Pleistarchus' Crossing and Shipwreck — Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica Book 20 (20.112.1–20.112.4), Greek & English

§20.112.1

ἐν δὲ ταῖς αὐταῖς ἡμέραις Κάσανδρος μετὰ τὴν ἀπαλλαγὴν τὴν Δημητρίου τὰς μὲν κατὰ τὴν Θετταλίαν πόλεις ἀνεκτήσατο, Πλείσταρχον δὲ μετὰ δυνάμεως ἐξέπεμψεν εἰς τὴν Ἀσίαν βοηθήσοντα τοῖς περὶ Λυσίμαχον. οἱ δὲ συναποσταλέντες ἦσαν πεζοὶ μὲν μύριοι δισχίλιοι, ἱππεῖς δὲ πεντακόσιοι.

During these same days, after the departure of Demetrius, Cassander recovered the cities in Thessaly, and sent Pleistarchus with a force into Asia to help Lysimachus and his men. Those sent with him were twelve thousand foot-soldiers and five hundred horsemen.

§20.112.2

ὁ δὲ Πλείσταρχος ἐπειδὴ παραγενόμενος ἐπὶ τὸ στόμα τοῦ Πόντου κατέλαβε τοὺς τόπους προκατεχομένους ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων, ἀπογνοὺς τὴν διάβασιν παρῆλθεν εἰς Ὀδησσόν, ἣ κεῖται μεταξὺ μὲν τῆς τε Ἀπολλωνίας καὶ Καλλαντίας, κατʼ ἀντικρὺ δὲ τῆς ἐν τῷ πέραν Ἡρακλείας, ἐχούσης¹ τι μέρος τῆς Λυσιμάχου δυνάμεως.

When Pleistarchus arrived at the mouth of the Pontus and found the places already occupied by the enemy, despairing of crossing, he proceeded to Odessus, which lies between Apollonia and Callantis, and opposite Heracleia on the other side, which held a part of Lysimachus’ force.

§20.112.3

οὐκ ἔχων δʼ ἱκανὰ πόρια πρὸς τὴν τῶν στρατιωτῶν διάβασιν τριχῇ διεμέρισε τὴν δύναμιν. τὴν μὲν οὖν πρώτην ἀποστολὴν συνέβη² διασωθῆναι πρὸς τὴν Ἡράκλειαν, τὴν δὲ δευτέραν ὑπὸ τῶν περὶ τὸ στόμα τοῦ Πόντου φυλακίδων νεῶν ἁλῶναι. κατὰ τὴν τρίτην δὲ αὐτοῦ συνδιαβαίνοντος τοῦ Πλειστάρχου χειμὼν ἐπεγενήθη τηλικοῦτος ὥστε τὰ πλεῖστα τῶν σκαφῶν καὶ τῶν σωμάτων διαφθαρῆναι·

Not having sufficient vessels for the crossing of the soldiers, he divided his force into three parts. Thus, it happened that the first dispatch safely reached Heracleia, but the second was captured by the guardships near the mouth of the Pontus. During the third, as Pleistarchus himself was crossing with them, so great a storm arose that most of the vessels and lives were lost;

§20.112.4

καὶ γὰρ ἡ κομίζουσα ναῦς ἑξήρης τὸν στρατηγὸν συνεκλύσθη καὶ τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ πλεόντων οὐκ ἐλαττόνων ἢ πεντακοσίων τρεῖς πρὸς τοῖς τριάκοντα³ μόνον διεσώθησαν. ἐν δὲ τούτοις ἦν καὶ ὁ Πλείσταρχος, ναυαγίου⁴ μὲν ἐπειλημμένος, εἰς δὲ τὴν γῆν ἡμιθανὴς ἐκβεβρασμένος. οὗτος μὲν οὖν ἀποκομισθεὶς εἰς Ἡράκλειαν καὶ προσαναλαβὼν ἐκ τῆς ἀτυχίας τὸ σῶμα πρὸς Λυσίμαχον εἰς τὴν χειμασίαν ἀνέζευξε, ἀποβεβληκὼς τὸ πλεῖον τῆς δυνάμεως.

for the hexere carrying the general was wrecked, and of those sailing in it, not fewer than five hundred, only thirty-three were saved. Among these was Pleistarchus himself, who had clung to a piece of the wreck and was washed ashore half-dead. Having been carried to Heracleia and having recovered his strength from the misfortune, he set out to Lysimachus in his winter quarters, having lost the greater part of his force.

Syntax notes4 items

20.112.2ἐχούσης
The genitive participle ἐχούσης modifies the proper noun Ἡρακλείας, which is the object of the prepositional phrase κατʼ ἀντικρὺ. It indicates that a part of Lysimachus' force was stationed in Heracleia.
20.112.3συνέβη
The impersonal verb συνέβη ("it happened that") governs the accusative and infinitive construction. Here, it controls two parallel clauses: the first τὴν μὲν οὖν πρώτην ἀποστολὴν ... διασωθῆναι and the second τὴν δὲ δευτέραν ... ἁλῶναι.
20.112.4τρεῖς πρὸς τοῖς τριάκοντα
This expression represents the number "thirty-three." The preposition πρός with the dative means "in addition to," structuring the phrase as "three (τρεῖς) in addition to thirty (τοῖς τριάκοντα)."
20.112.4ναυαγίου
This is the genitive object governed by ἐπειλημμένος, the perfect middle-passive participle of the verb ἐπιλαμβάνομαι ("to cling to," "to grasp"). This verb regularly takes its object in the genitive case when it implies physical contact or grasping.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:20.112.1-20.112.4