Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 2.98

[1] Sitalces therefore, king of this great country, prepared his army and, when all was ready, set forward and marched towards Macedonia: first, through his own dominion; then, over Cercine, a desert mountain dividing the Sintians from the Paeonians, over which he marched the same way himself had formerly made with timber when he made war against the Paeonians. Passing this mountain out of the country of the Odrysians, they had on their right hand the Paeonians and on the left the Sintians and Medes;

[2] and beyond it they came to the city of Doberus in Paeonia.

[3] His army, as he marched, diminished not any way, except by sickness, but increased by the accession of many free nations of Thrace that came in uncalled in hope of booty. Insomuch as the whole number is said to have amounted to no less than a hundred and fifty thousand men, whereof the most were foot, the horse being a third part or thereabouts.

[4] And of the horse, the greatest part were the Odrysians themselves and the next most, the Getes. And of the foot, those swordsmen, a free nation that came down to him out of the mountain Rhodope, were the most warlike. The rest of the promiscuous multitude were formidable only for their number.

[1] It was the master of this empire that now prepared to take the field. When everything was ready, he set out on his march for Macedonia , first through his own dominions, next over the desolate range of Cercine that divides the Sintians and Paeonians, crossing by a road which he had made by felling the timber on a former campaign against the latter people.

[2] Passing ever these mountains, with the Paeonians on his right and the Sintians and Maedians on the left, he finally arrived at Doberus, in Paeonia,

[3] losing none of his army on the march, except perhaps by sickness, but receiving some augmentations, many of the independent Thracians volunteering to join him in the hope of plunder; so that the whole is said to have formed a grand total of a hundred and fifty thousand.

[4] Most of this was infantry, though there was about a third cavalry, furnished principally by the Odrysians themselves and next to them by the Getae. The most warlike of the infantry were the independent swordsmen who came down from Rhodope ; the rest of the mixed multitude that followed him being chiefly formidable by their numbers.

Aus diesem seinem mächtigen Reiche also bot Sitalkes
nun den Heerbann auf, und als alles fertig war, setzte er sich
damit nach Makedonien in Marsch, erst durch eigenes Gebiet,
dann durch das wilde Kerkinagebirge auf der Grenze zwischen
Sintern und Päoniern, und zwar auf demselben Wege, den
er dort früher schon auf seinem Feldzuge gegen die Päonier
hatte durch den Wald hauen lassen. Auf dem Zuge aus dem
Odrysenlande über dieses Gebirge hatte sein Heer die Päonier
zur Rechten, die Sinter und Maider zur Linken und gelangte
dann auf der andern Seite nach Doberos in Päonien. Ab­
gang an Mannschaft, soweit er nicht etwa durch Krankheit
verursacht war, hatte er unterwegs nicht gehabt; im Gegenteil,
er hatte noch Zuzug erhalten; denn in der Aussicht auf Beute
hatten sich noch viele von den unabhängigen Thrakern frei­
willig angeschlossen, so daß das ganze Heer nunmehr mindestens
hundertfunfzigtausend Mann stark gewesen sein soll. Das
meiste davon war Fußvolk, nur ungefähr ein Drittel Reiterei.
Die Reiterei hatten größtenteils die Odrysen gestellt. Unter
dem Fußvolk waren die freien Säbelträger vom Rhodope die
streitbarsten. Das übrige war ein buntes Völkergemisch, haupt­
sächlich durch die Menge furchtbar.

XCVIII. Sitalcès, roi d’une aussi vaste contrée, organisa son armée, et, les préparatifs terminés, se mit en marche pour la Macédoine. Il traversa d’abord ses États, ensuite le Cercine, montagne déserte qui sépare les Sintes des Péoniens ; il le franchit par une route qu'il avait précédemment ouverte lui-même, en coupant les forêts, dans son expédition contre les Péoniens. Dans cette traversée de la montagne, au sortir du pays des Odryses, il avait à droite la Péonie, à gauche les Sintes et les Mèdes. Lorsqu’il l’eut franchie, il arriva à Dobères de Péonie ¹ . A part quelques hommes emportés par les maladies, son armée, loin de faire aucune perte dans cette marche, s’accrut au contraire ; car un grand nombre de Thraces indépendants se joignirent spontanément à lui, dans l’espoir du pillage. Aussi dit-on que l’ensemble de cette armée ne s'élevait pas à moins de cent cinquante mille hommes, fantassins pour la plupart, la cavalerie y entrant au plus pour un tiers. C’étaient les Odryses eux-mêmes, et après eux les Gètes, qui avaient fourni la majeure partie de la cavalerie ; parmi les fantassins, les plus belliqueux étaient les montagnards indépendants descendus du Rhodope et armés de coutelas ; venait ensuite une multitude mêlée, redoutable surtout par le nombre.

