- 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-grc6:20.26.1-20.26.4
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-07
Describes the fulfillment of the ironic oracles concerning the deaths of the Bosporan kings Satyrus and Eumelus, and the Roman victory over the Samnites in Italy, followed by the capture of several cities.
περὶ δὲ τῆς τῶν ἀδελφῶν τελευτῆς Εὐμήλου τε καὶ Σατύρου παραδέδονται χρησμοί, μικρὸν μὲν ἠλιθιώτεροι, πιστευόμενοι δὲ παρὰ τοῖς ἐγχωρίοις. τῷ μὲν γὰρ Σατύρῳ λέγουσι χρῆσαι τὸν θεὸν φυλάξασθαι τὸν μῦν1 μήποτʼ αὐτὸν ἀνέλῃ. διόπερ οὔτε δοῦλον οὔτʼ ἐλεύθερον τῶν τεταγμένων ὑφʼ ἑαυτὸν εἴα τοῦτʼ ἔχειν τοὔνομα· ἔπειτα δὲ τοὺς ἐν ταῖς οἰκίαις καὶ ταῖς ἀρούραις ἐφοβεῖτο μῦς καὶ τοῖς παισὶν ἀεὶ συνέταττε τούτους ἀποκτείνειν καὶ τὰς κοίτας ἐμπλάττειν. πάντα δʼ ἐνδεχομένως αὐτοῦ ποιοῦντος οἷς ᾤετο κατισχύσειν τὸ πεπρωμένον, κατέστρεψε τὸν βίον πληγεὶς τοῦ βραχίονος εἰς τὸν μῦν.
Regarding the death of the brothers Eumelus and Satyrus, certain oracles have been handed down, which are somewhat foolish, but are believed among the inhabitants. For they say that to Satyrus the god gave an oracle to beware of the mouse, lest it should ever kill him. Therefore he permitted neither slave nor free man among those stationed under him to have this name; and furthermore, he feared the mice in the houses and fields, and constantly commanded his servants to kill them and to plaster up their holes. But although he did everything possible by which he thought he would overcome destiny, he ended his life having been struck in the muscle of his arm.
τῷ δʼ Εὐμήλῳ χρησμὸς ἦν τὴν φερομένην οἰκίαν2 φυλάξασθαι. ὅθεν πάλιν οὗτος εἰς οἰκίαν οὐκ εἰσῄει προχείρως μὴ προδιερευνησάντων τῶν παίδων τὴν ὀροφὴν καὶ τὰ θεμέλια. τελευτήσαντος δὲ αὐτοῦ διὰ τὴν ὀχουμένην ἐπὶ τοῦ τεθρίππου σκηνὴν ἕκαστος ὑπελάμβανε τετελέσθαι τὸν χρησμόν. καὶ περὶ μὲν τῶν ἐν τῷ Βοσπόρῳ πραχθέντων ἅλις ἡμῖν ἐχέτω.
But to Eumelus there was an oracle to beware of a “carried house.” For which reason, again, he would not enter a house heedlessly unless his servants had first thoroughly investigated the roof and the foundations. But when he died because of the canopy carried upon the four-horse carriage, everyone supposed that the oracle had been fulfilled. And let what we have said concerning the events in the Bosporus suffice.
κατὰ δὲ τὴν Ἰταλίαν οἱ τῶν Ῥωμαίων ὕπατοι μετὰ δυνάμεως ἐμβαλόντες εἰς τὴν Ἰταλίαν3 ἐνίκησαν μάχῃ Σαμνίτας περὶ τὸ καλούμενον Τάλιον. τῶν δʼ ἡττηθέντων καταλαμβανομένων τὸν Ἱερὸν λόφον ὀνομαζόμενον τότε μὲν τῆς νυκτὸς ἐπιλαβούσης οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι πρὸς τὴν ἰδίαν στρατοπεδείαν ἀπεχώρησαν, τῇ δʼ ὑστεραίᾳ πάλιν μάχης γενομένης πολλοὶ μὲν ἀνῃρέθησαν τῶν Σαμνιτῶν, αἰχμάλωτοι δʼ ἐλήφθησαν ὑπὲρ τοὺς δισχιλίους καὶ διακοσίους.
Meanwhile, in Italy, the Roman consuls, having invaded Italy with an army, defeated the Samnites in a battle near the place called Talium. When the defeated took possession of the hill called Sacred, night having come on, the Romans withdrew to their own camp, but on the following day, a battle having taken place again, many of the Samnites were slain, and more than two thousand two hundred were taken prisoner.
τοιούτων δὲ προτερημάτων γενομένων τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις ἀδεῶς ἤδη τῶν ὑπαίθρων συνέβαινε κυριεύειν τοὺς ὑπάτους καὶ τὰς ἀπειθούσας τῶν πόλεων χειροῦσθαι. Καταράκταν μὲν οὖν καὶ Κεραυνιλίαν ἐκπολιορκήσαντες φρουροὺς ἐπέθηκαν, τῶν δʼ ἄλλων τινὰς πείσαντες προσηγάγοντο.
After such successes had been achieved by the Romans, it happened that the consuls now without fear mastered the open country and subdued the disobedient of the cities. Having therefore taken Cataracta and Ceraunilia by siege, they placed garrisons in them, and some of the other cities they won over by persuasion.
- 20.26.1τὸν μῦν
The Greek word μῦς means both "mouse" and "muscle". The oracle warned Satyrus to beware of a "mouse," but he ultimately died from an injury to his arm "muscle" (μῦς), showing that the oracle was fulfilled through a double entendre.
- 20.26.2τὴν φερομένην οἰκίαν
Meaning "a carried house" or "a moving house." Eumelus interpreted this as the collapse of an ordinary building, but the oracle was fulfilled by his death caused by the canopy (σκηνή) of the carriage mentioned in chapter 25.4.
- 20.26.3εἰς τὴν Ἰταλίαν
Although the manuscripts read "into Italy" (εἰς τὴν Ἰταλίαν), this is preceded by "in Italy" (κατὰ δὲ τὴν Ἰταλίαν). From the context and geographical situation, it is highly probable that the original text read "into Samnium" (εἰς τὴν Σαμνῖτιν), which was corrupted in the manuscript tradition.