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Flavius Iosephus
#1
Avete

I'm desperately looking for the original Latin text for the following quote: Flavius Iosephus: De bello Judaico III.5.5. It is about the legionary’s kit. I especially need to know the Latin names for the engineer tools mentioned by FI.

Who can help?
Andreas Strassmeir
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#2
It is Greek, not Latin.
Quote:Ἔπειτα προϊόντες ὁδεύουσιν ἡσυχῇ καὶ μετὰ κόσμου πάντες, ὥσπερ ἐν πολέμῳ τὴν ἰδίαν τάξιν ἕκαστος φυλάσσων, οἱ μὲν πεζοὶ θώραξιν πεφραγμένοι καὶ κράνεσιν καὶ μαχαιροφοροῦντες ἀμφοτέρωθεν. [94] μακρότερον δ᾽ αὐτῶν τὸ λαιὸν ξίφος πολλῷ: τὸ γὰρ κατὰ τὸ δεξιὸν σπιθαμῆς οὐ πλέον ἔχει τὸ μῆκος. [95] φέρουσι δ᾽ οἱ μὲν περὶ τὸν στρατηγὸν ἐπίλεκτοι πεζοὶ λόγχην καὶ ἀσπίδα, ἡ δὲ λοιπὴ φάλαγξ ξυστόν τε καὶ θυρεὸν ἐπιμήκη, πρὸς οἷς πρίονα καὶ κόφινον ἄμην τε καὶ πέλεκυν, πρὸς δὲ ἱμάντα καὶ δρέπανον καὶ ἅλυσιν, ἡμερῶν τε τριῶν ἐφόδιον: ὡς ὀλίγον ἀποδεῖν τῶν ἀχθοφορούντων ὀρέων τὸν πεζόν. [96] τοῖς δὲ ἱππεῦσιν μάχαιρα μὲν ἐκ δεξιῶν μακρὰ καὶ κοντὸς ἐπιμήκης ἐν χειρί, θυρεὸς δὲ παρὰ πλευρὸν ἵππου πλάγιος, καὶ κατὰ γωρυτοῦ παρήρτηνται τρεῖς ἢ πλείους ἄκοντες, πλατεῖς μὲν αἰχμάς, οὐκ ἀποδέοντες δὲ δοράτων μέγεθος: [97] κράνη δὲ καὶ θώρακες ὁμοίως τοῖς πεζοῖς ἅπασιν. οὐδενὶ δὲ ὅπλων διαλλάττουσιν οἱ περὶ τὸν στρατηγὸν ἔκκριτοι τῶν ἐν ταῖς ἴλαις ἱππέων. κλήρῳ δὲ τῶν ταγμάτων ἀεὶ τὸ λαχὸν ἡγεῖται.
Christian K.

No reconstruendum => No reconstruction.

Ut desint vires, tamen est laudanda voluntas.
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#3
Hi Christian,
thanks for the quick reply.

.... I completely forgot that the text is written in Greek and not Latin! :oops:

And I am facing another Problem now: I do remember some Latin but I don’t know any Greek. Is there any reliable translation for the items of mentioned engineer equipment? Different authors quoting the source do not name the same items unfortunately.
Andreas Strassmeir
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#4
You may find the McMaster Project on Ancient Cultural Engagement useful. Each Greek word is clickable.
posted by Duncan B Campbell
https://ninth-legion.blogspot.com/
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#5
Quote:You may find the McMaster Project on Ancient Cultural Engagement useful. Each Greek word is clickable.

Wish I'd known about this site before I bought my Loebs... :roll:
Moi Watson

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, Merlot in one hand, Cigar in the other; body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, what a ride!
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#6
Quote:Wish I'd known about this site before I bought my Loebs... :roll:

Don't say that! I think electronic text is best for research, but nothing beats curling up with a Loeb for a good read. They have a charm all their own, with their antiquitated language, curious footnotes and odd appendices. You can smell the pipe smoke from elderly Victorians (or Victorian wannabes) just by opening up a book. I'm a big fan of the Loeb Classical Library.
David J. Cord
www.davidcord.com
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#7
Thanks a lot for the link Duncan.
That’s exactly what I was looking for!

I think I’m going to get the German translation of FI’s Jewish war from Reclam today. It’s only 11,- EUR!
Andreas Strassmeir
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