- 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-grc6:19.93.1-19.93.7
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-08
Demetrius retrieved his defeat by launching a surprise attack and defeating Ptolemy's general Cilles. Once Antigonus joined forces with Demetrius, Ptolemy decided to abandon Syria, destroying its key cities and retreating to Egypt.
ἅμα δὲ τούτοις πραττομένοις Πτολεμαῖος μὲν διέτριβε περὶ Κοίλην Συρίαν, νενικηκὼς Δημήτριον τὸν Ἀντιγόνου παρατάξει μεγάλῃ. ὃν πυνθανόμενος1 ἐκ Κιλικίας ἀνεστραφέναι καὶ στρατοπεδεύειν περὶ τὴν ἄνω Συρίαν, προεχειρίσατο τῶν περὶ αὑτὸν φίλων Κίλλην τὸν Μακεδόνα·
While these things were being done, Ptolemy was spending time in Coele-Syria, having defeated Demetrius, the son of Antigonus, in a great battle. Learning that he had returned from Cilicia and was encamped in Upper Syria, he appointed Cilles the Macedonian, one of his friends about him;
τούτῳ δὲ δοὺς δύναμιν ἱκανὴν προσέταξεν ἐκδιῶξαι τὸν Δημήτριον τὸ παράπαν ἐκ τῆς Συρίας ἢ περικαταλαβόντα2 συντρῖψαι. τούτου δʼ ὄντος κατὰ πορείαν Δημήτριος διὰ τῶν σκοπῶν ἀκούσας τὸν Κίλλην στρατοπεδεύειν καταπεφρονηκότως περὶ Μυοῦντα, τὴν μὲν ἀποσκευὴν ἀπέλιπε, τοὺς δὲ στρατιώτας εὐζώνους παραλαβὼν νυκτὸς πορείαν σύντομον ἐποιήσατο, προσπεσὼν δὲ τοῖς πολεμίοις ἑωθινῆς φυλακῆς ἄφνω τῆς τε δυνάμεως ἄνευ μάχης ἐκυρίευσεν καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν στρατηγὸν ἐζώγρησε. τηλικούτου δʼ εὐτυχήματος γεγενημένου τὴν ἧτταν ἀναμαχήσασθαι διειλήφει.3
and giving him a sufficient force, he ordered him to drive Demetrius completely out of Syria or to surround and crush him. While Cilles was on the march, Demetrius, hearing through scouts that Cilles was encamped carelessly near Myus, left his baggage behind, and taking his soldiers lightly equipped, made a rapid night march; falling upon the enemy suddenly during the morning watch, he captured the force without a battle and took the general himself alive. Having met with such great good fortune, he believed that he had retrieved his defeat.
οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ τὸν Πτολεμαῖον ὑπολαμβάνων ἥξειν ἐπʼ αὐτὸν μετὰ πάσης τῆς δυνάμεως, ἐστρατοπέδευσε προβλήματα τῆς παρεμβολῆς ποιησάμενος ἕλη καὶ λίμνας. ἔγραψε δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὸν πατέρα περὶ τοῦ γενομένου κατορθώματος, παρακαλῶν αὐτὸν ἢ δύναμιν ἀποστεῖλαι τὴν ταχίστην ἢ καὶ αὐτὸν παραβαλεῖν εἰς τὴν Συρίαν.
Nevertheless, suspecting that Ptolemy would come against him with all his forces, he encamped, making marshes and lakes the defenses of his camp. He also wrote to his father about the success that had been achieved, urging him either to send a force as quickly as possible or to come in person to Syria.
ὁ δʼ Ἀντίγονος ἐτύγχανε μὲν ὢν ἐν Κελαιναῖς τῆς Φρυγίας, κομισάμενος δὲ τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἐχάρη διαφερόντως ἐπὶ τῷ δοκεῖν τὸν υἱὸν νέον ὄντα κατωρθωκέναι διʼ αὑτοῦ4 καὶ φαίνεσθαι βασιλείας ἄξιον. αὐτὸς δὲ τὴν δύναμιν ἀναλαβὼν ἀνέζευξεν ἐκ τῆς Φρυγίας καὶ τὸν Ταῦρον ὑπερβαλὼν ὀλίγαις ἡμέραις συνέμιξε τοῖς περὶ τὸν Δημήτριον.
