Polybius, Histories

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Book 6 - Chapter 22

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<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>.
<head>Arms of the Youngest Roman Soldiers</head>The youngest soldiers or<foreign lang="la">Velites</foreign>are ordered to<note anchored="yes" place="marg" id="note27">1. Arms of the<foreign lang="la">Velites.</foreign></note>carry a sword, spears, and target (<foreign lang="la">parma</foreign>). The target is strongly made, and large enough to protect the man; being round, with a diameter of three feet. Each man also wears a headpiece without a<pb n="477" />crest (<foreign lang="la">galea</foreign>); which he sometimes covers with a piece of wolfs skin or something of that kind, for the sake both of protection and identification; that the officers of his company may be able to observe whether he shows courage or the reverse on confronting dangers. The spear of the velites has a wooden haft of about two cubits, and about a finger's breadth in thickness; its head is a span long, hammered fine, and sharpened to such an extent that it becomes bent the first time it strikes, and cannot be used by the enemy to hurl back; otherwise the weapon would be available for both sides alike.