific procedures for night patrols and the system of investigation and confrontation when negligence is discovered.

§6.36.1βουκανᾶν.
of the bugles.
συνάψαντος δὲ τοῦ καιροῦ τὴν πρώτην ἐφοδεύει φυλακὴν ὁ ταύτην λαχών, ἔχων μεθʼ αὑτοῦ μάρτυρας τῶν φίλων. §6.36.2ἐπιπορεύεται δὲ τοὺς ῥηθέντας τόπους, οὐ μόνον τοὺς περὶ τὸν χάρακα καὶ τὰς εἰσόδους, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς κατὰ σημαίαν ἅπαντας καὶ τοὺς κατʼ οὐλαμόν· §6.36.3κἂν μὲν εὕρῃ τοὺς φυλάττοντας τὴν πρώτην ἐγρηγορότας, λαμβάνει παρὰ τούτων τὸ κάρφος· ἐὰν δʼ εὕρῃ κοιμώμενον ἢ λελοιπότα τινὰ τὸν τόπον, ἐπιμαρτυράμενος τοὺς σύνεγγυς ἀπαλλάττεται. §6.36.4τὸ δὲ παραπλήσιον γίνεται καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν τὰς ἑξῆς φυλακὰς ἐφοδευόντων. §6.36.5τὴν δʼ ἐπιμέλειαν τοῦ κατὰ φυλακὴν βουκανᾶν, ὡς ἀρτίως εἶπον, ἵνα σύμφωνον ᾖ τοῖς ἐφοδεύουσι πρὸς τοὺς φυλάττοντας, οἱ τῆς πρώτης σημαίας τῶν τριαρίων ἐξ ἑκατέρου τοῦ στρατοπέδου ταξίαρχοι καθʼ ἡμέραν ποιοῦνται. §6.36.6τῶν δʼ ἐφόδων ἕκαστος ἅμα τῷ φωτὶ πρὸς τὸν χιλίαρχον ἀναφέρει τὸ σύνθημα.
When the time arrives, the one who drew by lot this first watch patrols it, having with him some of his friends as witnesses. He visits the stated places, not only those around the palisade and the entrances, but also all those throughout each maniple and throughout each squadron. And if indeed he finds those guarding the first watch awake, he receives from them the wooden tablet; but if he finds anyone asleep or having left his post, he calls those nearby to witness and departs. The same thing is done also by those patrolling the subsequent watches. And the charge of blowing the bugle at each watch, as I just said, is taken daily by the centurions of the first maniple of the triarii of each of the two legions, in order that the signal may be in agreement for those patrolling with those guarding. And each of the patrolmen reports the token at daybreak to the tribune.
κἂν μὲν ᾖ πάντα δεδομένα, χωρὶς ἐγκλήματος ἀπαλλάττονται πάλιν· ἂν δέ τις ἐλάττω φέρῃ τοῦ πλήθους τῶν φυλακείων, §6.36.7ζητοῦσιν ἐκ τοῦ χαρακτῆρος ποῖον ἐκ τῶν φυλακείων λέλοιπε. §6.36.8τούτου δὲ γνωσθέντος καλεῖ τὸν ταξίαρχον· οὗτος δʼ ἄγει τοὺς ἀποταχθέντας εἰς τὴν φυλακήν· οὗτοι δὲ συγκρίνονται πρὸς τὸν ἔφοδον.
If indeed all have been delivered, they depart again without accusation; but if anyone brings fewer than the number of the guard posts, they investigate by means of the mark which of the guard posts is missing. When this is known, the tribune summons the centurion, and the latter brings those assigned to that guard post; and these are confronted with the patrolman.
ἐὰν μὲν οὖν ἐν τοῖς φύλαξιν ᾖ τὸ κακόν, §6.36.9εὐθέως δῆλός ἐστιν ὁ τὴν ἐφοδείαν ἔχων ἐπιμαρτυράμενος τοὺς σύνεγγυς· ὀφείλει γὰρ τοῦτο ποιεῖν· ἐὰν δὲ μηδὲν ᾖ τοιοῦτο γεγονός, εἰς τὸν ἔφοδον ἀναχωρεῖ
If, therefore, the guilt lies with the guards, this is immediately clear from the patrolman's having called those nearby to witness (for he is obliged to do this); but if no such thing has happened, the blame recoils upon the patrolman.

Notes

  1. §6.36.1βουκανᾶν — This is a genitive plural noun continuing from 'τοῦ κατὰ φυλακὴν...' at the end of the previous chapter (6.35.12), forming a single noun phrase spanning across the chapter division: 'the management of blowing the bugle at each watch'.
  2. §6.36.1συνάψαντος δὲ τοῦ καιροῦ — A genitive absolute construction using the intransitive (or reflexive) sense of the verb συνάπτω. It means 'when the time drew near' or 'when the time arrived'.
  3. §6.36.3τοὺς φυλάττοντας τὴν πρώτην ἐγρηγορότας — An accusative phrase serving as the object of εὕρῃ. The perfect active participle ἐγρηγορότας (from ἐγείρω, meaning 'awake') is used predicatively with respect to the attributive participle phrase τοὺς φυλάττοντας.
  4. §6.36.9εὐθέως δῆλός ἐστιν ὁ τὴν ἐφοδείαν ἔχων ἐπιμαρτυράμενος τοὺς σύνεγγυς — A personal construction with the adjective δῆλος and a participle (instead of an impersonal 'It is clear that...'). The subject is 'the patrolman' (ὁ τὴν ἐφοδείαν ἔχων), and the sentence expresses that his having called those nearby to witness (ἐπιμαρτυράμενος) immediately makes it clear that he fulfilled his duty.
  5. §6.36.9εἰς τὸν ἔφοδον ἀναχωρεῖ — The subject of the intransitive verb ἀναχωρέω is understood from the context (τὸ κακόν in 6.36.8, 'the wrong/guilt'). It means that the blame 'returns' or 'recoils' upon the patrolman himself.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §6.36.1-6.36.9. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.36.1-6.36.9

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