Now Antigonus happened to be in Celaenae in Phrygia, and when he received the letter, he was extraordinarily pleased because his son, young as he was, seemed to have succeeded by himself and to show himself worthy of kingship. He himself, taking his army, set out from Phrygia, and crossing the Taurus, within a few days joined forces with Demetrius.
Πτολεμαῖος δὲ πυθόμενος τὴν Ἀντιγόνου παρουσίαν καὶ συναγαγὼν τοὺς ἡγεμόνας καὶ φίλους ἐβουλεύετο πότερον συμφέρει μένειν καὶ ἀγωνίζεσθαι περὶ τῶν ὅλων κατὰ Συρίαν ἢ προάγειν εἰς Αἴγυπτον καὶ πολεμεῖν ἐκεῖθεν, καθάπερ καὶ πρότερον Περδίκκᾳ.
Ptolemy, learning of the presence of Antigonus and gathering his commanders and friends, deliberated whether it was better to remain and fight for the whole empire in Syria, or to retire into Egypt and carry on the war from there, just as they had done previously against Perdiccas.
πάντες οὖν συνεβούλευον μὴ διακινδυνεύειν πρὸς δύναμιν πολλαπλασίονα καὶ θηρίων πλῆθος, ἔτι δὲ στρατηγὸν ἀήττητον· εὐχερέστερον γὰρ πολλῷ διαγωνιεῖσθαι κατὰ τὴν Αἴγυπτον, ταῖς τε χορηγίαις ὑπερέχοντα καὶ τόπων ὀχυρότητι πιστεύοντα.
Everyone, therefore, advised him not to risk a battle against a force many times larger and a multitude of beasts, and furthermore, against an undefeated general; for it would be much easier to fight the decisive battle in Egypt, where they would have the advantage in supplies and could rely on the strength of their positions.
διὸ καὶ κρίνας ἐκλιπεῖν τὴν Συρίαν κατέσκαψε τὰς ἀξιολογωτάτας τῶν κεκρατημένων πόλεων, Ἄκην μὲν τῆς Φοινίκης Συρίας, Ἰόππην δὲ καὶ Σαμάρειαν καὶ Γάζαν τῆς Συρίας, αὐτὸς δὲ τὴν δύναμιν ἀναλαβὼν καὶ τῶν χρημάτων ὅσα δυνατὸν ἦν ἄγειν ἢ φέρειν5 ἐπανῆλθεν εἰς Αἴγυπτον.
Therefore, having decided to abandon Syria, he razed the most noteworthy of the cities he had captured: Aco in Phoenician Syria, and Joppa, Samaria, and Gaza in Syria; and he himself, taking his army and as much of the property as could be carried or driven off, returned to Egypt.
- 19.93.1ὃν πυνθανόμενος
The relative pronoun ὃν at the beginning of the clause is used as a connecting relative referring to Demetrius. It serves as the accusative subject of the indirect discourse (accusative with infinitive) governed by the participle πυνθανόμενος.
- 19.93.2περικαταλαβόντα
The accusative participle περικαταλαβόντα agrees in case with the unexpressed accusative subject of the infinitive συντρῖψαι, which logically refers to Cilles (previously introduced in the dative τούτῳ).
- 19.93.2τὴν ἧτταν ἀναμαχήσασθαι διειλήφει
διειλήφει (pluperfect of διαλαμβάνω) means "he had judged" or "he believed." The aorist infinitive ἀναμαχήσασθαι is an idiomatic expression meaning "to retrieve/undo a defeat through renewed combat."
- 19.93.4ἐπὶ τῷ δοκεῖν τὸν υἱὸν νέον ὄντα κατωρθωκέναι διʼ αὑτοῦ
The preposition ἐπί governs the articular dative infinitive τῷ δοκεῖν to express the cause of Antigonus's joy. Since the accusative τὸν υἱόν serves as the subject of the infinitive, both the adjective νέον and the participle ὄντα agree with it in the accusative.
- 19.93.7ἄγειν ἢ φέρειν
A classical Greek idiom (usually ἄγειν καὶ φέρειν, but here with ἤ) meaning "to drive off [livestock/captives] and carry off [goods]," collectively referring to plundering or carrying away all movable property.