The Polity of the Athenians and the Lacedaemonians [24]
"Retire to rest at the place of arms,"[14] is given.
[8] Cf. Herod. vii. 208; Plut. "Lycurg." 22 (Clough, i. 113 foll.)
[9] Reading {megalophronesterous} (L. Dindorf's emendation) for the vulg. {megaloprepesterous}. Xen "Opusc. polit." Ox. MDCCCLVI.
[10] Or, "the proud self-consciousness of their own splendour is increased, and by comparison with others they bear more notably the impress of freemen."
[11] The word {masso} is "poetical" (old Attic?). See "Cyrop." II. iv. 27, and L. Dindorf ad loc.
[12] A single mora, or an army corps.
[13] Or, "vedettes," {proskopon}. See "Cyrop." V. ii. 6.
[14] ? Or, "on your arms." See Sturz, "Lex. Xen." s.v.
If the story is a little long the reader must not be surprised, since it would be difficult to find any point in military matters omitted by the Lacedaemonians which seems to demand attention.
XIII
I will now give a detailed account of the power and privilege assigned by Lycurgus to the king during a campaign. To begin with, so long as he is on active service, the state maintains the king and those with him.[1] The polemarchs mess with him and share his quarters, so that by dint of constant intercourse they may be all the better able to consult in common in case of need. Besides the polemarch three other members of the peers[2] share the royal quarters, mess, etc. The duty of these is to attend to all matters of commisariat,[3] in order that the king and the rest may have unbroken leisure to attend to affairs of actual warfare.
[1] I.e. "the Thirty." See "Ages." i. 7; "Hell." III. iv. 2; Plut. "Ages." 6 (Clough, iv. 6); Aristot. "Pol." ii. 9, 29.
[2] For these {oi omoioi}, see "Cyrop." I. v. 5; "Hell." III. iii. 5.
[3] Lit. "supplies and necessaries."
But I will resume at a somewhat higher point and describe the manner in which the king sets out on an expedition. As a preliminary step, before leaving home he offers sacrifice (in company with[4] his staff) to Zeus Agetor (the Leader), and if the victims prove favourable then and there the priest,[5] who bears the sacred fire, takes thereof from off the altar and leads the way to the boundaries of the land. Here for the second time the king does sacrifice[6] to Zeus and Athena; and as soon as the offerings are accepted by those two divinities he steps across the boundaries of the land. And all the while the fire from those sacrifices leads the way, and is never suffered to go out. Behind follow beasts for sacrifice of every sort.
[4] Lit. reading {kai oi sun auto}, after L. Dindorf, "he and those with him."
[5] Lit. "the Purphuros." See Nic. Damasc. ap. Stob. "Fl." 44, 41; Hesych. ap. Schneider, n. ad loc.
[6] These are the {diabateria}, so often mentioned in the "Hellenica."
Invariably when he offers sacrifice the king begins the work in the gloaming ere the day has broken, being minded to anticipate the goodwill of the god. And round about the place of sacrifice are present the polemarchs and captains, the lieutenants and sub- lieutenants, with the commandants of the baggage train, and any general of the states[7] who may care to assist. There, too, are to be seen two of the ephors, who neither meddle nor make, save only at the summons of the king, yet have they their eyes fixed on the proceedings of each one there and keep all in order,[8] as may well be guessed. When the sacrifices are accomplished the king summons all and issues his orders[9] as to what has to be done. And all with such method that, to witness the proceedings, you might fairly suppose the rest of the world to be but bungling experimenters,[10] and the Lacedaemonians alone true handicraftsmen in the art of soldiering.
[7] I.e. "allied"? or "perioecid"?
[8] {sophronizousin}, "keep every one in his sober senses."
[9] See Thuc. v. 66.
[10] {autoskhediastai, tekhnitai}. See Jebb, "Theophr." x. 3.