Possesseur d’un si vaste empire, Sitalcès se disposa donc à la guerre ; et, ses préparatifs terminés, il se mit en marche pour la Macédoine. Il traversa d’abord les pays de sa domination, puis la Cercine, montagne inhabitée, qui sépare les Sintes des Péoniens. Il la passa par une route qu’il avait précédemment ouverte en abattant des forêts, lors de sa guerre de Péonie. En franchissant cette montagne, au sortir du pays des Odryses, il avait à droite les Péoniens, à gauche les Sintes et les Médiens. Il parvint ensuite à Dobéros, ville de Péonie. Dans cette marche, son armée n'éprouva aucune perte,, si ce (a) Deux millions cent soixante mille francs. n’est par les maladies ; elle- se grossit plutôt par l’adjonction spontanée d’une foule de Thraces indépendants, alléchés par le pillage. Aussi dit-on qu’elle présentait un effectif de cent cinquante mille combattants, la plupart à pied, un bon tiers à cheval. C’étaient les Odryses, et après eux les Gètes, qui avaient fourni le plus de cavaliers. Parmi les fantassins, les pins aguerris étaient les montagnards indépendants, armés d’épées et descendus du Rhodope. Le reste consistait en une masse confuse, redoutable surtout par le nombre.

[1] Such then was the extent of the country over which Sitalces ruled at the time when he was preparing his army. But when everything was ready, he set out for Macedonia, proceeding first through his own territory, then through the desolate range of Cercine, which lies between the Sinti and Paeonians. And he passed over this mountain by the road which he himself had constructed before, when he made an expedition against the Paeonians, cutting a path through the forest.

[2] As his army crossed the mountain, leaving the country of the Odrysians, they had the Paeonians on the right and on the left the Sinti and Maedi;

[3] and when they came out on the other side they arrived at Doberus in Paeonia. On the march his army suffered no loss, except from sickness, but rather was augmented; for many of the independent Thracians joined the expedition unsummoned, in the hope of plunder, so that the whole number is said to have been not less than a hundred and fifty thousand, the greater part being infantry, about onethird cavalry.

[4] Of the cavalry the Odrysians themselves furnished the largest contingent, and next to them the Getae; while of the infantry the swordwearers, independent tribes that came down from Mount Rhodope, were the best fighters, the rest of the army that followed, a miscellaneous horde, being formidable chiefly on account of its numbers.

[1] Sitalces, then, being king over all this extent of country, prepared his army to take the field. And when all was ready for him, he set out and marched against Macedonia; at first through his own dominions, then over Cercine, a desert mountain, which forms the boundary between the Sintians and Paeonians, crossing it by a road which he had himself before made, by felling the timber, when he turned his arms against the Paeonians.

[2] In crossing this mountain from the Odrysians, they had the Paeonians on their right, and on their left the Sintians and Maedians; and after crossing it they arrived at Doberus in Paeonia.

[3] While he was on the march, there was no diminution of his army, (except by disease,) but accessions to it; for many of the independent Thracians, though uninvited, followed him for plunder; so that the whole number is said to have been not less than one hundred and fifty thousand, of which the greater part was infantry, but about a third cavalry.

[4] Of the cavalry the Odrysians themselves furnished the largest portion; next to them, the Getae. Of the infantry, the most warlike were those armed with swords, the independent tribe that came down from Rhodope; the rest of the mixed multitude that followed him, was far more formidable for its numbers than any thing else.

