Hamilcar's Demand for Surrender and Panic in Syracuse — Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica Book 20 (20.15.1–20.15.6), Greek & English

§20.15.1

οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ τοιαύτης ἐν τῇ Λιβύῃ γεγενημένης μεταβολῆς¹ οἱ μὲν Καρχηδόνιοι διεπέμποντο πρὸς Ἀμίλκαν εἰς τὴν Σικελίαν, ἀξιοῦντες κατὰ τάχος πέμψαι βοήθειαν, καὶ τὰ ληφθέντα χαλκώματα τῶν Ἀγαθοκλέους νεῶν ἀπέστειλαν αὐτῷ. ὁ δὲ τοῖς καταπλεύσασι παρεκελεύσατο σιωπᾶν μὲν τὴν γεγενημένην ἧτταν, διαδιδόναι δὲ λόγον εἰς τοὺς στρατιώτας ὡς Ἀγαθοκλῆς ἄρδην ἀπώλεσε καὶ τὰς ναῦς καὶ τὴν δύναμιν ἅπασαν.

Nevertheless, although such a change of affairs had occurred in Libya, the Carthaginians sent messengers to Hamilcar in Sicily, requesting him to send help with all speed, and they dispatched to him the bronze fittings captured from the ships of Agathocles. And he commanded those who had sailed in to keep silence about the defeat that had occurred, and to spread a report among the soldiers that Agathocles had utterly destroyed both his ships and his entire force.

§20.15.2

αὐτὸς δὲ πέμψας τινὰς τῶν παρόντων ἐκ Καρχηδόνος εἰς τὰς Συρακούσσας πρεσβευτὰς καὶ τὰ χαλκώματα συναποστείλας ἠξίου παραδιδόναι τὴν πόλιν· τὴν μὲν γὰρ δύναμιν τῶν Συρακοσίων ὑπὸ Καρχηδονίων κατακεκόφθαι, τὰς δὲ ναῦς ἐμπεπυρίσθαι· τοῖς δʼ ἀπιστοῦσιν ἀπόδειξιν παρέχεσθαι² τὴν τῶν ἐμβόλων κομιδήν.

And he himself, sending as envoys to Syracuse some of those who had come from Carthage and sending the bronze fittings along with them, demanded that they surrender the city; for he claimed that the force of the Syracusans had been cut to pieces by the Carthaginians, and that their ships had been burned, and that to those who disbelieved, the delivery of the rams was offered as proof.

§20.15.3

τῶν δʼ ἐν τῇ πόλει πυθομένων τὴν περὶ τὸν Ἀγαθοκλέα προσηγγελμένην συμφορὰν οἱ πολλοὶ μὲν ἐπίστευσαν, οἱ προεστηκότες δὲ διστάζοντες διετήρησαν³ μὲν χάριν τοῦ μὴ γενέσθαι ταραχήν, τοὺς πρεσβευτὰς δὲ ταχέως ἐξέπεμψαν, τοὺς δὲ τῶν φυγάδων συγγενεῖς καὶ φίλους καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τοὺς δυσχεραίνοντας τοῖς ὑπʼ αὐτῶν πραττομένοις ἐξέβαλον ἐκ τῆς πόλεως, ὄντας οὐκ ἐλάττους ὀκτακισχιλίων.

When those in the city heard of the disaster reported concerning Agathocles, the majority believed it, but the leaders, though doubting, maintained order for the sake of preventing a tumult; and they quickly sent the envoys away, while they expelled from the city the relatives and friends of the exiles and those of the others who were displeased with what was being done by them, being not fewer than eight thousand.

§20.15.4

κἄπειτα τοσούτου πλήθους ἄφνω συναναγκαζομένου τὴν πατρίδα φεύγειν ἔγεμεν ἡ πόλις διαδρομῆς καὶ θορύβου καὶ γυναικείων κλαυθμῶν· οὐδεμία γὰρ ἦν οἰκία πένθους ἀκοινώνητος κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν καιρόν.

And then, as so great a multitude was suddenly forced to flee from their native land, the city was full of running about and tumult and the weeping of women; for there was no house without a share of mourning at that time.

§20.15.5

οἱ μὲν γὰρ περὶ τὴν τυραννίδα τοῦ Ἀγαθοκλέους⁴ καὶ τῶν τέκνων αὐτοῦ τὴν συμφορὰν ὠδύροντο, τῶν δʼ ἰδιωτῶν οἱ μὲν τοὺς ἀπολωλέναι δοκοῦντας κατὰ Λιβύην ἔκλαιον, οἱ δὲ τοὺς ἐκπίπτοντας ἀφʼ ἑστίας καὶ πατρῴων θεῶν, οἷς οὔτε μένειν ἐξῆν οὔτʼ ἐκτὸς τῶν τειχῶν προάγειν, πολιορκούντων τῶν βαρβάρων, πρὸς δὲ τοῖς εἰρημένοις κακοῖς τηλικούτοις οὖσιν ἠναγκάζοντο νηπίους παῖδας καὶ γυναῖκας συνεφέλκεσθαι τῇ φυγῇ.

For those around the tyranny of Agathocles and his children lamented their disaster, while of the private citizens, some wept for those who seemed to have perished in Libya, and others for those who were being cast out from their hearths and ancestral gods, to whom it was neither permitted to remain nor to go forward outside the walls, since the barbarians were besieging them; and in addition to the aforementioned evils, great as they were, they were forced to drag along with them in their flight young children and women.

§20.15.6

ὁ δʼ Ἀμίλκας, καταφυγόντων πρὸς αὐτὸν τῶν φυγάδων, τούτοις μὲν τὴν ἀσφάλειαν παρέσχετο, τὴν δὲ δύναμιν παρασκευάσας προῆγεν ἐπὶ τὰς Συρακούσσας, ὡς αἱρήσων τὴν πόλιν διά τε τὴν ἐρημίαν καὶ διὰ τὴν προσηγγελμένην τοῖς ὑπολελειμμένοις συμφοράν.

And Hamilcar, when the fugitives fled to him, provided them with safety, and having prepared his force, he advanced against Syracuse, expecting to capture the city because of its desolation and because of the disaster reported to those who had been left behind.

Syntax notes4 items

20.15.1τοιαύτης ἐν τῇ Λιβύῃ γεγενημένης μεταβολῆς
A genitive absolute construction meaning "although such a change of affairs had occurred in Libya." Introduced by the phrase οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ (nevertheless, despite this), it carries a concessive force, connecting back to the religious fervor and military developments of Carthage described in the previous chapter.
20.15.2τὴν μὲν γὰρ δύναμιν ... κατακεκόφθαι ... παρέχεσθαι
These infinitives (κατακεκόφθαι, ἐμπεπυρίσθαι, παρέχεσθαι) are part of an indirect discourse construction (accusative with infinitive) reporting the claims of Hamilcar delivered by the envoys. The main verb ἠξίου (demanded, claimed) functions implicitly as a verb of saying/asserting.
20.15.3διετήρησαν
Used either intransitively or with an implied direct object (such as "the city" τὴν πόλιν or "order" τὴν τάξιν). It is understood here as "maintained order" or "held the city together" for the sake of preventing a tumult.
20.15.5οἱ μὲν γὰρ περὶ τὴν τυραννίδα τοῦ Ἀγαθοκλέους
The phrase οἱ περί + accusative is an idiomatic expression referring to a leader and his associates, or people associated with a specific institution. Here, it refers to the supporters of Agathocles' tyranny or those associated with his administration.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:20.15.1-20.15.6