Ὁπλῖται
hoplites
Translated by David Whitehead5 Jul 2001Vetting: high6 revisions
Translation
[Hoplites,] peltasts, light-armed: these are constituents of the infantry fighting-force, but they present differences. "Hoplites" is the term for those who use heavy equipment in the Macedonian manner, with round shields and rather long spears.1 "Light-armed" employ the lightest gear: bow, javelin, and stones, whether slung or hand-thrown. "Peltasts" are equipped in a sort of intermediate way; for the pelte is a small, light shield; and their spears are much lighter than those of the hoplites.2 There are also three varieties of cavalry force.3
And Aristophanes [writes]: "lay down your wrath beside your anger like a hoplite".4 That is, having no weapons, he fights the war with wrath only.5
And Aristophanes [writes]: "lay down your wrath beside your anger like a hoplite".4 That is, having no weapons, he fights the war with wrath only.5
Greek original · Adler’s text
Ὁπλῖται, πελτασταί, ψιλοί, τῆς πεζικῆς εἰσι καὶ μαχίμου δυνάμεως, ἔχουσι δὲ διαφοράς· ὁπλῖται μὲν γὰρ λέγονται οἱ βαρυτάτῃ κεχρημένοι ὁπλίσει κατὰ τὸν Μακεδονικὸν τρόπον ἀσπίσι περιφερέσι καὶ δόρασι περιμηκεστέροις, Ψιλοὶ δὲ οἳ κουφοτάτῃ κέχρηνται, τόξῳ καὶ ἀκοντίῳ καὶ λίθοις ἐκ σφενδόνης ἢ ἐκ χειρός· οἱ δὲ πελτασταὶ μέσῃ πως κέχρηνται σκευῇ· ἥ τε γὰρ πέλτη μικρά τίς ἐστιν ἀσπιδίσκη καὶ κούφη· καὶ τὰ δόρατα πολὺ τῶν ὁπλιτῶν λειπόμενα. εἰσὶ δὲ καὶ τῆς ὀχηματικῆς δυνάμεως τρεῖς διαφοραί. καὶ Ἀριστοφάνης· τὸν θυμὸν κατάθου κύψας παρὰ τὴν ὀργὴν ὥσπερ ὁπλίτης. οἷον ὅπλα μὴ ἔχων, θυμῷ πολέμει μόνον.
Betacode
*(opli=tai, peltastai/, yiloi/, th=s pezikh=s ei)si kai\ maxi/mou duna/mews, e)/xousi de\ diafora/s: o(pli=tai me\n ga\r le/gontai oi( baruta/th| kexrhme/noi o(pli/sei kata\ to\n *makedoniko\n tro/pon a)spi/si perifere/si kai\ do/rasi perimhkeste/rois, *yiloi\ de\ oi(\ koufota/th| ke/xrhntai, to/cw| kai\ a)konti/w| kai\ li/qois e)k sfendo/nhs h)\ e)k xeiro/s: oi( de\ peltastai\ me/sh| pws ke/xrhntai skeuh=|: h(/ te ga\r pe/lth mikra/ ti/s e)stin a)spidi/skh kai\ kou/fh: kai\ ta\ do/rata polu\ tw=n o(plitw=n leipo/mena. ei)si\ de\ kai\ th=s o)xhmatikh=s duna/mews trei=s diaforai/. kai\ *)aristofa/nhs: to\n qumo\n kata/qou ku/yas para\ th\n o)rgh\n w(/sper o(pli/ths. oi(=on o(/pla mh\ e)/xwn, qumw=| pole/mei mo/non.
Notes (5)
- 1See generally OCD(4) p.704; and cf. omicron 468 (and omicron 465). ↩
- 2See generally OCD(4) p.1102. ↩
- 3This material then continues at iota 546. ↩
- 4Aristophanes, Birds 401-2 (web address 1). ↩
- 5The scholiast here misses the point of this clever combination of figurative and literal laying-down. See Dunbar 290-1. ↩
References
Aristophanes, Birds, edited with introduction and commentary by Nan Dunbar (Oxford 1995)
External resources
- Web address 1 perseus.tufts.edu
Linked from6 entries
- γ482Γυμνῆταιlight-armed [troops]The nominative [singular is] gumnh/ths, and [the plural] gumnh=tai. [It means a] troop of infantrymen. Xenophon [writes]: "Cheirisophos commanded the expedition taking the [manpower] around him, all the light-armed; for…
- ο463Ὁπλαίhooves[Meaning] boxes(?), the toenails of horses.
- ο465Ὁπλιστήςwarrior, hoplite, warrior's[Meaning] the man [sc. named] from his arms [hopla]. [...] having lost all [your] warrior's gear [...]."
- ο467Ὁπλιτεύεινto serve as a hoplite[Meaning] to bear arms.
- ο468Ὁπλίτηςhoplite, soldierIn Thucydides [this word] is used for someone not rowing; but nau/ths ["sailor"] [is used] as a participant in the rowing.
- π230Παντευχίαfull armourFull armour ['panoply'].
Neighbouring entries
Revision history6 revisions · last 27 Jan 2021
- tweaked link — Catharine Roth
- Revised — David Whitehead
- Revised — David Whitehead
- restorative cosmetic; another x-ref — David Whitehead
- added cross-reference, updated link — Catharine Roth
- added link — Catharine Roth
- Translated — David Whitehead