Antigonus' Forced March and Surprise Attack in Pisidia — Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica Book 18 (18.44.1–18.44.5), Greek & English

§18.44.1

ἐπʼ ἄρχοντος δʼ Ἀθήνησιν Ἀπολλοδώρου Ῥωμαῖοι κατέστησαν ὑπάτους Κόιντον Ποπίλλιον καὶ Κόιντον Πόπλιον. ἐπὶ δὲ τούτων Ἀντίγονος καταπεπολεμηκὼς τοὺς περὶ τὸν Εὐμενῆ ἔκρινε στρατεύειν ἐπὶ τὸν Ἀλκέταν καὶ Ἄτταλον· οὗτοι γὰρ ὑπελείποντο τῶν Περδίκκου φίλων καὶ οἰκείων ἡγεμόνες μὲν ἀξιόλογοι, στρατιώτας δʼ ἔχοντες ἱκανοὺς ἀμφισβητῆσαι πραγμάτων.¹ ἀναζεύξας οὖν μετὰ πάσης τῆς δυνάμεως ἐκ Καππαδοκίας προῆγεν ἐπὶ τὴν Πισιδικήν, ἐν ᾗ συνέβαινε διατρίβειν τοὺς περὶ τὸν Ἀλκέταν.

When Apollodorus was archon in Athens, the Romans appointed Quintus Popillius and Quintus Poplius as consuls. During their term of office, Antigonus, having subdued the forces of Eumenes, decided to march against Alcetas and Attalus; for these were the survivors among the friends and relatives of Perdiccas, leaders of notable reputation, who possessed enough soldiers to dispute for the state. Having broken camp with his entire force, he therefore advanced from Cappadocia toward Pisidia, where Alcetas and his men happened to be tarrying.

§18.44.2

ὀξεῖαν δὲ καὶ παντελῶς ἐπιτεταμένην τὴν πορείαν ποιησάμενος ἐν ἡμέραις ἑπτὰ καὶ ταῖς ἴσαις νυξὶ διήνυσε σταδίους δισχιλίους καὶ πεντακοσίους εἰς τὴν ὀνομαζομένην Κρητῶν πόλιν. λαθὼν δὲ τοὺς πολεμίους διὰ τὴν ὀξύτητα τῆς πορείας καὶ γενόμενος πλησίον αὐτῶν ἀγνοούντων τὴν παρουσίαν² ἔφθασεν ἀκρολοφίας τινὰς καὶ δυσχωρίας προκαταλαβόμενος.³

Making his march rapid and completely strained, in seven days and as many nights he covered twenty-five hundred stades, arriving at the so-called City of the Cretans. Having eluded the enemy because of the speed of his march, and having arrived near them while they were ignorant of his presence, he succeeded in occupying beforehand certain ridges and difficult passes.

§18.44.3

οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Ἀλκέταν πυθόμενοι τὴν παρουσίαν τῶν πολεμίων τὴν μὲν φάλαγγα ταχέως ἐξέταξαν, τοῖς δʼ ἱππεῦσι προσπεσόντες τοῖς τὴν ἀκρώρειαν προκατέχουσιν ἐφιλοτιμοῦντο βίᾳ κρατῆσαι καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀκρολοφίας ἐκβαλεῖν.

When Alcetas and his men learned of the presence of the enemy, they quickly drew up their phalanx, and, falling upon the cavalry who had pre-occupied the ridge, they strove eagerly to overpower them by force and drive them from the heights.

§18.44.4

γενομένης δὲ μάχης ἰσχυρᾶς καὶ πολλῶν παρʼ ἀμφοτέρων πεσόντων ὁ μὲν Ἀντίγονος ἔχων ἱππεῖς ἑξακισχιλίους ἀπὸ κράτους ἤλαυνεν ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν ἐναντίων φάλαγγα, σπεύδων ἀποκόψαι τῶν περὶ τὸν Ἀλκέταν τὴν ἐπὶ ταύτην καταφυγήν.

Since a fierce battle took place and many fell on both sides, Antigonus, with six thousand cavalry, rode at full speed against the enemy’s phalanx, eager to cut off for Alcetas and his men their retreat to it.

§18.44.5

οὗ συντελεσθέντος οἱ μὲν ἐπὶ τῆς ἀκρωρείας ὄντες, πολὺ τοῖς τε πλήθεσιν ὑπερέχοντες καὶ τῇ δυσχωρίᾳ τῶν τόπων πλεονεκτοῦντες, ἐτρέψαντο τοὺς προσμαχομένους. οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Ἀλκέταν τῆς μὲν ἐπὶ τοὺς πεζοὺς καταφυγῆς ἀποκεκλεισμένοι, τῷ δὲ πλήθει τῶν πολεμίων εἰς μέσον ἀπειλημμένοι πρόδηλον εἶχον τὴν ἀπώλειαν. διὸ καὶ τῆς σωτηρίας δυσβοηθήτου γενομένης ὁ μὲν⁴

This having been accomplished, those on the ridge, being far superior in numbers and holding the advantage in the difficulty of the terrain, routed their assailants. But Alcetas and his men, shut off from their retreat to the infantry and cut off in the center by the multitude of the enemy, had their destruction clearly before them. Therefore, since their safety was also past remedy, on the one hand,

Syntax notes4 items

18.44.1ἀμφισβητῆσαι πραγμάτων
The infinitive ἀμφισβητῆσαι is an infinitive of purpose or result modifying the adjective ἱκανούς. The genitive πραγμάτων serves as the object of the verb ἀμφισβητέω in the sense of 'dispute for' or 'contend for' state affairs or power.
18.44.2ἀγνοούντων τὴν παρουσίαν
A genitive absolute construction. The logical subject of the participle is the preceding genitive personal pronoun αὐτῶν ('of them', referring to the enemy).
18.44.2ἔφθασεν ... προκαταλαβόμενος
An idiomatic construction of the verb φθάνω with a participle, meaning 'to do something before others' or 'to anticipate'. Here it denotes that Antigonus succeeded in occupying the strategic points before the enemy realized it.
18.44.5ὁ μὲν
The sentence is cut off at the end of this chunk. This μὲν establishes a contrast that is completed by the corresponding δέ at the beginning of the next chapter (45.1), which describes Alcetas' personal escape and actions in response to his desperate situation.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-10-18)

2026-10-18 AI review — translation 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:18.44.1-18.44.5