- Source
- Diodorus Siculus. Diodori Bibliotheca Historica. Vols. 4-5 (partial). Bekker, Immanuel; Dindorf, Ludwig; Fischer, Curt Theodor; editors. Leipzig: Teubner, 1903-1906.
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
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- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:18.17.1-18.17.8
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-10
The understaffed Greek army engages the Macedonian forces, temporarily gaining an advantage through the Thessalian cavalry, but is forced to retreat to high ground after their infantry fails. Seeking peace, the Greeks face Antipater's demand for individual negotiations; as he besieges the cities one by one, the coalition collapses, leaving Athens and Aetolia isolated.
ἱππεῖς δὲ πεντακισχίλιοι. οἱ δὲ Ἕλληνες κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν καιρὸν ἀντεστρατοπέδευσαν πολὺ τοῖς πλήθεσι λειπόμενοι· πολλοὶ γὰρ αὐτῶν διὰ τὰς προγεγενημένας εὐημερίας καταφρονοῦντες τῶν πολεμίων εἰς τὰς πατρίδας ἦσαν ἀπεληλυθότες πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἰδίων1 ἐπίσκεψιν.
and five thousand cavalry. The Greeks at this time encamped opposite them, being far inferior in numbers; for many of them, because of their previous successes, despised the enemy and had departed for their respective homelands to attend to their private affairs.
διʼ ἃς αἰτίας τῶν στρατιωτῶν ἀτακτούντων2 ὑπολοίπους εἶχον ἐν τῇ παρεμβολῇ πεζοὺς μὲν δισμυρίους καὶ πεντακισχιλίους, ἱππεῖς δὲ τρισχιλίους καὶ πεντακοσίους, ἐν οἷς μάλιστα εἶχον τὰς τῆς νίκης ἐλπίδας διά τε τὰς τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἀρετὰς καὶ διὰ τὸ πεδινὴν ὑποκεῖσθαι χώραν.
For these reasons, since the soldiers were acting without order, they had left in their camp twenty-five thousand infantry and three thousand five hundred cavalry, in whom they placed their greatest hopes of victory, both because of the valor of the men and because the underlying country was flat.
τέλος δὲ τῶν περὶ Ἀντίπατρον καθʼ ἡμέραν προαγόντων τὰς δυνάμεις καὶ προκαλουμένων εἰς μάχην τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἀνέμενον τοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν πόλεων παραγενησομένους, τῶν δὲ καιρῶν κατεπειγόντων ἠναγκάζοντο συγκαταβαίνειν εἰς τὸν ὑπὲρ τῶν ὅλων3 κίνδυνον. ἐκτάξαντες δὲ τὴν δύναμιν καὶ σπεύδοντες διὰ τῶν ἱππέων κρῖναι τὸν πόλεμον τούτους πρὸ τῆς τῶν πεζῶν φάλαγγος ἔστησαν.
At last, as Antipater and his men advanced their forces daily and challenged them to battle, at first they waited for those who were to arrive from the cities, but as time pressed, they were forced to descend into a decisive hazard for their overall existence. Having drawn up their force and being eager to decide the war by means of the cavalry, they stationed them in front of the infantry phalanx.
γενομένης δὲ ἱππομαχίας καὶ τῶν Θετταλῶν ἱππέων πλεονεκτούντων διὰ τὰς ἀρετὰς οἱ περὶ τὸν Ἀντίπατρον ἐπήγαγον τὴν ἰδίαν φάλαγγα καὶ τοῖς πεζοῖς τῶν πολεμίων ἐπιρράξαντες πολὺν ἐποιοῦντο φόνον. οἱ δʼ Ἕλληνες τὸ βάρος καὶ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν πολεμίων οὐ δυνάμενοι φέρειν εὐθὺς ἀπεχώρησαν πρὸς τὰς δυσχωρίας, τηροῦντες τὰς τάξεις ἐπιμελῶς. διὸ καὶ δραξάμενοι τόπων ὑπερδεξίων ῥᾳδίως ἠμύναντο τοὺς Μακεδόνας, ὑπερδέξιον ἔχοντες τὴν στάσιν.
When a cavalry battle took place and the Thessalian horsemen were gaining the upper hand because of their valor, Antipater and his men brought up their own phalanx, and crashing into the enemy’s infantry, made a great slaughter. The Greeks, unable to bear the weight and numbers of the enemy, immediately retreated to the difficult ground, carefully maintaining their ranks. Therefore, having seized elevated positions, they easily repulsed the Macedonians, having their stand on superior ground.
οἱ δὲ τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἱππεῖς ἐπὶ τοῦ προτερήματος ὄντες, ὡς ἔγνωσαν τὴν τῶν πεζῶν ἀποχώρησιν, εὐθὺς πρὸς ἐκείνους ἀφίππευσαν. τότε μὲν οὖν τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον ἀγωνισάμενοι διελύθησαν, ῥεπούσης τῆς νίκης πρὸς τοὺς Μακεδόνας· ἀπέθανον δʼ ἐν τῇ μάχῃ τῶν μὲν Ἑλλήνων πλείους τῶν πεντακοσίων, τῶν δὲ Μακεδόνων ἑκατὸν καὶ τριάκοντα.
