Carthaginian Discord and the Acragantine Campaign in Sicily — Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica Book 20 (20.31.1–20.31.5), Greek & English

§20.31.1

γεγονότων εὐτυχημάτων ἀπαγγελοῦντας·¹ ἡ δὲ τῶν Καρχηδονίων στρατιὰ μετὰ τὴν γενομένην συμφορὰν μαθοῦσα τὴν αἰτίαν τῶν ἀτυχημάτων μόγις ἀπηλλάγη τῶν φόβων. ἀναρχίας δʼ οὔσης διέστησαν οἱ βάρβαροι πρὸς τοὺς Ἕλληνας.

and to report the fortunate events that had occurred. The Carthaginian army, after the disaster that had occurred, on learning the cause of their misfortunes, with difficulty was freed from its fears. Since there was an absence of leadership, the barbarians split off from the Greeks.

§20.31.2

οἱ μὲν οὖν φυγάδες μετὰ τῶν λοιπῶν Ἑλλήνων Δεινοκράτην στρατηγὸν ἀπέδειξαν, οἱ δὲ Καρχηδόνιοι τοῖς δευτερεύουσι μετὰ τὸν στρατηγὸν τιμῇ τὴν ἡγεμονίαν ἐνεχείρισαν. καθʼ ὃν δὴ χρόνον Ἀκραγαντῖνοι θεωροῦντες τὴν ἐν Σικελίᾳ κατάστασιν εὐφυεστάτην οὖσαν πρὸς ἐπίθεσιν ἠμφισβήτησαν τῆς κατὰ τὴν νῆσον ἡγεμονίας·

Therefore, the exiles along with the rest of the Greeks appointed Deinocrates as general, while the Carthaginians entrusted the command to those who held the rank second to the general. At this very time, the Acragantines, seeing that the situation in Sicily was most favorable for an attack, laid claim to the hegemony of the island;

§20.31.3

ὑπελάμβανον γὰρ Καρχηδονίους μὲν μόγις ἀνθέξειν τῷ πρὸς Ἀγαθοκλέα πολέμῳ, Δεινοκράτην δʼ εὐκαταγώνιστον εἶναι συνηθροικότα φυγαδικὴν στρατιάν, τοὺς δʼ ἐν ταῖς Συρακούσσαις θλιβομένους τῇ σιτοδείᾳ μηδʼ ἐγχειρήσειν ἀμφισβητεῖν τῶν πρωτείων, τὸ δὲ μέγιστον, τὴν στρατείαν ἑαυτῶν ποιουμένων² ἐπʼ ἐλευθερώσει τῶν πόλεων ἀσμένως ἅπαντας ὑπακούσεσθαι διά τε τὸ πρὸς τοὺς βαρβάρους μίσος καὶ διὰ τὴν ἔμφυτον πᾶσιν ἐπιθυμίαν τῆς αὐτονομίας.

for they assumed that the Carthaginians would with difficulty hold out against the war with Agathocles, and that Deinocrates, having gathered an army of exiles, was easy to overcome, and that those in Syracuse, hard pressed by the scarcity of food, would not even attempt to dispute the supremacy, and, most important of all, that if they themselves made the campaign for the liberation of the cities, all would gladly submit to them because of both their hatred toward the barbarians and the innate desire for autonomy in all men.

§20.31.4

οὗτοι μὲν οὖν ἑλόμενοι στρατηγὸν Ξενόδικον καὶ τὴν ἁρμόζουσαν δόντες δύναμιν ἐξέπεμψαν ἐπὶ τὸν πόλεμον· ὁ δὲ παραχρῆμα ἐπὶ τὴν Γέλαν ὁρμήσας καὶ διά τινων ἰδιοξένων νυκτὸς εἰσαχθεὶς ἐκυρίευσε τῆς πόλεως ἅμα καὶ δυνάμεως ἁδρᾶς καὶ χρημάτων.

These men, then, having chosen Xenodicus as general and having given him an appropriate force, sent him out to the war; and he, immediately setting out against Gela and being let in by night through certain personal guest-friends, made himself master of the city and at the same time of a strong force and of money.

§20.31.5

ἐλευθερωθέντες οὖν οἱ Γελῷοι προθυμότατα πανδημεὶ συστρατεύοντες ἠλευθέρουν τὰς πόλεις. διαβοηθείσης δὲ τῆς τῶν Ἀκραγαντίνων ἐπιβολῆς κατὰ πᾶσαν τὴν νῆσον ἐνέπεσεν ὁρμὴ ταῖς πόλεσι πρὸς τὴν ἐλευθερίαν. καὶ πρῶτοι μὲν Ἐνναῖοι πέμψαντες τὴν πόλιν τοῖς Ἀκραγαντίνοις παρέδωκαν· οἱ δὲ ταύτην ἐλευθερώσαντες παρῆλθον ἐπὶ τὸν Ἐρβησσόν, φρουρᾶς ἐν αὐτῷ παραφυλαττούσης τὴν πόλιν. γενομένης δὲ μάχης ἰσχυρᾶς καὶ τῶν πολιτικῶν συνεργησάντων συνέβη τὴν φρουρὰν ἁλῶναι καὶ πολλοὺς μὲν πεσεῖν τῶν βαρβάρων, εἰς πεντακοσίους δὲ θεμένους τὰ ὅπλα παραδοῦναι σφᾶς αὐτούς.

Therefore the Geloans, having been liberated, very eagerly joined the campaign with all their people and set about liberating the cities. When the enterprise of the Acragantines was rumored throughout the whole island, an impulse toward freedom fell upon the cities. And first the Ennaeans, having sent envoys, delivered their city to the Acragantines; and they, having liberated this city, passed on to Herbessus, where a garrison was guarding the city. A fierce battle having taken place, and the citizens having co-operated, it happened that the garrison was captured, and many of the barbarians fell, while about five hundred, having laid down their arms, surrendered themselves.

Syntax notes2 items

20.31.1γεγονότων εὐτυχημάτων ἀπαγγελοῦντας
This phrase grammatically continues from ἀπέστειλαν τοὺς κομιοῦντας... at the end of the previous chunk. The future active participle ἀπαγγελοῦντας expresses purpose ('to report') and agrees in the accusative masculine plural with the preceding τοὺς κομιοῦντας.
20.31.3τὴν στρατείαν ἑαυτῶν ποιουμένων
A genitive absolute construction which carries a conditional force ('if they themselves made the campaign'). The logical subject is ἑαυτῶν (referring to the Acragantines themselves), setting up a conditional background for the subsequent accusative and infinitive clause ἅπαντας ὑπακούσεσθαι depending on ὑπελάμβανον.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:20.31.1-20.31.5