- 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
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:20.42.1-20.42.5
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-07
Ophellas's army reached Agathocles after a difficult march through the desert, but Agathocles treacherously attacked them, killing Ophellas and taking over his entire force.
ὁ γʼ οὖν Ὀφέλλας ἀναλαβὼν τὴν δύναμιν προῆγεν διὰ τῆς ἀνύδρου καὶ θηριώδους1 ἐπιπόνως· οὐ μόνον γὰρ ὕδατος ἐσπάνιζεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς ξηρᾶς τροφῆς ἀπολιπούσης ἐκινδύνευσεν ἅπαν ἀπολέσαι τὸ στρατόπεδον.
Ophellas, then, taking his army with him, advanced with great difficulty through the waterless and beast-infested country; for not only did he lack water, but since the dry provisions also failed, he was in danger of losing his entire army.
δακέτων δὲ θηρίων παντοίων ἐπεχόντων τὰ περὶ τὰς Σύρτεις ἔρημα καὶ τῶν πλείστων ὀλέθριον ἐχόντων τὸ δῆγμα πολλῇ τῇ συμφορᾷ περιέπιπτον, ἀβοήθητον2 ἔχοντες τὴν ἐκ τῶν ἰατρῶν καὶ φίλων ἐπικουρίαν. καὶ γὰρ ἔνιοι τῶν ὄφεων ὁμοίαν ἔχοντες τὴν χρόαν τῇ κατʼ αὐτοὺς οὔσῃ χώρᾳ τὴν ἰδίαν φύσιν ἀπροόρατον ἐποίουν· οἷς πολλοὶ διὰ τὴν ἄγνοιαν ἐπιβαίνοντες δήγμασι θανατηφόροις περιέπιπτον. τέλος δὲ κατὰ τὴν ὁδοιπορίαν πλεῖον ἢ δύο μῆνας κακοπαθήσαντες μόγις διήνυσαν πρὸς τοὺς περὶ Ἀγαθοκλέα καὶ βραχὺ διαχωρίσαντες ἀπʼ ἀλλήλων τὴν δύναμιν κατεστρατοπέδευσαν.
Since biting beasts of all kinds occupied the desert regions around the Syrtes, and most of them had a deadly bite, they fell into great misfortune, having no help from the assistance of physicians and friends. For indeed, some of the snakes, having a color similar to the ground where they were, made their presence imperceptible; stepping upon them through ignorance, many fell victim to deadly bites. Finally, after suffering hardships during their journey for more than two months, they with difficulty made their way to Agathocles and his men, and having encamped, they kept their forces slightly separated from one another.
εἶθʼ οἱ μὲν Καρχηδόνιοι πυθόμενοι τὴν τούτων παρουσίαν κατεπλάγησαν, ὁρῶντες τηλικαύτην δύναμιν κατʼ αὐτῶν ἥκουσαν· ὁ δʼ Ἀγαθοκλῆς ἀπαντήσας τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ὀφέλλαν καὶ φιλοφρόνως ἅπαντα χορηγήσας τούτους μὲν ἠξίου τὴν στρατιὰν ἀναλαμβάνειν3 ἐκ τῆς κακοπαθείας, αὐτὸς δὲ ἐπιμείνας ἡμέρας ὀλίγας καὶ κατασκεψάμενος ἕκαστα τῶν πραττομένων ἐν τῇ παρεμβολῇ τῶν παρόντων, ἐπεὶ τὸ πλεῖον μέρος τῶν στρατιωτῶν ἐπὶ χορτάσματα καὶ σιτολογίαν ἐξεληλύθει, τὸν δὲ Ὀφέλλαν ἑώρα μηδὲν τῶν ὑφʼ ἑαυτοῦ βεβουλευμένων ὑπονοοῦντα, συνήγαγεν ἐκκλησίαν τῶν ἰδίων στρατιωτῶν, κατηγορήσας δὲ τοῦ παρόντος ἐπὶ τὴν συμμαχίαν ὡς ἐπιβουλεύοντος καὶ παροξύνας τὸ πλῆθος εὐθὺς διεσκευασμένην τὴν δύναμιν ἦγεν ἐπὶ τοὺς Κυρηναίους.
Then the Carthaginians, learning of their arrival, were struck with terror when they saw so great a force come against them. But Agathocles, meeting Ophellas and his men, and cordially supplying them with everything, urged them to let their army recover from its hardships; while he himself, waiting a few days and observing everything that was done in the camp of the newcomers, when the greater part of the soldiers had gone out for forage and grain, and he saw that Ophellas suspected nothing of the plans he was forming, he called an assembly of his own soldiers, accused the man who had come for the alliance of plotting against him, and having incited the multitude, he immediately led his fully prepared force against the Cyrenaeans.
εἶθʼ ὁ μὲν Ὀφέλλας διὰ τὸ παράδοξον καταπλαγεὶς ἐπεχείρησε μὲν ἀμύνασθαι, καταταχούμενος δὲ καὶ τὴν ὑπολελειμμένην δύναμιν οὐκ ἔχων ἀξιόχρεων μαχόμενος ἐτελεύτησεν·
Then Ophellas, stunned by the unexpectedness of the event, attempted to defend himself, but being overwhelmed and not having a sufficient force remaining with him, he died fighting.
ὁ δʼ Ἀγαθοκλῆς συναναγκάσας τὸ λοιπὸν πλῆθος ἀποθέσθαι τὰ ὅπλα καὶ φιλανθρώποις ἐπαγγελίαις παραστησάμενος ἅπαντας κύριος ἐγένετο τῆς δυνάμεως πάσης. Ὀφέλλας μὲν οὖν ἐλπίσας μεγάλα καὶ προχειρότερον αὑτὸν πιστεύσας4 τοιαύτης ἔτυχε τῆς τοῦ βίου καταστροφῆς.
Agathocles, forcing the rest of the multitude to lay down their arms and winning them all over with generous promises, made himself master of the entire army. Thus Ophellas, who had hoped for great things and had trusted himself too rashly, met with such an end to his life.
- 20.42.1τῆς ἀνύδρου καὶ θηριώδους
Feminine genitive singular adjectives. The feminine noun χώρας (land) or ἐρήμου (desert) is omitted.
- 20.42.2ἀβοήθητον
A predicative adjective modifying the noun ἐπικουρίαν (assistance), expressing 'having the assistance of physicians and friends as something that was of no help'.
- 20.42.3τούτους μὲν ἠξίου τὴν στρατιὰν ἀναλαμβάνειν
ἠξίου (imperfect of ἀξιόω) takes an accusative and infinitive construction meaning 'urged them to...'. τούτους is the subject accusative, and ἀναλαμβάνειν is the infinitive.
- 20.42.5προχειρότερον αὑτὸν πιστεύσας
The aorist active participle of πιστεύω is used transitively with the reflexive pronoun αὑτόν as its object, meaning 'having trusted/entrusted himself (to another)'. The comparative adverb προχειρότερον means 'too rashly/carelessly'.