Revolt of Telesphorus and Ptolemy's Liberation of Elis — Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica Book 19 (19.87.1–19.87.3), Greek & English

§19.87.1

κατὰ δὲ τὴν Εὐρώπην Τελεσφόρος μὲν ὁ Ἀντιγόνου ναύαρχος διατρίβων περὶ Κόρινθον, ἐπειδὴ Πτολεμαῖον ἑώρα μᾶλλον ἑαυτοῦ¹ προαγόμενον καὶ τῶν κατὰ τὴν Ἑλλάδα πραγμάτων πιστευόμενον ἁπάντων,² ἐγκαλέσας Ἀντιγόνῳ περὶ τούτων τὰς μὲν ναῦς ἃς εἶχεν ἀπέδοτο, τῶν δὲ στρατιωτῶν τοὺς βουλομένους κοινωνεῖν τῆς προαιρέσεως ἀναλαβὼν ἴδια πράγματα συνίστατο.

In Europe, Telesphorus, the admiral of Antigonus, who was staying around Corinth, when he saw that Ptolemy was being promoted more than himself and was being entrusted with all the affairs in Greece, accused Antigonus concerning these matters; he then sold the ships that he had, and taking those of the soldiers who wished to share in his purpose, he began to form a private force.

§19.87.2

παρελθὼν γὰρ εἰς Ἦλιν ὡς ἔτι φυλάττων³ τὴν πρὸς Ἀντίγονον φιλίαν, τὴν ἀκρόπολιν ἐνετείχισε καὶ τὴν πόλιν κατεδουλώσατο. ἐσύλησεν δὲ καὶ τὸ ἱερὸν τὸ κατὰ τὴν Ὀλυμπίαν καὶ συναγαγὼν ἀργυρίου πλείω τῶν πεντήκοντα ταλάντων ξένους ἐμισθοῦτο.

For, having gone to Elis as if he were still preserving his friendship with Antigonus, he fortified the acropolis and enslaved the city. He also plundered the temple at Olympia, and having collected more than fifty talents of silver, he began to hire mercenaries.

§19.87.3

Τελεσφόρος μὲν οὖν ζηλοτυπήσας τὴν προαγωγὴν Πτολεμαίου τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον ἐγένετο προδότης τῆς πρὸς Ἀντίγονον φιλίας. Πτολεμαῖος δʼ ὁ Ἀντιγόνου στρατηγὸς ἦν μὲν τεταγμένος ἐπὶ τῶν κατὰ τὴν Ἑλλάδα πραγμάτων, πυθόμενος δὲ τὴν ἀπόστασιν τὴν Τελεσφόρου καὶ τὴν κατάληψιν τῆς Ἠλείων πόλεως, ἔτι δὲ τὴν σύλησιν τῶν κατὰ τὴν Ὀλυμπίαν χρημάτων παρῆλθεν εἰς Πελοπόννησον μετὰ δυνάμεως. καταντήσας δʼ εἰς Ἦλιν καὶ τὴν ἐντετειχισμένην ἀκρόπολιν κατασκάψας τήν τε ἐλευθερίαν ἀπέδωκε τοῖς Ἠλείοις καὶ τὰ χρήματα ἀποκατέστησεν τῷ θεῷ. μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα τὸν Τελεσφόρον πείσας παρέλαβεν τὴν Κυλλήνην, φρουρουμένην ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ,⁴ καὶ τοῖς Ἠλείοις ἀποκατέστησεν.

Thus Telesphorus, having envied the promotion of Ptolemy, became in this manner a traitor to his friendship with Antigonus. But Ptolemy, the general of Antigonus, who had been stationed in charge of the affairs in Greece, when he heard of the defection of Telesphorus and the capture of the city of the Eleans, and furthermore the plundering of the treasures at Olympia, went into the Peloponnese with a force. Arriving in Elis, he razed the fortified acropolis, restored their freedom to the Eleans, and returned the money to the god. After this, having persuaded Telesphorus, he took over Cyllene, which was garrisoned by him, and restored it to the Eleans.

Syntax notes4 items

19.87.1μᾶλλον ἑαυτοῦ
The genitive ἑαυτοῦ is a genitive of comparison dependent on the comparative adverb μᾶλλον, indicating that Telesphorus is comparing himself with Ptolemy.
19.87.1πραγμάτων πιστευόμενον ἁπάντων
When the verb πιστεύω (to entrust) is used in the passive (πιστευόμενον), the person entrusted (Ptolemy) becomes the subject, while the things entrusted (πραγμάτων ἁπάντων) are expressed in the genitive case.
19.87.2ὡς ἔτι φυλάττων
The particle ὡς attached to the participle φυλάττων expresses the subjective pretext or pretense of the agent ('as if still preserving'), used to deceive others.
19.87.3ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ
The pronoun αὐτοῦ in the prepositional phrase ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ refers not to the main subject of the current clause (Ptolemy), but to Telesphorus, who had illegally occupied and garrisoned Cyllene.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:19.87.1-19.87.3