Cassander's Flight to Asia and Alliance with Antigonus — Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica Book 18 (18.54.1–18.54.4), Greek & English

§18.54.1

νυνὶ δʼ ἀρκούντως τὰ κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν διεληλυθότες μεταβησόμεθα πρὸς τὰς κατὰ τὴν Εὐρώπην συντελεσθείσας πράξεις. Κάσανδρος γὰρ ἀποτετευχὼς¹ τῆς κατὰ τὴν Μακεδονίαν ἡγεμονίας οὐκ ἔπτηξεν, ἀλλʼ ἔκρινεν ἀντέχεσθαι ταύτης, αἰσχρὸν εἶναι διαλαμβάνων τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς ἀρχὴν ὑφʼ ἑτέρων διοικεῖσθαι.

Now, having gone through the matters in Asia sufficiently, we shall transition to the actions accomplished in Europe. For Cassander, although he had failed to obtain the leadership of Macedonia, did not cower, but decided to hold fast to it, considering it to be a shameful thing that his father’s domain should be administered by others.

§18.54.2

ὁρῶν δὲ τὴν τῶν Μακεδόνων ὁρμὴν κεκλιμένην πρὸς τὸν Πολυπέρχοντα τῶν μὲν φίλων οἷς ἐπίστευε κατʼ ἰδίαν προσδιαλεγόμενος ἐξέπεμπεν ἐπὶ τὸν Ἑλλήσποντον ἀνυπόπτως, αὐτὸς δʼ ἐφʼ ἡμέρας τινὰς σχολάσας ἐπὶ τῆς χώρας καὶ κυνήγια συνιστάμενος ἐγέννησε περὶ αὑτοῦ διάληψιν ὡς οὐκ ἀντιποιούμενος² τῆς ἀρχῆς.

And seeing that the impulse of the Macedonians was inclined toward Polyperchon, he spoke privately with those of his friends whom he trusted and sent them off to the Hellespont in such a way as to avoid suspicion; he himself, spending some leisure time in the countryside for a few days and organizing hunts, created the impression about himself that he was not contesting the rule.

§18.54.3

ὡς δʼ εὐτρεπῆ πάντα ἦν αὐτῷ τὰ πρὸς τὴν ἀποδημίαν, ἔλαθεν ἀναζεύξας³ ἐκ τῆς Μακεδονίας. καταντήσας δʼ εἰς τὴν Χερρόνησον κἀκεῖθεν ἀναζεύξας παρῆλθεν εἰς Ἑλλήσποντον. διαπλεύσας δʼ εἰς τὴν Ἀσίαν πρὸς Ἀντίγονον ἠξίου βοηθεῖν αὐτῷ, φήσας καὶ Πτολεμαῖον ἐπηγγέλθαι συμμαχήσειν. ὁ δʼ Ἀντίγονος προθύμως αὐτὸν προσδεξάμενος ἐπηγγείλατο πάντα συμπράξειν προθύμως αὐτῷ καὶ δύναμιν παραχρῆμα δώσειν πεζικήν τε καὶ ναυτικήν.

But when all things for his departure were ready for him, he departed from Macedonia without being noticed. Arriving at the Chersonese and setting out from there, he came to the Hellespont. And having crossed over into Asia to Antigonus, he requested him to help him, saying that Ptolemy also had promised to make an alliance. And Antigonus received him eagerly and promised to cooperate with him eagerly in everything and to give him immediately both a land and naval force.

§18.54.4

ταῦτα δʼ ἔπραττε προσποιούμενος διὰ τὴν πρὸς Ἀντίπατρον φιλίαν συνεργεῖν, τῇ δʼ ἀληθείᾳ βουλόμενος τοὺς περὶ Πολυπέρχοντα πολλοὺς καὶ μεγάλους περισπασμοὺς ἔχειν, ὅπως αὐτὸς ἀκινδύνως τὴν Ἀσίαν ἐπέλθῃ καὶ τὴν τῶν ὅλων ἡγεμονίαν εἰς αὑτὸν περιστήσῃ.

And he did these things pretending to cooperate because of his friendship with Antipater, but in truth wishing that Polyperchon and his associates should have many and great distractions, so that he himself might overrun Asia without danger and bring the supreme command of the whole into his own hands.

Syntax notes3 items

18.54.1ἀποτετευχὼς
The perfect active participle of the verb ἀποτυγχάνω (to fail, miss), which governs the genitive τῆς ... ἡγεμονίας. It is used here with a concessive force, indicating that Cassander had failed to secure the leadership.
18.54.2ὡς οὐκ ἀντιποιούμενος
The participle with the conjunction ὡς (nominative masculine singular, agreeing with the subject Cassander) expresses the subjective impression or pretext (διάληψιν) created around him, meaning 'as if he were not contesting the rule'.
18.54.3ἔλαθεν ἀναζεύξας
An idiomatic construction of λανθάνω with a participle, meaning 'to do something secretly' or 'without being noticed'. The combination of the aorist indicative ἔλαθεν and the aorist participle ἀναζεύξας means 'he departed secretly'.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:18.54.1-18.54.4