- 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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- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:20.34.1-20.34.7
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-07
Agathocles appears before his mutinous troops in humble attire and wins back their loyalty through a theatrical display of near-suicide. He then launches a surprise attack on the off-guard Carthaginians, securing a major victory.
οἱ δὲ Καρχηδόνιοι γνόντες τὴν παρὰ τοῖς πολεμίοις στάσιν ἔπεμψάν τινας ἀξιοῦντες μεταβάλλεσθαι καὶ τούς τε μισθοὺς μείζους καὶ δωρεὰς ἀξιολόγους δώσειν ἐπηγγέλλοντο. πολλοὶ μὲν οὖν τῶν ἡγεμόνων ἀπάξειν πρὸς αὐτοὺς τὴν στρατιὰν ἐπηγγείλαντο·
But the Carthaginians, having learned of the mutiny among the enemy, sent some persons demanding that they should change sides, and promised that they would give them larger wages and noteworthy gifts. And indeed many of the leaders promised that they would lead the army to them.
ὁ δʼ Ἀγαθοκλῆς ὁρῶν τὴν σωτηρίαν ἐπὶ ῥοπῆς κειμένην1 καὶ φοβούμενος μὴ τοῖς πολεμίοις παραδοθεὶς μεθʼ ὕβρεως καταστρέψῃ τὸν βίον, ὑπέλαβε κρεῖττον εἶναι, κἂν δέῃ τι πάσχειν, ὑπὸ τῶν στρατιωτῶν ἀποθανεῖν.
But Agathocles, seeing that his safety was hanging in the balance, and fearing lest, being handed over to the enemy, he should end his life with insult, supposed that it was better, even if he must suffer anything, to be killed by his own soldiers.
διόπερ ἀποθέμενος τὴν πορφύραν καὶ μεταλαβὼν ἰδιωτικὴν καὶ ταπεινὴν ἐσθῆτα παρῆλθεν εἰς τὸ μέσον. σιωπῆς οὖν γενομένης διὰ τὸ παράδοξον καὶ πολλῶν γενομένων τῶν συνδραμόντων διεξῆλθε λόγους οἰκείους τῆς περιστάσεως καὶ τῶν προκατεργασθεισῶν αὐτῷ πράξεων ἀναμνήσας ἔφησεν ἕτοιμος εἶναι τελευτᾶν, εἰ τοῦτο δόξει συμφέρειν τοῖς συστρατευομένοις·
Therefore, putting off his purple robe and changing into a private citizen’s humble clothing, he came forward into the midst. Then, silence having occurred because of the unexpectedness and those running together being many, he delivered speech appropriate to the situation, and having reminded them of the deeds previously achieved by him, he said that he was ready to die, if this should seem advantageous to his fellow soldiers.
οὐδέποτε γὰρ αὐτὸν δειλίᾳ συνεσχημένον ὑπομεῖναί τι παθεῖν ἄτοπον ἕνεκα τοῦ φιλοψυχεῖν. καὶ τούτου μάρτυρας ἐκείνους ὑπάρχειν ἀποφαινόμενος ἐγύμνωσε τὸ ξίφος, ὡς σφάξων ἑαυτόν.2 μέλλοντος δʼ ἐπιφέρειν πληγὴν ἀνεβόησε τὸ στρατόπεδον διακωλῦον καὶ πανταχόθεν ἐγίνοντο φωναὶ τῶν ἐγκλημάτων ἀπολύουσαι.
For, he said, he had never, gripped by cowardice, submitted to suffer anything unseemly for the sake of clinging to life. And declaring that they were witnesses of this, he drew his sword as if about to slay himself. And when he was about to deal the blow, the army cried out, preventing him, and from all sides there arose voices clearing him of the charges.
προστάττοντος δὲ τοῦ πλήθους ἀναλαβεῖν τὴν βασιλικὴν ἐσθῆτα δακρύων καὶ τοῖς ὄχλοις εὐχαριστῶν ἐνεδύετο τὸν προσήκοντα κόσμον, τοῦ πλήθους τὴν ἀποκατάστασιν κρότῳ παραμυθησαμένου. τῶν δὲ Καρχηδονίων καραδοκούντων3 ὡς αὐτίκα μάλα τῶν Ἑλλήνων πρὸς αὐτοὺς μεταθησομένων, Ἀγαθοκλῆς οὐ παρεὶς τὸν καιρὸν ἐξήγαγεν ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς τὴν δύναμιν.
