Cassander's Siege of Salamis and Autonomy in the Peloponnese — Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica Book 18 (18.69.1–18.69.4), Greek & English

§18.69.1

τοῦ δὲ Πολυπέρχοντος περὶ ταῦτα διατρίβοντος ὁ Κάσανδρος ἀναλαβὼν τὸν στόλον Αἰγινήτας μὲν προσηγάγετο, τοὺς δὲ Σαλαμινίους ἀλλότρια φρονοῦντας εἰς πολιορκίαν συνέκλεισε. καθʼ ἡμέραν δὲ συνεχεῖς ποιούμενος προσβολὰς καὶ βελῶν καὶ στρατιωτῶν εὐπορῶν εἰς τοὺς ἐσχάτους κινδύνους ἤγαγε τοὺς Σαλαμινίους.

While Polyperchon was occupied with these matters, Cassander, taking the fleet, won over the Aeginetans, and shut up the Salaminians, who were hostile to him, in a siege. By making continuous attacks day after day and having an abundance of missiles and soldiers, he brought the Salaminians into extreme danger.

§18.69.2

κινδυνευούσης δὲ τῆς πόλεως ἁλῶναι¹ κατὰ κράτος ὁ Πολυπέρχων ἐξέπεμψε δύναμιν ἀξιόλογον πεζικήν τε καὶ ναυτικὴν τὴν ἐπιθησομένην² τοῖς πολιορκοῦσι. διόπερ ὁ Κάσανδρος καταπλαγεὶς καὶ λύσας τὴν πολιορκίαν ἀπέπλευσεν εἰς τὸν Πειραιᾶ.

Since the city was in danger of being taken by storm, Polyperchon sent out a considerable force of both infantry and navy to attack the besiegers. Therefore, Cassander was terrified and, raising the siege, sailed back into the Piraeus.

§18.69.3

Πολυπέρχων δὲ βουλόμενος τὰ κατὰ τὴν Πελοπόννησον διοικῆσαι συμφερόντως παρῆλθε καὶ συναγαγὼν ἐκ τῶν πόλεων συνέδρους διελέχθη περὶ τῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν συμμαχίας. ἐξέπεμψε δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὰς πόλεις πρεσβευτάς, προστάττων τοὺς μὲν διʼ Ἀντιπάτρου καθεσταμένους ἄρχοντας ἐπὶ τῆς ὀλιγαρχίας θανατῶσαι, τοῖς δὲ δήμοις ἀποδοῦναι τὴν αὐτονομίαν.

Polyperchon, wishing to manage the affairs in the Peloponnese to his own advantage, went there and, having gathered delegates from the cities, discussed with them the alliance with himself. He also sent envoys to the cities, ordering them to put to death the magistrates who had been established in the oligarchy by Antipater, and to restore autonomy to the democracies.

§18.69.4

πολλῶν δʼ ὑπακουσάντων καὶ κατὰ τὰς πόλεις φόνων γινομένων καί τινων φυγαδευομένων οἱ μὲν Ἀντιπάτρου φίλοι διεφθάρησαν, τὰ δὲ πολιτεύματα τὴν ἐκ τῆς αὐτονομίας παρρησίαν³ ἀπέλαβον καὶ συνεμάχουν τοῖς περὶ τὸν Πολυπέρχοντα. μόνων δὲ τῶν Μεγαλοπολιτῶν διατηρούντων τὴν πρὸς Κάσανδρον φιλίαν ἔκρινε πολιορκῆσαι τὴν πόλιν αὐτῶν.

Since many complied and massacres took place in the cities and some were banished, the friends of Antipater were destroyed, while the governments recovered the freedom of speech that comes from autonomy and allied themselves with Polyperchon’s forces. Since the Megalopolitans alone maintained their friendship with Cassander, he decided to besiege their city.

Syntax notes3 items

18.69.2κινδυνευούσης δὲ τῆς πόλεως ἁλῶναι
A genitive absolute construction (κινδυνευούσης τῆς πόλεως) in which ἁλῶναι functions as a complementary infinitive of the verb κινδυνεύω. The word ἁλῶναι is the aorist infinitive of the irregular verb ἁλίσκομαι, which has a passive meaning ('to be captured, fall'), describing the state of the subject τῆς πόλεως.
18.69.2τὴν ἐπιθησομένην
An attributive future participle with an article modifying the feminine noun δύναμιν (force). In Greek, a future participle with an article can function as an adjectival relative clause expressing purpose or intention ('in order to attack', 'destined to attack').
18.69.4τὴν ἐκ τῆς αὐτονομίας παρρησίαν
An attributive position where the prepositional phrase ἐκ τῆς αὐτονομίας is sandwiched between the article τὴν and the noun παρρησίαν. Consequently, the prepositional phrase modifies the noun adjectivally, meaning 'the freedom of speech arising from autonomy.'

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:18.69.1-18.69.4