Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 5.68

[1] This was the order and preparation of both the armies. The army of the Lacedaemonians appeared to be the greater.

[2] But what the number was, either of the particulars of either side or in general, I could not exactly write. For the number of the Lacedaemonians, agreeable to the secrecy of that state, was unknown; and of the other side, for the ostentation usual with all men touching the number of themselves, was unbelieved. Nevertheless, the number of the Lacedaemonians may be attained by computing thus.

[3] Besides the Sciritae, which were six hundred, there fought in all seven regiments; in every regiment were four companies, in each company were four enomotiae, and of every enomotia there stood in front four; but they were not ranged all alike in file, but as the captains of bands thought it necessary; but the army in general was so ordered as to be eight men in depth. And the first rank of the whole, besides the Sciritae, consisted of four hundred and forty-eight soldiers.

[1] Such were the order and the forces of the two combatants. The Lacedaemonian army looked the largest;

[2] though as to putting down the numbers of either host, or of the contingents composing it, I could not do so with any accuracy. Owing to the secrecy of their government the number of the Lacedaemonians was not known, and men are so apt to brag about the forces of their country that the estimate of their opponents was not trusted. The following calculation, however, makes it possible to estimate the numbers of the Lacedaemonians present upon this occasion.

[3] There were seven companies in the field without counting the Sciritae, who numbered six hundred men: in each company there were four Pentecostyes, and in the Pentecosty four Enomoties. The first rank of the Enomoty was composed of four soldiers: as to the depth, although they had not been all drawn up alike, but as each captain chose, they were generally ranged eight deep; the first rank along the whole line, exclusive of the Sciritae, consisted of four hundred and forty-eight men.

Dieß war Aufstellung und Macht beider Theile; und das
Heer der, Lakedämonier zeigte sich als das stärkere; die Zahl aber
angeben, entweder wie viele auf jeder Seite, oder wie viele im
Ganzen in's Gefecht kamen, könnte ich nicht mit Genauigkeit. Die-Zahl
der Lakedämonier nämlich wußte Niemand, weil sie überhaupt-alle
Staatssachen geheim halten, und den Angaben über die Zahl der
Andern konnte ich hinwieder keinen Glauben schenken, weil die
Menschen die Stärke.der eigenen Macht immer prahlerisch zu übertreiben
pflegen. Doch kann Einer wohl aus der folgenden Berechnung auf
die Zahl der Lakedämonier schließen, die damals bei-einander waren:
Ohne -die sechs Hundert Skiriten nahmen an dem Gefecht Theil
sieben Schaaren (Lochen), jede.Schaar hatte vier Haufen
(Pentekostyen), jeder Haufe vier Rotten (Enomotien). In jeder Rotte aber
fochten im ersten Glied vier Mann; die Tiefe der Aufstellung war
nicht bei Allen gleich, sondern hing von den Obristen ab; im
Durchschnitt jedoch standen sie acht Mann hoch.'" Die Skiriten abgerechnet
standen im Ganzen in der Front vier Hundert und acht und vierzig
Mann. ¹

LXVIII. Telles étaient, de part et d’autre, les dispositions et l’ordonnance des armées. Celle des Lacédémoniens paraissait plus nombreuse : je ne saurais donner exactement le chiffre des forces de part et d’autre, ni en détail ni en totalité. Le nombre des Lacé- ^{1 2} moniens n’était pas connu, grâce au secret de leur gouvernement; et, de l’autre côté, la jactance naturelle aux hommes qui leur fait exagérer leur propre puissance, rend les assertions à peine croyables. On peut cependant estimer la force numérique des Lacédémoniens, à cette journée, au moyen du calcul suivant : sept lochos combattirent, sans compter les scirites au nombre de six cents; chaque lochos comprenait quatre pentécostys; la pentécostys était formée de quatre énomoties; chaque énomotie présentait un front de quatre hommes à la première ligne. La profondeur n’était pas partout la même; elle variait au gré de chaque lochage; cependant en général il y avait huit hommes de profondeur ³ . En tout, la première ligne, sans les scirites, était de quatre cent quarante-huit hommes.