The Greek cavalry, although they were in a superior position, as soon as they realized the retreat of the infantry, immediately rode off to join them. At that time, then, having fought in this manner, they separated, with the victory inclining toward the Macedonians; there died in the battle more than five hundred of the Greeks, and one hundred and thirty of the Macedonians.
τῇ δʼ ὑστεραίᾳ Μένων μὲν καὶ Ἀντίφιλος οἱ τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἡγεμόνες συνεδρεύσαντες ἐβουλεύσαντο πότερον ἀναμείναντες τοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν πόλεων συμμάχους καὶ καταστάντες ἀξιόμαχοι περὶ τῶν ὅλων διακρίνωνται ἢ τῷ παρόντι καιρῷ συνείξαντες πρεσβεύωνται περὶ διαλύσεως. ἔδοξεν οὖν ἀποστέλλειν κήρυκας περὶ τῆς τοῦ πολέμου καταλύσεως.
On the following day, Menon and Antiphilus, the commanders of the Greeks, held a council and deliberated whether they should wait for the allies from the cities and, having become a match for the enemy, decide the whole issue, or yield to the present situation and send envoys to treat for peace. It was resolved, therefore, to dispatch heralds concerning the termination of the war.
πραξάντων δʼ αὐτῶν τὸ δόξαν ἀπεκρίθησαν οἱ περὶ τὸν Ἀντίπατρον κατὰ πόλεις πρεσβεύειν·4 οὐδενὶ γὰρ τρόπῳ κοινὴν σύλλυσιν ποιήσεσθαι. τῶν δὲ Ἑλλήνων οὐ προσδεχομένων τὰς κατὰ πόλιν διαλύσεις οἱ μὲν περὶ τὸν Ἀντίπατρον καὶ Κρατερὸν ἐπολιόρκουν τὰς ἐπὶ Θετταλίας πόλεις καὶ κατὰ κράτος ᾕρουν, μὴ δυναμένων τῶν Ἑλλήνων βοηθεῖν. διὸ καὶ τῶν πόλεων περιφόβων οὐσῶν καὶ κατʼ ἰδίαν ἑκάστης πρεσβευούσης περὶ διαλύσεως πάσαις συγχωρῶν τὴν εἰρήνην ἐπιεικῶς προσεφέρετο.
When they had carried out this decision, Antipater and his associates replied that they should negotiate city by city; for they would in no way make a common settlement. Since the Greeks would not accept settlements by individual cities, Antipater and Craterus began to besiege the cities in Thessaly and took them by force, as the Greeks were unable to bring aid. Consequently, as the cities were terrified and each sent envoys individually to treat for peace, Antipater granted peace to all of them and treated them with leniency.
διόπερ ἐμπεσούσης ὁρμῆς εἰς τὰς πόλεις ἰδίᾳ πορίζεσθαι τὴν σωτηρίαν ταχὺ πᾶσαι τῆς εἰρήνης ἔτυχον. οἱ δʼ ἀλλοτριώτατα διακείμενοι πρὸς τοὺς Μακεδόνας Αἰτωλοὶ καὶ Ἀθηναῖοι, συμμάχων ὄντες ἔρημοι, μετὰ τῶν ἰδίων στρατηγῶν ἐβουλεύοντο περὶ τοῦ πολέμου.
For this reason, an impulse having fallen upon the cities to secure their safety individually, they all quickly obtained peace. But the Aetolians and the Athenians, who were most hostilely disposed toward the Macedonians, being left destitute of allies, deliberated about the war with their own generals.
- 18.17.1τῶν ἰδίων
Analyzed as a neuter plural genitive meaning 'one's own private affairs/properties'. While it could be taken as masculine plural ('one's own people'), the context of soldiers leaving service for private duties or estates makes the neuter more appropriate.
- 18.17.2τῶν στρατιωτῶν ἀτακτούντων
Genitive absolute. The present participle of the verb meaning 'to be disorderly, leave one's post' explains the cause of the reduced forces, referring to the 'disorderly' situation where many soldiers had left for home as mentioned in the previous sentence.
- 18.17.3τῶν ὅλων
Genitive of the neuter plural noun meaning 'the whole, the state'. Combined with the noun for 'danger/hazard', this is an idiomatic phrase meaning 'a decisive conflict/crisis involving the fate of the entire state'.
- 18.17.7πρεσβεύειν
Infinitive following the verb meaning 'they answered', representing a demand to the Greeks: '[that they should] send envoys (as individual cities)'. The subject of the infinitive is not explicitly expressed in the accusative, but from the context, it refers to the Greek cities.