Anon the king puts himself at the head of the troops, and if no enemy appears he heads the line of march, no one preceding him except the Sciritae, and the mounted troopers exploring
[8] Cf. Herod. vii. 208; Plut. "Lycurg." 22 (Clough, i. 113 foll.)
[9] Reading {megalophronesterous} (L. Dindorf's emendation) for the vulg. {megaloprepesterous}. Xen "Opusc. polit." Ox. MDCCCLVI.
[10] Or, "the proud self-consciousness of their own splendour is increased, and by comparison with others they bear more notably the impress of freemen."
[11] The word {masso} is "poetical" (old Attic?). See "Cyrop." II. iv. 27, and L. Dindorf ad loc.
[12] A single mora, or an army corps.
[13] Or, "vedettes," {proskopon}. See "Cyrop." V. ii. 6.
[14] ? Or, "on your arms." See Sturz, "Lex. Xen." s.v.
If the story is a little long the reader must not be surprised, since it would be difficult to find any point in military matters omitted by the Lacedaemonians which seems to demand attention.
XIII
I will now give a detailed account of the power and privilege assigned by Lycurgus to the king during a campaign. To begin with, so long as he is on active service, the state maintains the king and those with him.[1] The polemarchs mess with him and share his quarters, so that by dint of constant intercourse they may be all the better able to consult in common in case of need. Besides the polemarch three other members of the peers[2] share the royal quarters, mess, etc. The duty of these is to attend to all matters of commisariat,[3] in order that the king and the rest may have unbroken leisure to attend to affairs of actual warfare.
[1] I.e. "the Thirty." See "Ages." i. 7; "Hell." III. iv. 2; Plut. "Ages." 6 (Clough, iv. 6); Aristot. "Pol." ii. 9, 29.
[2] For these {oi omoioi}, see "Cyrop." I. v. 5; "Hell." III. iii. 5.
[3] Lit. "supplies and necessaries."
But I will resume at a somewhat higher point and describe the manner in which the king sets out on an expedition. As a preliminary step, before leaving home he offers sacrifice (in company with[4] his staff) to Zeus Agetor (the Leader), and if the victims prove favourable then and there the priest,[5] who bears the sacred fire, takes thereof from off the altar and leads the way to the boundaries of the land. Here for the second time the king does sacrifice[6] to Zeus and Athena; and as soon as the offerings are accepted by those two divinities he steps across the boundaries of the land. And all the while the fire from those sacrifices leads the way, and is never suffered to go out. Behind follow beasts for sacrifice of every sort.
[4] Lit. reading {kai oi sun auto}, after L. Dindorf, "he and those with him."
[5] Lit. "the Purphuros." See Nic. Damasc. ap. Stob. "Fl." 44, 41; Hesych. ap. Schneider, n. ad loc.
[6] These are the {diabateria}, so often mentioned in the "Hellenica."
Invariably when he offers sacrifice the king begins the work in the gloaming ere the day has broken, being minded to anticipate the goodwill of the god. And round about the place of sacrifice are present the polemarchs and captains, the lieutenants and sub- lieutenants, with the commandants of the baggage train, and any general of the states[7] who may care to assist. There, too, are to be seen two of the ephors, who neither meddle nor make, save only at the summons of the king, yet have they their eyes fixed on the proceedings of each one there and keep all in order,[8] as may well be guessed. When the sacrifices are accomplished the king summons all and issues his orders[9] as to what has to be done. And all with such method that, to witness the proceedings, you might fairly suppose the rest of the world to be but bungling experimenters,[10] and the Lacedaemonians alone true handicraftsmen in the art of soldiering.
[7] I.e. "allied"? or "perioecid"?
[8] {sophronizousin}, "keep every one in his sober senses."
[9] See Thuc. v. 66.
[10] {autoskhediastai, tekhnitai}. See Jebb, "Theophr." x. 3.
Anon the king puts himself at the head of the troops, and if no enemy appears he heads the line of march, no one preceding him except the Sciritae, and the mounted troopers exploring