[12,17] ἦλθον δὲ οὐ χρημάτων ἔμπορος οὐδὲ τῶν πρὸς ὑπηρεσίαν τοῦ στρατοπέδου σκευοφορῶν ἢ βοηλατῶν, οὐδὲ πρεσβείαν ἐπρέσβευον συμμαχικὴν ἤ τινα εὔφημον, τῶν ἀπὸ γλώττης μόνον συνευχομένων, γυμνὸς ἄτερ κόρυθός τε καὶ ἀσπίδος, οὐδ´ ἔχον ἔγχος, οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ ἄλλο ὅπλον οὐθέν.

[12,17] And I went there, not as a merchant with his wares, nor yet as one of the supply-train of the army in the capacity of baggage-carrier or cattle-driver, nor was I discharging a mission as ambassador to our allies or on some embassy bearing congratulations, the members of which join in prayers with the lips only. I went "Unarmed, with neither helm nor shield nor lance", nor indeed with any other weapon either,

[12,18] ὥστε ἐθαύμαζον ὅπως με ἠνείχοντο ὁρῶντες. οὔτε γὰρ ἱππεύειν ἐπιστάμενος οὔτε τοξότης ἱκανὸς ὢν οὔθ´ ὁπλίτης, ἀλλ´ οὐδὲ τῶν κούφων καὶ ἀνόπλων {τὴν βαρεῖαν ὅπλισιν στρατιωτῶν οὐδ´} ἀκοντιστὴς ἢ λιθοβόλος, οὐδ´ αὖ τεμεῖν ὕλην ἢ τάφρον ὀρύττειν δυνατὸς οὐδὲ ἀμῆσαι χιλὸν ἐκ πολεμίου λειμῶνος πυκνὰ μεταστρεφόμενος, οὐδὲ ἐγεῖραι σκηνὴν ἢ χάρακα, ὥσπερ ἀμέλει ξυνέπονται τοῖς στρατοπέδοις πολεμικοί τινες ὑπηρέται·

[12,18] so that I marvelled that they brooked the sight of me. For I, who could not ride a horse and was not a skilled bowman or man-at-arms, nor yet a javelinthrower, or slinger, belonging to the light-armed troops who carry no heavy armour, nor, again, was able to cut timber or dig a trench, nor to mow fodder from an enemy's meadow with many a glance behind' nor yet to raise a tent or a rampart, just as certain non-combatants do who follow the legions as helpers,