Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 4.94

[1] The Athenian men of arms, in number no fewer than the enemy, were ordered by eight in file throughout; their horse they placed on either wing. But for light-armed soldiers, armed as was fit, there were none; nor was there any in the city. Those that went out followed the camp for the most part without arms, as being a general expedition both of citizens and strangers; and after they once began to make homeward, there stayed few behind.

[2] When they were now in their order and ready to join battle, Hippocrates, the general, came into the army of the Athenians and encouraged them, speaking to this effect:

[1] On the side of the Athenians, the heavy infantry throughout the whole army formed eight deep, being in numbers equal to the enemy, with the cavalry upon the two wings. Light troops regularly armed there were none in the army, nor had there ever been any at Athens . Those who had joined in the invasion, though many times more numerous than those of the enemy, had mostly followed unarmed, as part of the levy in mass of the citizens and foreigners at Athens , and having started first on their way home were not present in any number.

[2] The armies being now in line and upon the point of engaging, Hippocrates, the general, passed along the Athenian ranks, and encouraged them as follows:—

Auf Seiten der Athener stand die ganze schwerbewaffnete
Truppe acht Mann hoch, ihren Gegnern an Zahl gewachsen, die Reiter
aus beiden Flügeln. Ordentlich ausgerüstete Leichtbewaffnete aber
waren nicht zugegen, noch auch besaß die Stadt solche überhaupt. Die
aber den Auszug damals mitmachten, waren viel zahlreicher, als die
der Feinde, gingen jedoch meist ohne alle Waffen mit, da Alles, was
an Fremden und Bürgern da war, sich an dem Zuge betheiligte. Da
sie aber bereits früher schon den Marsch nach Hause fortgesetzt hatten,
so war ihrer nur noch eine geringe Zahl anwesend. Als nun beide
Theile schon in Schlachtlinie aufgestellt und bereits im Begriff waren,
auf einander loszugehen, da ermunterte noch Hippokrates, ihr
Feldherr, längs der Abtheilungen hinschreitend, die Athener mit solchen
Worten:

XCIV. Du côté des Athéniens, les hoplites, égaux en nombre à ceux de l’ennemi, furent tous rangés sur huit de profondeur. La cavalerie occupait les ailes. Quant aux troupes légères, il ne s’en trouvait pas alors à l’armée d’équipées pour ce service spécial, il n’y en avait même pas à Athènes. Il eu était bien parti d’Athènes avec l’armée, et même en nombre supérieur à celles de l’ennemi ; mais, comme on avait fait une levée en masse des étrangers présents el des citoyens, beaucoup avaient suivi l’expédition sans armes ; ils s’étaient empressés de retourner à la ville, et il n’en était resté à l’armée qu’un très petit nombre. Déjà on était en ordre de combat, et l’action allait s’engager, lorsqu’Hippocrate, parcourant le front de bataille pour encourager ses soldats, leur parla en ses termes :

Du côté des Athéniens, sur toute la ligne, les hoplites, égaux en nombre à ceux de l’ennemi, se rangèrent sur huit de hauteur. La cavalerie flanquait les ailes. Quant aux troupes légères, il n’y en avait point alors de régulièrement armées; les Athéniens n’en eurent jamais ¹ . Il en était bien parti d’Athènes, et même en plus grand nombre que celles de l’ennemi ; mais c’étaient pour la plupart des hommes sans armes, composant la levée en masse des étrangers et des citoyens. Or, comme ils avaient pris les devants pour retourner au pays, il ne s’en trouva que fort peu à cette journée. Lorsque les troupes furent en bataille et l’action près de commencer, Hippocratès parcourut le front de son armée et la harangua en ces termes :

[1] On the Athenian side the whole body of hoplites, who were equal in number to those of the enemy, were marshalled eight deep, and the cavalry on either wing. But light-armed troops, regularly armed, were neither then present, nor did the city possess any; but such lighter forces as had joined in the invasion, while they were many times more numerous than the enemy, followed in large part without arms, as there had been a levy in mass of strangers that were in Athens as well as of citizens;

[2] and, having once started homewards, they were not present at the action, except a few. When they were arranged in line and were about to engage, Hippocrates the general, passing along the Athenian line, exhorted them and spoke as follows:

[1] On the side of the Athenians, the heavy-armed formed their whole line eight deep, being equal in numbers to their adversaries, with the cavalry on each flank. As for lightarmed regularly equipped, there were neither any present on that occasion, nor had the state ever raised any. Such as had joined in the invasion, though many times more numerous than those on the other side, had, for the most part, followed unarmed; inasmuch as there was a levy of foreigners who were present, as well as of citizens; and on their first setting out for home, they did not, with a few exceptions, keep to their standards.

[2] When the armies were formed in line, and now on the point of engaging, Hippocrates, the general, passed along the Athenian ranks, and encouraged them, by speaking as follows:

[1] Athenienses vero, qui hostibus numero pares' erant, totum gravis armaturae exercitum in octonos tantum milites in altitudinem digesserunt, equitatus vero in utroque cornu erat. Sed levis armaturae milita, consulto quidem ad hoc instructi, nec ulli tunc aderamt, nec urbi fuerunt; qui autem cum Hippocrate ad istam expeditionem exierant, numero quidem hostibus longe superiores, magna ex parte inermes erant, quippe quod totus exercitus promisce ex peregrinis qui aderant, et civibus, collectus esset, et simul atque primum domum ire coeperunt, non affuerunt nisi paud.

[2] Quum autem in acie jam starent, ei concursuri essent, Hippocrates dux secundum ordines jam jamque accedens Atheniensium exerdtum adhortabatur, et dicebat haec fere :

Dalla parte degli Ateniesi i soldati gravi, che era • no pari di numero ai nemici, si schieravano con otto di fronte, e sulle due ali era la cavalleria. Non si trovavano presenti nell’esercito milizie leggere , e nemmeno ve n’erano in Atene ; e quelle che con Ippocrate erano entrate nella Beozia, sebbene in molto maggior numero dei nemici, lo avevano però seguito senz’armi, perchè crasi fatta in Atene una leva generale sì di forestieri che di cittadini ; e perchè dopoché da prima elle si furono mosse per tornarsene a casa, non erano più comparse salvo che poche. Ma quando i due erauo ordinati a battaglia e vicini ad azzuffarsi, lppocrate generale scorrendo le file delPesercito degli Atepiesi gli incoraggiava con queste parole.