When the multitude commanded him to resume his royal dress, weeping and giving thanks to the crowds, he put on his appropriate attire, while the multitude encouraged his restoration with applause. While the Carthaginians were waiting in expectation that the Greeks would very shortly change sides to them, Agathocles, not letting the opportunity slip, led out his force against them.
οἱ μὲν οὖν βάρβαροι νομίζοντες τοὺς ἐναντίους ἀποχωρεῖν πρὸς αὑτούς, οὐδεμίαν τῶν πρὸς ἀλήθειαν πεπραγμένων ἔννοιαν ἐλάμβανον· ὁ δʼ Ἀγαθοκλῆς ὡς ἐπλησίασε τοῖς πολεμίοις, ἄφνω τὸ πολεμικὸν προσέταξε σημαίνειν καὶ προσπεσὼν πολὺν ἐποίει φόνον. οἱ δὲ Καρχηδόνιοι παραδόξῳ συμπτώματι περιπεσόντες καὶ πολλοὺς τῶν στρατιωτῶν ἀποβαλόντες συνέφυγον εἰς τὴν παρεμβολήν.
Now the barbarians, thinking that their opponents were departing to join them, had no inkling of what had actually happened. But Agathocles, when he drew near the enemy, suddenly ordered the trumpet to sound the charge, and falling upon them, made a great slaughter. The Carthaginians, having met with an unexpected disaster and having lost many of their soldiers, fled together into their camp.
Ἀγαθοκλῆς μὲν οὖν διὰ τὸν υἱὸν εἰς τοὺς ἐσχάτους ἐλθὼν κινδύνους διὰ τῆς ἰδίας ἀρετῆς οὐ μόνον λύσιν εὗρε τῶν κακῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς πολεμίους ἠλάττωσεν· οἱ δὲ τῆς στάσεως μάλιστʼ αἴτιοι γενόμενοι καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ὅσοι πρὸς τὸν δυνάστην ἀλλοτρίως διέκειντο, ὑπὲρ τοὺς διακοσίους ὄντες, ἐτόλμησαν πρὸς τοὺς Καρχηδονίους αὐτομολῆσαι. ἡμεῖς δὲ τὰ περὶ Λιβύην καὶ Σικελίαν διεληλυθότες μνησθησόμεθα καὶ τῶν ἐν Ἰταλίᾳ πραχθέντων.
Thus Agathocles, though he had come into the greatest dangers on account of his son, by his own courage not only found a release from his troubles but also weakened the enemy. And those who had been chiefly responsible for the mutiny, and of the others as many as were hostilely disposed toward the ruler, being more than two hundred, ventured to desert to the Carthaginians. Now we, having gone through the events in Libya and Sicily, will mention also those done in Italy.
- 20.34.2ὁρῶν τὴν σωτηρίαν ἐπὶ ῥοπῆς κειμένην
The noun ῥοπή means "the turn of the scale" or "critical moment, crisis." The phrase ἐπὶ ῥοπῆς κειμένην ("placed upon the turn of the scale") is an idiomatic expression indicating that his safety (σωτηρία) was in an extremely precarious state, hanging in the balance.
- 20.34.4ὡς σφάξων ἑαυτόν
The conjunction ὡς followed by the future active participle σφάξων expresses the subject's intention, purpose, or pretense ("with the intention of slaying himself" or "as if about to slay himself"). In this context, it implies a theatrical gesture designed to win the soldiers' sympathy rather than a genuine attempt at suicide.
- 20.34.5τῶν δὲ Καρχηδονίων καραδοκούντων
A genitive absolute construction with the present active participle of καραδοκέω ("to wait in expectation"). The subsequent ὡς clause (ὡς ... τῶν Ἑλλήνων ... μεταθησομένων) introduces the subjective expectation of the Carthaginians ("that the Greeks would change sides"). μεταθησομένων is a future middle participle, also in the genitive absolute.