10-30-2007, 01:26 AM
Paralus said:-
How true! That is the rather old Dryden translation.Here are others."And when the soldiers saw him, they hailed him at once in their Macedonian speech, caught up their shields, beat upon them with their spears, and raised their battle-cry, challenging the enemy to fight in the assurance that their leader was at hand."
Brenadotte Perin, Loeb edition
..and another old translation...
" On the first sight of the general of their heart, the troops saluted him in the Macedonian language, clashed their arms, and with loud shouts challenged the enemy to advance, thinking themselves invincible while he was at their head."
Unfortunately I haven't been able to get hold of Plutarch's original greek, so we can't tell if he says 'dory' (spear)'longche'(often wrongly translated as pike) 'sarissa' or even some greek version of a Roman name(he was writing during the Principate period), nor do we know what he used for shield -'aspis' or 'pelte' or something else ...! But doubtless someone has it and will tellus all ? In the meantime, going by the weight of evidence so far, even if Plutarch does manage to score you a point, I'll be the rails bookie and take your bet.... :wink:
Quote:As soon as the soldiers saw him they saluted him in their Macedonian dialect, and took up their shields, and striking them with their pikes,......Mind you, as with many things, it may all be in the translation.
How true! That is the rather old Dryden translation.Here are others."And when the soldiers saw him, they hailed him at once in their Macedonian speech, caught up their shields, beat upon them with their spears, and raised their battle-cry, challenging the enemy to fight in the assurance that their leader was at hand."
Brenadotte Perin, Loeb edition
..and another old translation...
" On the first sight of the general of their heart, the troops saluted him in the Macedonian language, clashed their arms, and with loud shouts challenged the enemy to advance, thinking themselves invincible while he was at their head."
Unfortunately I haven't been able to get hold of Plutarch's original greek, so we can't tell if he says 'dory' (spear)'longche'(often wrongly translated as pike) 'sarissa' or even some greek version of a Roman name(he was writing during the Principate period), nor do we know what he used for shield -'aspis' or 'pelte' or something else ...! But doubtless someone has it and will tellus all ? In the meantime, going by the weight of evidence so far, even if Plutarch does manage to score you a point, I'll be the rails bookie and take your bet.... :wink:
"dulce et decorum est pro patria mori " - Horace
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
