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Bibliotheca Historica

§20.27.1-20.27.3

Ptolemy's Campaign in Asia Minor and Execution of Ptolemy

King Ptolemy of Egypt captures Phaselis, Xanthus, and Caunus, and subsequently at Cos forestalls and executes his nephew Ptolemy on suspicion of plotting, incorporating his troops.

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§20.27.1

ἐπʼ ἄρχοντος δʼ Ἀθήνησι Δημητρίου τοῦ Φαληρέως τὴν ὕπατον ἀρχὴν ἐν Ῥώμῃ παρέλαβον Κόιντος Φάβιος τὸ δεύτερον καὶ Γάιος Μάρκιος. ἐπὶ δὲ τούτων Πτολεμαῖος ὁ τῆς Αἰγύπτου βασιλεύων πυθόμενος τοὺς ἰδίους στρατηγοὺς ἀποβεβληκέναι τὰς ἐν Κιλικίᾳ πόλεις, πλεύσας μετὰ δυνάμεως ἐπὶ Φασήλιδα ταύτην μὲν ἐξεπολιόρκησεν, εἰς δὲ τὴν Λυκίαν παρακομισθεὶς Ξάνθον φρουρουμένην ὑπʼ Ἀντιγόνου κατὰ κράτος εἷλεν.

​While Demetrius of Phalerum was archon at Athens, Quintus Fabius for the second time and Gaius Marcius assumed the consular office in Rome. During their term of office, Ptolemy, who was ruling Egypt, having learned that his own generals had lost the cities in Cilicia, sailed with a force to Phaselis and took it by siege, and then, having crossed over into Lycia, took Xanthus, which was garrisoned by Antigonus, by storm.

§20.27.2

εἶτα τῇ Καύνῳ προσπλεύσας τὴν μὲν πόλιν παρέλαβε, τὰς δὲ ἀκροπόλεις φρουρουμένας τῇ βίᾳ κατισχύσας τὸ μὲν Ἡράκλειον ἐξεῖλε, τὸ δὲ Περσικὸν παραδόντων τῶν στρατιωτῶν ὑποχείριον ἐποιήσατο.

​Then, having sailed to Caunus, he took over the city, and having overcome by force the citadels which were garrisoned, he captured the Heracleum, and made the Persicum subject to himself when its soldiers surrendered it.

§20.27.3

μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα εἰς τὴν Κῶν πλεύσας μετεπέμψατο Πτολεμαῖον, ὃς ὢν ἀδελφιδοῦς Ἀντιγόνου καὶ δύναμιν πεπιστευμένος1 τοῦτον μὲν κατέλιπε, πρὸς δὲ Πτολεμαῖον κοινοπραγίαν ἐτίθετο. πλεύσαντος δʼ ἐκ τῆς Χαλκίδος αὐτοῦ καὶ κομισθέντος εἰς Κῶν τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ὁ Πτολεμαῖος φιλανθρώπως αὐτὸν προσεδέξατο· εἶτα ὁρῶν πεφρονηματισμένον καὶ τοὺς ἡγεμόνας ὁμιλίαις καὶ δωρεαῖς ἐξιδιοποιούμενον, φοβηθεὶς μή τινα ἐπιβουλὴν μηχανήσηται, φθάσας αὐτὸν συνέλαβε2 καὶ πιεῖν κώνιον συνηνάγκασε. τοὺς δὲ συνηκολουθηκότας στρατιώτας ἐπαγγελίαις δημαγωγήσας κατέμιξε τοῖς μεθʼ ἑαυτοῦ στρατευομένοις.

​After this, having sailed to Cos, he sent for Ptolemy, who, being a nephew of Antigonus and having been entrusted with a force, had abandoned him and was making common cause with Ptolemy. When he had sailed from Chalcis and arrived at Cos, at first Ptolemy received him kindly; then, seeing that he was puffed up with pride and was winning over the officers by conversations and gifts, and fearing lest he should devise some plot, he forestalled him by arresting him and forced him to drink hemlock. As for the soldiers who had accompanied him, having won them over by promises, he incorporated them into those serving with himself.

Syntax notes2 items
  1. 20.27.3δύναμιν πεπιστευμένος

    The verb πιστεύω in the active voice takes a dative of the person and an accusative of the thing entrusted (πιστεύω τινί τι). In the passive (here the perfect middle-passive participle πεπιστευμένος), the dative person becomes the subject of the passive verb, while the accusative of the thing (δύναμιν) is retained.

  2. 20.27.3φθάσας αὐτὸν συνέλαβε

    The participle of the verb φθάνω (to anticipate, forestall) accompanying a main verb (συνέλαβε) idiomatically expresses an action done beforehand or in anticipation: "he forestalled him by arresting him." Here, it indicates that Ptolemy the king arrested Antigonus' nephew before the latter could carry out any plot.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)
  • 2026-09-21 AI review — note 1
urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:20.27.1-20.27.3