- 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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- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:19.84.1-19.84.8
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-08
Ptolemy's palisades render Demetrius's elephant force ineffective, leading to the capture of all the elephants. Demetrius is forced to retreat, and Ptolemy's forces capture the city of Gaza by taking advantage of the chaos at its gates.
ἐπὶ πολὺν δὲ χρόνον τῆς ἱππομαχίας οὔσης ἐφαμίλλου τὰ θηρία διὰ τῶν Ἰνδῶν εἰς τὸν ἀγῶνα παρορμηθέντα μέχρι μέν τινος προῆγεν καταπληκτικῶς, ὡς οὐδενὸς ὑποστησομένου·1 ὡς δʼ ἐπὶ τὸν σεσιδηρωμένον χάρακα κατήντησε, τὸ μὲν πλῆθος τῶν ἀκοντιστῶν καὶ τοξοτῶν συνεχῶς βαλλόντων κατετίτρωσκε τὰ σώματα τῶν ἐλεφάντων καὶ τοὺς ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς ἀναβεβηκότας·
While the cavalry battle was well-matched for a long time, the beasts, urged on into the struggle by the Indians, advanced for a certain distance terrifyingly, as if no one would withstand them; but when they came down to the iron-pointed palisade, the multitude of javelin-throwers and archers, continuously shooting, wounded the bodies of the elephants and those who had mounted upon them.
βιαζομένων δὲ τῶν Ἰνδῶν καὶ κολαζόντων τὰ θηρία τινὰ μὲν αὐτῶν περιεπείροντο τῷ φιλοτεχνηθέντι χάρακι καὶ ταῖς πληγαῖς καὶ πυκνότησι τῶν τιτρωσκόντων περιώδυνα γινόμενα ἐποίει θόρυβον.
Though the Indians forced them on and corrected the beasts, some of them were impaled upon the artfully made palisade, and being in extreme pain from the blows and the frequency of those who were wounding them, they created confusion.
τὸ γὰρ γένος τοῦτο κατὰ μὲν τοὺς ὁμαλοὺς καὶ μαλακοὺς τόπους ἀνυπόστατον παρέχεται κατὰ στόμα τὴν ῥώμην, ἐν δὲ τοῖς τραχέσι καὶ δυσβάτοις τελέως ἄπρακτον ἔχει τὴν ἀλκὴν διὰ τὴν τῶν ποδῶν μαλακότητα.
For this species, on flat and soft ground, displays irresistible strength in a head-on attack, but on rough and impassable ground, its valor is rendered completely ineffective because of the softness of its feet.
διὸ καὶ τότε τῶν περὶ Πτολεμαῖον συνετῶς προεωραμένων τὸ μέλλον2 ἐκ τοῦ χάρακος τῆς πήξεως ἄπρακτον ἐποίει τὴν βίαν αὐτῶν. τέλος δὲ τῶν πλείστων Ἰνδῶν κατακοντισθέντων ὑποχειρίους συνέβη γενέσθαι πάντας τοὺς ἐλέφαντας.
Therefore, on this occasion too, because Ptolemy’s men had wisely foreseen the future, the planting of the palisade rendered their violence ineffective. And finally, most of the Indians having been shot down, it happened that all the elephants fell into their hands.
οὗ τελεσθέντος οἱ πολλοὶ τῶν περὶ τὸν Δημήτριον ἱππέων καταπλαγέντες πρὸς φυγὴν ὥρμησαν· αὐτὸς δὲ μετʼ ὀλίγων ἀπολειφθεὶς καὶ δεόμενος ἑκάστου στῆναι καὶ μὴ καταλιπεῖν αὐτόν, ὡς οὐδεὶς προσεῖχε, συναποχωρεῖν ἠναγκάζετο.
When this was accomplished, most of the cavalry under Demetrius, struck with panic, turned to flight; and he himself, left behind with a few men and entreating each one to stand and not to desert him, since no one paid attention, was forced to retreat along with them.
μέχρι μὲν οὖν Γάζης οἱ πολλοὶ τῶν ἱππέων συνακολουθοῦντες ὑπήκουον καὶ κατέστησαν εἰς τάξεις, ὥστε μηδένα ῥᾳδίως τολμᾶν προσάγειν τῶν εἰκῇ διωκόντων· τὸ γὰρ πεδίον εὐρύχωρον ὂν καὶ μαλακὸν συνήργει τοῖς βουλομένοις ἐν τάξει ποιεῖσθαι τὴν ἀποχώρησιν.
Thus, as far as Gaza, most of the cavalry followed along and obeyed, and drew themselves up in order, so that none of those pursuing at random dared easily to approach; for the plain, being spacious and level, assisted those who wished to make their retreat in order.
συνείποντο δὲ καὶ πεζῶν οἱ βουληθέντες λιπεῖν τὰς τάξεις καὶ χωρὶς τῶν ὅπλων διασώζειν ἑαυτοὺς ἐλαφρούς. παραλλάσσοντος δὲ αὐτοῦ Γάζαν περὶ ἡλίου δύσιν ἀπολιπόντες τῶν ἱππέων τινὲς παρῆλθον εἰς τὴν πόλιν, ἐκκομίσαι βουλόμενοι τὰς ἀποσκευάς.
There also followed those of the infantry who wished to leave the ranks and save themselves light-armed, without their weapons. And as he was passing by Gaza around sunset, some of the cavalry left him and entered the city, wishing to carry out their baggage.
ἀνοιχθεισῶν οὖν τῶν πυλῶν καὶ πλήθους ὑποζυγίων ἀθροισθέντος, ἔτι δʼ ἑκάστου πρώτου σπεύδοντος ἐξαγαγεῖν τὰ σκευοφόρα τοσοῦτον θόρυβον γενέσθαι συνέβη περὶ τὰς πύλας ὥστε τῶν περὶ Πτολεμαῖον ἐπιόντων μηδένα δύνασθαι φθάσαι συγκλείσαντα.3 διόπερ εἰσπεσόντων τῶν πολεμίων ἐντὸς τοῦ τείχους ἡ πόλις ὑποχείριος ἐγένετο τοῖς περὶ Πτολεμαῖον.
Therefore, when the gates were opened and a multitude of pack animals gathered, and moreover each one was in haste to be the first to lead out his baggage, it happened that so great a confusion arose around the gates that no one was able to shut them before Ptolemy’s men fell upon them. Consequently, the enemy having rushed inside the wall, the city fell into the hands of Ptolemy’s men.
- 19.84.1ὡς οὐδενὸς ὑποστησομένου
Genitive absolute with the future participle (οὐδενὸς ὑποστησομένου) introduced by the particle ὡς, expressing subjective expectation or belief ('as if no one would withstand them').
- 19.84.4τῶν περὶ Πτολεμαῖον συνετῶς προεωραμένων τὸ μέλλον
Genitive absolute expressing cause. The logical subject of the main verb ἐποίει is understood to be the foresight and action described by this genitive absolute.
- 19.84.8μηδένα δύνασθαι φθάσαι συγκλείσαντα
The verb φθάνω with a participle (here the accusative συγκλείσαντα agreeing with μηδένα) forms an idiomatic construction meaning 'to anticipate doing something' or 'to do something before someone else.' Here, with the negative μηδένα, it means 'no one was able to shut the gates before the enemies arrived.'
Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)
- 2026-09-21 AI review — source 1