Polybius, Histories

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Book 6 - Chapter 22

1
<w lemma="%2Akai%5C">Καὶ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="newta%2Ftois">νεωτάτοις</w> <w lemma="parh%2Fggeilan">παρήγγειλαν</w> <w lemma="ma%2Fxairan">μάχαιραν</w> <w lemma="forei%3Dn">φορεῖν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="gro%2Fsfous">γρόσφους</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pa%2Frmhn">πάρμην</w>.
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<w lemma="h%28">ἡ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="pa%2Frmh">πάρμη</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="du%2Fnamin">δύναμιν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fxei">ἔχει</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="kataskeuh%3D%7C">κατασκευῇ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fgeqos">μέγεθος</w> <w lemma="a%29rkou%3Dn">ἀρκοῦν</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="a%29sfa%2Fleian:">ἀσφάλειαν·</w> <w lemma="periferh%5Cs">περιφερὴς</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="ou%29%3Dsa">οὖσα</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="sxh%2Fmati">σχήματι</w> <w lemma="tri%2Fpedon">τρίπεδον</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fxei">ἔχει</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="dia%2Fmetron">διάμετρον</w>.
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<w lemma="prosepikosmei%3Dtai">προσεπικοσμεῖται</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="litw%3D%7C">λιτῷ</w> <w lemma="perikefalai%2Fw%7C:">περικεφαλαίῳ·</w> <w lemma="pote%5C">ποτὲ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="lukei%2Fan">λυκείαν</w> <w lemma="h%29%2F">ἤ</w> <w lemma="ti">τι</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="toiou%2Ftwn">τοιούτων</w> <w lemma="e%29piti%2Fqetai">ἐπιτίθεται</w>, <w lemma="ske%2Fphs">σκέπης</w> <w lemma="a%28%2Fma">ἅμα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="shmei%2Fou">σημείου</w> <w lemma="xa%2Frin">χάριν</w>, <w lemma="i%28%2Fna">ἵνα</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fros">μέρος</w> <w lemma="h%28gemo%2Fsi">ἡγεμόσι</w> <w lemma="prokinduneu%2Fontes">προκινδυνεύοντες</w> <w lemma="e%29rrwme%2Fnws">ἐρρωμένως</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="dia%2Fdhloi">διάδηλοι</w> <w lemma="gi%2Fnwntai">γίνωνται</w>.
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<w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="gro%2Fsfwn">γρόσφων</w> <w lemma="be%2Flos">βέλος</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fxei">ἔχει</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="mh%2Fkei">μήκει</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="cu%2Flon">ξύλον</w> <w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%2Fpan">ἐπίπαν</w> <w lemma="di%2Fphxu">δίπηχυ</w>, <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fxei">πάχει</w> <w lemma="daktuliai%3Don">δακτυλιαῖον</w>, <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="ke%2Fntron">κέντρον</w> <w lemma="spiqamiai%3Don">σπιθαμιαῖον</w>, <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="tosou%3Dton">τοσοῦτον</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="lepto%5Cn">λεπτὸν</w> <w lemma="e%29celhlasme%2Fnon">ἐξεληλασμένον</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="sunwcusme%2Fnon">συνωξυσμένον</w> <w lemma="w%28%2Fste">ὥστε</w> <w lemma="kat%27">κατ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29na%2Fgkhn">ἀνάγκην</w> <w lemma="eu%29qe%2Fws">εὐθέως</w> <w lemma="a%29po%5C">ἀπὸ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="prw%2Fths">πρώτης</w> <w lemma="e%29mbolh%3Ds">ἐμβολῆς</w> <w lemma="ka%2Fmptesqai">κάμπτεσθαι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="du%2Fnasqai">δύνασθαι</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="polemi%2Fous">πολεμίους</w> <w lemma="a%29ntiba%2Fllein:">ἀντιβάλλειν·</w> <w lemma="ei%29">εἰ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="mh%2F">μή</w>, <w lemma="koino%5Cn">κοινὸν</w> <w lemma="gi%2Fnetai">γίνεται</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="be%2Flos">βέλος</w>.
The youngest soldiers or velites are ordered to carry a sword, javelins, and a target ().
The target is strongly made and sufficiently large to afford protection, being circular and measuring three feet in diameter.
They also wear a plain helmet, and sometimes cover it with a wolf's skin or something similar both to protect and to act as a distinguishing mark by which their officers can recognize them and judge if they fight pluckily or not.
The wooden shaft of the javelin measures about two cubits in length and is about a finger's breadth in thickness; its head is a span long hammered out to such a fine edge that it is necessarily bent by the first impact, and the enemy is unable to return it. If this were not so, the missile would be available for both sides.