Telles furent les dispositions des deux armées. Les Lacédémoniens parurent supérieurs en nombre ; cependant je ne saurais indiquer au juste le chiffre des uns et des autres, ni en détail ni en totalité. Le nombre des Lacédémoniens était ignoré à cause du mystère de leur gouvernement ; d'autre part on ne peut s'en rapporter aux exagérations de l’orgueil national. Toutefois le calcul suivant permet d’évaluer la force numérique de l’armée lacédémonienne. Sept bataillons figurèrent à cette journée, sans compter les Scirites au nombre de six cents. Chaque bataillon contenait quatre pentécostys; chaque pentécostys quatre énomoties. Dans chaque énomotie quatre hommes formaient le premier rang. Ils ne se placèrent pas tous sur la même hauteur, mais au gré de chaque locbage; en général cependant ils étaient sur huit de hauteur. Dans toute la ligne, déduction faite des Scirites, le front se composait de quatre cent quarante-huit combattants ¹ .

[1] Such was the order and the composition of the two sides. The army of the Lacedaemonians appeared the larger;

[2] but the number, either of the separate contingents or of the total on either side, I could not possibly state accurately. For on account of the secrecy of their polity the number of the Lacedaemonians was unknown; and that claimed for the others, on account of men's tendency to boast with regard to their own numbers, was discredited.

[3] However, from the following mode of computation it is allowable to estimate the number of the Lacedaemonians that were then present. There were engaged in the battle seven battalions, without the Sciritae, who numbered six hundred, and in each battalion were four companies of fifty, in each company four platoons. In the first rank of each company fought four men; in depth, however, they were not all drawn up alike, but as each battalioncommander preferred—on the average eight deep. Along the whole line, then, exclusive of the Sciritae, the first rank consisted of four hundred and forty-eight men. ¹

[1] Such was the order of battle and the preparation on both sides. The army of the Lacedaemonians appeared the larger of the two;

[2] but as for stating any number, either of the several divisions on each side, or of their collective force, I could not do it with accuracy. For the number of the Lacedaemonians, on account of the secrecy of their government, was not known; and that of the others, in consequence of men's natural tendency to boasting with regard to their own numbers, was regarded with distrust.

[3] From the following mode of calculating, however, one may see the number of Lacedaemonians that was present on that occasion. There were engaged in the battle seven lochi, exclusive of the Sciritae, who amounted to six hundred; and ¹ in each lochus there were four pentecpstyes, and in the pentecosty four enomotiae. In the first rank of the enomoty there were four fighting men. ² In depth, though they had not all been drawn up alike, but as each lochagus chose, they took their position on the field uniformly eight deep. And thus, along the whole line, the first rank consisted of four hundred and forty-eight men, besides the Sciritae.

[1] Atque hic quidem ordo et hic apparatus utru-rumque erat, Lacedaemoniorum vero exercitus amor esse visus est.

[2] Quantus autem utroromque vel sinaukmim populorum vel universorum numerus exstiterit, accuraIc scribere non poteram; nam Lacedaemoniorum quidem numerus ignorabatur propter institutum illius civitatis, qu» res suas occultat, ceterorum vero propter jactationem, qua homines in efferenda suorum multitudine uti consueverunt, credibilis non erat. Ex ista tamen ratiocinatione cuilibet licet inire numerum Lacedaemoniorum, qui tunc illic adfoe-runt

[3] Nam lochi septem pugnabant, praeter Sciritas, qui erant sexcenti; in singulis autem lochis erant quatuor pentecostyes, et in unaquaque pentecoslye erant quatuor euomoliae. Atque euomotiae in primo jugo quaterni milites pugnabant; altitudo vero non erat omnium in acie collocatorum ubique aequalis, sed pro arbitrio cujusque lochagi; in universum autem altitudo erat octonorum militum. In latitudinem vero prima acies quadringentos et duodequinquaginta milites, praeter Sciritas, continebat.

Questo era lo schieramento e l’apparecchio dei due campi. Quello però dei Lacedemoni compariva più grande ; ma qual fosse il numero delle truppe di ciascun Comune, o di tutte insieme, non posso esattamente scriverlo , perchè s’ignorava quanta fosse la moltitudine de’Lacedemoni, a cagione del loro segreto governo : e quella di questi altri non era creduta per l’inclinazione che hanno i popoli di magnificare sempre il numero delle proprie soldatesche. Ciò non pertanto dal seguente computo può chicchessia dedurre quanti fossero i Lacedemoni che si trovarono a questa battaglia. Oltre agli Sciriti, che erano seicento, combattevano sette coorti ; in ogni coorte erano quattro compagnie; e in ogni compagnia quattro squadriglie; e in ogni squadriglia quattro soldati combattevano nella prima linea. Bene è vero che non tutti erano schierati egualmente in profondità , ma come voleva ciascun condottiero delle coorti ; nondimeno ordinariamente stavano otto di fronte : e in tutto la prima fila era di quattrocento quarantotto uomini, senza gli Scuriti.