[1] Sitalces igitur, quum tantae regionis regnum obtineret, exercitum parabat Ac postquam res ipsi paratae erant, profectus tendebat in Macedoniam, primo quidem per suum regnum, deinde vero per Cercinen, montem desertum, qui inter Sintos et Pseonas est medius; iter autem per eum faciebat via, quam ipse succisa materia prius fecerat, quum bellum Paeonibus intulit.

[2] Hunc autem montem ex Odrysis pertranseuntes ad dextram quidem habebant Paeonas, ad sinistram vero Sintos et m^os Quem quum pertransissent, ad Doberum Paeonicam urbem pervenerunt.

[3] Inter viam autem nulla quidem exercitus para ei decedebat, nisi forte morbo, sed accedebat; multi enim ex Uberis Thracibus non vocati praedae causa sequebantur, ut tota mulUtudo dicatur non minor centum quinquaginta miUibus exsUtisse;

[4] atque hujus quidem ma-jor para erat pedestris, tertia vero ferme pars equestris.

Maximam autem hujus equitatus partemipsi Odrysae, et post eos Getae praebebant. In peditatu vero machaerophori erant bellicosissimi, qui suis legibus vivebant, et ex Rhodope descenderant ; cetera vero turba permixta ob multitudinem maxime formidabilis sequebatur.

[1] So biete ich denn, obschon ich, wie anfangs gesagt, den mächtigsten Staat vertrete, der eher zum Angriff als zur Abwehr berufen erscheint, in Erwägung der Folgen die Hand zum Nachgeben. Warum auch in thörichter Rachsucht sich selber den grössten Schaden zufügen oder in der Verblendung der Leidenschaft hinsichtlich des Schicksals, dem man nicht gebieten kann, sich ebenso als eigenen Herren dünken, wie in seinen eigenen Entschliessungen, und nicht lieber der Billigkeit sich fügen? Folget nun auch ihr meinem Beispiel, eh' ihr euch dazu vor dem Feinde, nicht mehr vor Landsleuten bequemen müsst. Denn das ist keine Schande, dem eigenen Volksgenossen sich zu fügen, nicht blos der Dorier dem Dorier, oder der Chalcidenser seinem Stammverwandten, sondern wir alle als Nachbarn, als Bewohner der einen, von der Natur umgrenzten Heimat, als Träger des gemeinsamen Namens Sikelioten. Unsere Kriege, wenn es sein soll, müssen wir fortan für uns allein führen, oder auch sie beilegen, wie es uns gemeinsam recht dünkt, wider den Fremdling aber, wenn er kommt, in vernünftiger Eintracht zusammenhalten, so gewiss die Niederlage der Einzelnen dem Ganzen Gefahr bringt; Bundesgenossen aber oder Schiedsrichter sollen nie mehr ins Land gerufen werden. Bei diesem Verfahren werden wir für jetzt Sicilien der frohen Aussicht nicht berauben, der Athener und des Bürgerkrieges mit einemmale los zu werden, und in Zukunft in unabhängiger Freiheit und vom Ausland weniger behelligt darin wohnen.

Sitalce adunque re di sì vasto paese preparava il suo esercito ; e poiché ebbe ordinato il tutto, mosso il campo si incamminava verso la Macedonia, passando prima pe’ suoi stati, e dipoi per Cercina monte disabitato, conterminale dei Sinti e de9 Peonii, tenendo la strada da lui stesso aperta col taglio della foresta quando portò la guerra contro i Peonii. Da Odrise marciando pel monte avevano a destra i Peonii, a sinistra i Sinti e i Maidi ; e passato che l' ebbero giunsero a Dobero città della Peonia. Nel cammino non soffrì perdita veruna dell’esercito, salvo che pochi per malattia, anzi lo ebbe accresciuto; imperocché molti di quei Traci liberi lo seguitarono, benché non chiamati, per avidità di bottino : talché si dice P intero esercito essere stato non meno di cento cinquantamila, per la maggior parte fanti , ed il terzo cavalli. Il grosso della cavalleria lo somministravano principalmente gli Od risii, e con esso loro i Geti. Della fanteria i più agguerriti erano quei che portavano coltella, gente liberar scesa da Rodope. Il resto poi della turba che li seguita era un mescuglio di ogni sorta di gente, formidabile più che altro pel suo gran numero.