Antigonus' Retreat to Media and the Burial of the Dead — Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica Book 19 (19.32.1–19.32.3), Greek & English

§19.32.1

ὁ δʼ Ἀντίγονος μετὰ τὴν ἐκ τῆς μάχης ἀποχώρησιν ὁρῶν τοὺς στρατιώτας ἀθυμοῦντας διέγνω τὴν ταχίστην¹ ἀναζευγνύειν ὡς πορρωτάτω τῶν πολεμίων. βουλόμενος δʼ εὔζωνον ποιῆσαι τὴν δύναμιν πρὸς τὴν ἀποχώρησιν τοὺς μὲν τραυματίας καὶ τὰ βαρύτατα τῆς ἀποσκευῆς προαπέστειλεν εἴς τινα τῶν πλησίον πόλεων, τοὺς δὲ νεκροὺς ἅμʼ ἡμέρᾳ θάψας καὶ παρακατασχὼν τὸν παρὰ τῶν πολεμίων ἥκοντα κήρυκα περὶ τῆς τῶν νεκρῶν ἀναιρέσεως παρήγγειλε τῆς ὥρας² δειπνοποιεῖσθαι.

But Antigonus, after the withdrawal from the battle, seeing that his soldiers were discouraged, resolved to march away as far as possible from the enemy as quickly as possible. Wishing to make his force unencumbered for the withdrawal, he sent the wounded and the heaviest part of the baggage ahead to one of the neighboring cities; and having buried the dead at daybreak and detained the herald who had come from the enemy concerning the collection of the dead, he ordered them to take their meal at that hour.

§19.32.2

τῆς δʼ ἡμέρας διελθούσης τὸν μὲν κήρυκα ἀπέπεμψε, δοὺς εἰς τὴν αὔριον τὴν ἀναίρεσιν, αὐτὸς δὲ πρώτης φυλακῆς ἀρχομένης ἀνέζευξε μετὰ πάσης τῆς δυνάμεως καὶ συντόνους τὰς πορείας ποιούμενος ἀπέστη μὲν τῶν πολεμίων μακράν, ἔσχε δὲ χώραν ἀκεραίαν εἰς ἀνάληψιν τοῦ στρατοπέδου· διήνυσε γὰρ ἕως Γαμάργων τῆς Μηδίας, οὔσης τῆς χώρας ὑπὸ Πίθωνα καὶ δυναμένης μεγάλαις δυνάμεσι πρὸς διατροφὴν δαψιλῶς ἅπαντα χορηγῆσαι.

When the day had passed, he sent the herald away, granting the collection for the next day, and he himself, at the beginning of the first watch, marched away with his entire force; and making forced marches, he drew far away from the enemy and secured an untouched territory for the recovery of his army. For he made his way as far as Gamarga in Media, the territory being under Peithon and able to supply everything abundantly for the sustenance of great forces.

§19.32.3

Εὐμενὴς δὲ διὰ τῶν κατασκόπων πυθόμενος τὴν ἀναχώρησιν τῶν περὶ Ἀντίγονον τοῦ μὲν διώκειν ἀπέστη διὰ τὸ καὶ τοὺς ἰδίους στρατιώτας ἐν ἀσιτίᾳ καὶ κακοπαθείαις μεγάλαις γεγονέναι,³ περὶ δὲ τὴν ἀναίρεσιν τῶν τετελευτηκότων γενόμενος ἐπεμελήθη τῆς ταφῆς μεγαλοπρεπῶς. ἔνθα δὴ συνέβη γενέσθαι πρᾶγμα παράδοξον καὶ πολὺ τῶν παρʼ Ἕλλησι νομίμων⁴ ἐξηλλαγμένον.

But Eumenes, learning through his scouts of the withdrawal of those around Antigonus, desisted from pursuing because his own soldiers also had come to be in lack of food and great hardships; but occupying himself with the collection of the deceased, he took care of their burial in a magnificent manner. There indeed it happened that an extraordinary event occurred, one very different from the customs among the Greeks.

Syntax notes4 items

19.32.1τὴν ταχίστην
Adverbial accusative meaning 'as quickly as possible.' It is a feminine singular accusative adjective with the article, originally an idiomatic expression with the omission of the noun ὁδόν (way, manner).
19.32.1τῆς ὥρας
Genitive of time, meaning 'at that time' or 'at the proper hour.' In the context of the retreat preparations after detaining the herald (παρακατασχών), it designates the time for taking the meal.
19.32.3διὰ τὸ καὶ τοὺς ἰδίους στρατιώτας ἐν ἀσιτίᾳ καὶ κακοπαθείαις μεγάλαις γεγονέναι
The preposition διὰ governs the articular infinitive τὸ ... γεγονέναι to form an adverbial phrase of cause ('because...'). The subject of the infinitive is the accusative τοὺς ἰδίους στρατιώτας ('his own soldiers also').
19.32.3τῶν παρʼ Ἕλλησι νομίμων
Genitive of separation or difference. Since the perfect passive participle ἐξηλλαγμένον means 'different' or 'deviated,' the standard of this difference is expressed in the genitive.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-22)

2026-09-22 AI review — source 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:19.32.1-19.32.3