- Source
- Diodorus Siculus. Diodori Bibliotheca Historica. Vols. 4-5 (partial). Bekker, Immanuel; Dindorf, Ludwig; Fischer, Curt Theodor; editors. Leipzig: Teubner, 1903-1906.
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
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- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:19.83.1-19.83.5
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-08
Ptolemy and Seleucus, learning of the enemy's plans, reinforced their right wing and deployed anti-elephant palisades and light-armed troops. A fierce cavalry battle ensued at the extremities of the wings, transitioning into intense hand-to-hand combat as both sides fought with desperate courage.
οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Πτολεμαῖον1 καὶ Σέλευκον τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἔταξαν ἰσχυρὰν τὴν εὐώνυμον τάξιν, ἀγνοοῦντες τῶν ἐναντίων τὴν ἐπιβολήν· μαθόντες δὲ παρὰ τῶν κατασκόπων τὸ γεγονὸς ταχέως ἐξέταξαν τὴν δύναμιν ὅπως τὸ δεξιὸν κέρας ἰσχὺν ἔχον καὶ δύναμιν τὴν κρατίστην διαγωνίσηται πρὸς τοὺς μετὰ Δημητρίου τεταγμένους ἐν τοῖς εὐωνύμοις μέρεσιν. ἔταξαν δὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ κέρατος τούτου τῶν ἱππέων τοὺς κρατίστους τρισχιλίους, ἐν οἷς καὶ αὐτοὶ διεγνώκεισαν ἀγωνίσασθαι.
On the other hand, Ptolemy and Seleucus at first drew up their left wing strong, being ignorant of the enemy’s plan. But learning from their scouts what had happened, they quickly rearranged their forces so that their right wing, having strength and the strongest force, might fight it out against those stationed with Demetrius on the left wing. And they stationed on this wing three thousand of their strongest cavalry, among whom they themselves had resolved to fight.
προέταξαν δὲ τῆς στάσεως ταύτης τοὺς κομίζοντας χάρακα σεσιδηρωμένον καὶ δεδεμένον ἀλύσεσιν, ὃν παρεσκευάσαντο πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἐλεφάντων ἔφοδον· ταθέντος γὰρ τούτου2 ῥᾴδιον ἦν εἴργειν τὰ θηρία τῆς εἰς τοὔμπροσθεν πορείας.
In front of this position they stationed men carrying an iron-pointed palisade bound with chains, which they had prepared against the charge of the elephants; for when this was stretched out, it was easy to keep the beasts from moving forward.
προέταξαν δὲ τοῦ κέρατος τούτου καὶ τὰ ψιλικὰ τάγματα, παραγγείλαντες τοῖς τε ἀκοντισταῖς καὶ τοξόταις συνεχῶς κατατιτρώσκειν τὰ θηρία καὶ τοὺς ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς ἀναβεβηκότας. τοῦτον δὲ τὸν τρόπον ὀχυρωσάμενοι τὸ δεξιὸν κέρας καὶ τὴν ἄλλην δύναμιν ἐκτάξαντες ἐνδεχομένως ἐπῆγον τοῖς πολεμίοις μετὰ πολλῆς κραυγῆς. Ἀντεπαγόντων δὲ καὶ τῶν ἐναντίων τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἐπʼ ἄκρων τῶν κεράτων ἱππομαχία συνέστη τῶν προτεταγμένων ἱππέων, ἐν οἷς πολὺ προετέρουν οἱ περὶ τὸν Δημήτριον.
They also stationed the light-armed units in front of this wing, ordering the javelin-throwers and archers to wound the beasts and their riders continuously. Having in this way fortified their right wing and drawn up the rest of their forces as well as possible, they led them against the enemy with a great shout. Since the enemy also advanced to meet them, at first a cavalry battle began at the very extremities of the wings between the vanguard cavalry, in which Demetrius’s men were far superior.
μετʼ ὀλίγον δὲ τῶν περὶ Πτολεμαῖον καὶ Σέλευκον περιιππευσάντων τὸ κέρας καὶ βιαιότερον ἐπενεχθέντων ὀρθαῖς ταῖς εἴλαις3 συνέστη καρτερὰ μάχη διὰ τὰς ἑκατέρων προθυμίας.
Shortly afterward, when Ptolemy’s and Seleucus’s men rode around the wing and fell upon them more violently with their squadrons in column, a fierce battle began because of the eagerness of both sides.
κατὰ μὲν οὖν τὴν πρώτην ἔφοδον τοῖς ξυστοῖς ἀγωνισάμενοι τούτων τε τὰ πλεῖστα συνέτριψαν καὶ τῶν ἀγωνιζομένων οὐκ ὀλίγους κατετραυμάτισαν· κατὰ δὲ τὴν δευτέραν ἀναστροφὴν εἰς τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ ξίφους μάχην ὥρμησαν καὶ συμπλεκόμενοι πολλοὺς ἀλλήλων ἀνῄρουν, οἵ τε ἡγεμόνες αὐτοὶ πρὸ πάντων κινδυνεύοντες προετρέποντο τοὺς ὑποτεταγμένους εὐρώστως ὑπομένειν τὸ δεινόν, οἵ τʼ ἐπὶ τῶν κεράτων ἱππεῖς, ἅπαντες ἐπιλελεγμένοι κατʼ ἀρετήν, ἡμιλλῶντο πρὸς ἀλλήλους, θεατὰς ἔχοντες τῆς ἀνδρείας τοὺς συναγωνιζομένους στρατηγούς.
During the first charge, then, fighting with their lances, they shattered most of them and wounded not a few of the combatants; and during the second turn they rushed into battle with swords and, grappling with one another, slew many of their opponents, while the commanders themselves, facing danger in front of all, urged their subordinates to endure the peril stoutly, and the cavalry on the wings, all selected for their valor, vied with one another, having as spectators of their courage the generals who were fighting alongside them.
- 19.83.1οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Πτολεμαῖον
The expression of the preposition περί with the accusative refers to the central figure and those associated with him (here, "Ptolemy, Seleucus, and their forces"). It should be interpreted as the main body of the army under their command, rather than literally "those around Ptolemy."
- 19.83.2ταθέντος γὰρ τούτου
This is a genitive absolute construction where the preceding singular noun χάραξ (masculine, "palisade") is referred to by the genitive demonstrative pronoun τούτου, accompanied by the aorist passive participle ταθέντος (from τείνω). It expresses the condition: "for when this was stretched out."
- 19.83.4ὀρθαῖς ταῖς εἴλαις
A dative phrase accompanied by the predicative position of the adjective ὀρθός. As a military term, it expresses the manner of charging with the cavalry squadrons (εἴλη) "in column" or "straight ahead." Alternatively, it could mean "at right angles" or "head-on," but in this context, it describes the orderly and forceful manner of the charge.