Agathocles' Libyan Campaign and Defeat of the Carthaginians — Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica Book 20 (20.38.1–20.38.6), Greek & English

§20.38.1

κατὰ γὰρ τὴν Λιβύην Καρχηδονίων ἐκπεμψάντων δύναμιν τὴν προσαξομένην¹ τοὺς ἀφεστηκότας Νομάδας Ἀγαθοκλῆς ἐπὶ μὲν τοῦ Τύνητος ἀπέλιπεν Ἀρχάγαθον τὸν υἱὸν μετὰ μέρους τῆς στρατιᾶς, αὐτὸς δʼ ἀναλαβὼν τοὺς κρατίστους, πεζοὺς μὲν ὀκτακισχιλίους, ἱππεῖς δὲ ὀκτακοσίους, ζεύγη δὲ Λιβύων πεντήκοντα, κατὰ σπουδὴν ἐπηκολούθει τοῖς πολεμίοις.

For in Libya, when the Carthaginians sent out a force to win back the Numidians who had revolted, Agathocles left his son Archagathus at Tunes with a part of the army, while he himself, taking the best men—eight thousand infantry, eight hundred cavalry, and fifty Libyan chariots—followed the enemy in haste.

§20.38.2

οἱ δὲ Καρχηδόνιοι παραγενηθέντες εἰς τοὺς Νομάδας τοὺς καλουμένους Ζούφωνας, πολλοὺς τῶν ἐγχωρίων προσηγάγοντο καὶ τῶν ἀφεστηκότων ἐνίους εἰς τὴν προϋπάρχουσαν ἀποκατέστησαν συμμαχίαν· ἐπεὶ δʼ ἤκουσαν πλησίον εἶναι τοὺς πολεμίους, κατεστρατοπέδευσαν ἐπί τινος γεωλόφου περιεχομένου ῥείθροις βαθέσι καὶ δυσπεράτοις.

The Carthaginians, having arrived among the Numidians who are called Zuphones, won over many of the inhabitants and restored some of those who had revolted to their former alliance; and when they heard that the enemy was near, they encamped on a hill surrounded by deep and difficult-to-cross streams.

§20.38.3

καὶ πρὸς μὲν τὰς ἀπροσδοκήτους ἐπιθέσεις τῶν ἐναντίων ταῦτα προεβάλοντο, τῶν δὲ Νομάδων τοὺς μάλιστʼ εὐθέτους προσέταξαν ἐπακολουθεῖν τοῖς Ἕλλησιν καὶ παρενοχλοῦντας κωλύειν αὐτῶν τὴν εἰς τοὔμπροσθεν πορείαν. ὧν ποιησάντων² τὸ προσταχθὲν Ἀγαθοκλῆς ἐπὶ μὲν τούτους ἀπέστειλε τούς τε σφενδονήτας καὶ τοξότας, αὐτὸς δὲ μετὰ τῆς ἄλλης δυνάμεως ὥρμησεν ἐπὶ τὴν στρατοπεδείαν τῶν πολεμίων.

Against unexpected attacks by their opponents they threw up these defenses, and they ordered the most active of the Numidians to follow the Greeks and, by harassing them, to prevent their forward march. When these had done what was ordered, Agathocles sent his slingers and archers against them, while he himself with the rest of his force rushed toward the camp of the enemy.

§20.38.4

οἱ δὲ Καρχηδόνιοι τὴν ἐπίνοιαν αὐτοῦ κατανοήσαντες ἐξήγαγον τὴν στρατιὰν ἐκ τῆς παρεμβολῆς καὶ παρατάξαντες ἕτοιμοι πρὸς μάχην καθειστήκεισαν. ἐπεὶ δʼ ἑώρων τοὺς περὶ τὸν Ἀγαθοκλέα διαβαίνοντας ἤδη τὸν ποταμόν, συντεταγμένοι ἐνέβαλον καὶ περὶ τὸ ῥεῖθρον δυσπέρατον ὑπάρχον πολλοὺς τῶν ἐναντίων ἀνῄρουν.

