Subjugation of Joppa and Gaza and Praise for Phila — Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica Book 19 (19.59.1–19.59.6), Greek & English

§19.59.1

ὄντος δʼ αὐτοῦ περὶ ταῦτα παρῆν Ἀγησίλαος ὁ πεμφθεὶς εἰς Κύπρον πρεσβευτής, ἀπαγγέλλων ὅτι Νικοκρέων μὲν καὶ τῶν ἄλλων οἱ κράτιστοι βασιλεῖς πρὸς Πτολεμαῖον πεποίηνται συμμαχίαν, ὁ δὲ Κιτιεὺς καὶ Λαπίθιος,¹ ἔτι δὲ Μαριεὺς καὶ Κερυνίτης τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν φιλίαν συντέθεινται.

While Antigonus was occupied with these things, Agesilaus, who had been sent as an ambassador to Cyprus, arrived, reporting that Nicocreon and the other most powerful kings had made an alliance with Ptolemy, but that the rulers of Citium and Lapithus, and also of Marium and Ceryneia, had established friendship with him.

§19.59.2

ἀκούσας δὲ ταῦτα τρισχιλίους μὲν στρατιώτας καὶ στρατηγὸν Ἀνδρόνικον κατέλιπεν ἐπὶ τῆς πολιορκίας, αὐτὸς δὲ μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως ἀναζεύξας τήν τʼ Ἰόππην καὶ Γάζαν ἀπειθούσας κατὰ κράτος εἷλε καὶ τοὺς μὲν καταληφθέντας Πτολεμαίου στρατιώτας ἐπιδιεῖλεν εἰς τὰς ἰδίας τάξεις, εἰς δὲ τὰς πόλεις παρεισήγαγε φρουρὰν τὴν ἀναγκάσουσαν² πειθαρχεῖν τοὺς ἐνοικοῦντας.

Having heard this, he left three thousand soldiers and the general Andronicus for the siege, while he himself marched with his army and took Joppa and Gaza by storm, which had refused to obey; and he distributed the captured soldiers of Ptolemy into his own units, and introduced into the cities a garrison that would force the inhabitants to obey.

§19.59.3

αὐτὸς δʼ ἐπανελθὼν εἰς τὴν πρὸς Παλαιτύρῳ στρατοπεδείαν παρεσκευάζετο τὰ πρὸς τὴν πολιορκίαν. Ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν καιρῶν τούτων Ἀρίστων ὁ πιστευθεὶς ὑπʼ Εὐμενοῦς τῶν ὀστῶν τῶν Κρατεροῦ παρέδωκεν εἰς ταφὴν αὐτὰ Φίλᾳ τῇ πρότερον μὲν Κρατερῷ συνοικούσῃ, τότε δὲ Δημητρίῳ τῷ Ἀντιγόνου.

He himself returned to the camp near Palaetyrus and prepared for the siege. At this time, Ariston, who had been entrusted by Eumenes with the bones of Craterus, delivered them for burial to Phila, who had formerly been married to Craterus, but was then married to Demetrius, the son of Antigonus.

§19.59.4

αὕτη δʼ ἡ γυνὴ συνέσει δοκεῖ διενηνοχέναι· τούς τε γὰρ ταραχώδεις τῶν ἐν τῷ στρατοπέδῳ κατέπαυεν ἁρμοζόντως πολιτευομένη πρὸς ἕκαστον, τάς τε ἀδελφὰς καὶ θυγατέρας τῶν ἀπόρων ἐξεδίδου τοῖς ἰδίοις δαπανήμασι, πολλοὺς δὲ καὶ τῶν διαβολαῖς περιπιπτόντων μὴ δικαίαις ἀπήλλασσε τῶν κινδύνων.

This woman seems to have excelled in intelligence; for she quieted the turbulent elements in the camp by acting appropriately toward each, and she married off the sisters and daughters of the needy at her own expense, and also delivered many of those who fell into unjust slanders from dangers.

§19.59.5

λέγεται δὲ καὶ Ἀντίπατρον τὸν πατέρα αὐτῆς, ὃς δοκεῖ γεγονέναι φρονιμώτατος τῶν ἐν δυναστείαις γεγονότων κατὰ τὴν αὐτὴν ἡλικίαν, κόρης οὔσης ἔτι τῆς Φίλας³ συμβουλεύεσθαι πρὸς ταύτην περὶ τῶν μεγίστων.

It is also said that her father Antipater, who seems to have been the wisest of the rulers of his time, consulted her on the most important matters while Phila was still a girl.

§19.59.6

μηνύσει δʼ ἀκριβέστερον τὸ τῆς γυναικὸς ἦθος προϊὼν ὁ λόγος καὶ τὰ πράγματα λαμβάνοντα⁴ μεταβολὴν καὶ κρίσιν ἐσχάτην τῆς περὶ Δημήτριον βασιλείας. καὶ τὰ μὲν περὶ Ἀντίγονον καὶ Φίλαν τὴν Δημητρίου γυναῖκα τοιαῦτʼ ἦν.

The character of this woman will be revealed more accurately as the narrative proceeds and as events undergo change and the ultimate crisis of the kingship of Demetrius. Such, then, were the matters concerning Antigonus and Phila, the wife of Demetrius.

Syntax notes4 items

19.59.1ὁ δὲ Κιτιεὺς καὶ Λαπίθιος
The singular gentiles (the Citian and the Lapithian) with the definite article ὁ refer to the individual rulers (kings) of those respective cities.
19.59.2τὴν ἀναγκάσουσαν
Future participle in the feminine accusative singular modifying φρουράν, expressing purpose ("a garrison that would force...").
19.59.5κόρης οὔσης ἔτι τῆς Φίλας
Genitive absolute construction with the noun κόρη (girl) and the present participle οὔσης, expressing time ("while Phila was still a girl").
19.59.6λαμβάνοντα
Neuter plural nominative participle modifying τὰ πράγματα. It functions either as a secondary subject parallel to ὁ λόγος with the future verb μηνύσει, or as a nominative absolute expressing a concomitant circumstance ("as events undergo change").

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:19.59.1-19.59.6