But the Carthaginians, understanding his intention, led their army out of the camp and, having drawn them up, stood ready for battle. When they saw the men under Agathocles already crossing the river, they charged in good order and slew many of their opponents near the stream, which was difficult to cross.

§20.38.5

προσβιαζομένων δὲ τῶν μετʼ Ἀγαθοκλέους οἱ μὲν Ἕλληνες ταῖς ἀρεταῖς ὑπερεῖχον, οἱ δὲ βάρβαροι τοῖς πλήθεσι περιεγίνοντο. ἔνθα δὴ τῶν στρατοπέδων ἐπὶ πολὺν χρόνον φιλοτίμως ἀγωνιζομένων³ οἱ παρʼ ἀμφοτέροις Νομάδες τῆς μὲν μάχης ἀφειστήκεισαν, ἐπετήρουν δὲ τὸ τέλος τοῦ κινδύνου, διεγνωκότες τῶν ἡττημένων τὰς ἀποσκευὰς διαρπάσαι.⁴

As the men with Agathocles forced their way forward, the Greeks were superior in valor, but the barbarians prevailed through their numbers. While the armies fought with great spirit for a long time, the Numidians on both sides held aloof from the battle and watched for the outcome of the conflict, having decided to plunder the baggage of whichever side was defeated.

§20.38.6

Ἀγαθοκλῆς δὲ τοὺς ἀρίστους ἔχων περὶ αὑτὸν πρῶτος ἐβιάσατο τοὺς ἀνθεστηκότας καὶ τῇ τούτων τροπῇ τοὺς λοιποὺς βαρβάρους φυγεῖν ἐποίησεν· μόνοι δὲ τῶν ἱππέων οἱ συναγωνιζόμενοι τοῖς Καρχηδονίοις Ἕλληνες,⁵ ὧν Κλίνων ἡγεῖτο, τοὺς περὶ τὸν Ἀγαθοκλέα βαρεῖς ἐπικειμένους ὑπέστησαν. ἀγωνισαμένων δʼ αὐτῶν λαμπρῶς οἱ πλεῖστοι μὲν ἀνῃρέθησαν μαχόμενοι γενναίως, οἱ δὲ περιλειφθέντες τύχῃ τινὶ διεσώθησαν.

Agathocles, having the best men around him, was the first to force back those opposing him, and by putting them to flight he caused the rest of the barbarians to flee; only the Greek cavalry fighting on the side of the Carthaginians, who were led by Clinon, withstood the heavy onset of the men under Agathocles. Although they fought brilliantly, most of them were slain while fighting bravely, and those who survived escaped by some good fortune.

Syntax notes5 items

20.38.1τὴν προσαξομένην
The future middle participle in the feminine accusative singular, modifying the antecedent noun δύναμιν ("force"), expressing purpose ("in order to win back" or "to reduce to subjection").
20.38.3ὧν ποιησάντων
A genitive absolute construction with the relative pronoun ὧν serving as the subject. It refers back to the recently mentioned Numidians ("when these had done").
20.38.5τῶν στρατοπέδων ... ἀγωνιζομένων
A genitive absolute construction expressing circumstances. Although στρατόπεδον literally means "camp," here it is used metonymically to refer to the "armies" or "forces" engaged in combat.
20.38.5διεγνωκότες ... διαρπάσαι
The perfect active participle διεγνωκότες (from διαγινώσκω, "to resolve/decide") agrees with the main subject οἱ ... Νομάδες and takes the complementary aorist infinitive διαρπάσαι to express their pre-determined resolution ("having decided to plunder").
20.38.6μόνοι δὲ τῶν ἱππέων οἱ συναγωνιζόμενοι ... Ἕλληνες
The subject of the sentence is οἱ συναγωνιζόμενοι τοῖς Καρχηδονίοις Ἕλληνες ("the Greeks fighting on the side of the Carthaginians"), and τῶν ἱππέων serves as a partitive genitive limiting this group ("only those among the cavalry").

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-grc6:20.38.1-20.38.6