- 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-grc6:20.43.1-20.43.7
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-07
The passage describes Bormilcas's conspiracy for tyranny in Carthage and Agathocles's attack on Ophellas occurring simultaneously in mutual ignorance, and discusses the limitation of historical writing which must artificially partition concurrent events.
ἐν δὲ τῇ Καρχηδόνι Βορμίλκας πάλαι διανενοημένος ἐπιθέσθαι τυραννίδι καιρὸν ἐπεζήτει ταῖς ἰδίαις ἐπιβολαῖς οἰκεῖον. πολλάκις δὲ διδόντος τοῦ καιροῦ τὰς ἀφορμὰς τοῦ πράττειν τὸ βεβουλευμένον1 ἀεί τις αἰτία μικρὰ παρεμπίπτουσα διεκώλυεν· δεισιδαίμονες γὰρ οἱ μέλλοντες ἐγχειρεῖν ταῖς παρανόμοις καὶ μεγάλαις πράξεσι καὶ τὸ μέλλειν ἀεὶ τοῦ πράττειν καὶ τὴν ὑπέρθεσιν τῆς συντελείας προκρίνουσιν. ὃ καὶ τότε συνέβαινεν καὶ περὶ ἐκεῖνον·
In Carthage, Bormilcas, who had long intended to set upon a tyranny, was seeking a suitable opportunity for his own designs. But though opportunity often provided the occasions for carrying out his plans, some small obstacle always intervened and prevented him; for those who are about to attempt unlawful and great deeds are superstitious, and always prefer delaying to acting, and the postponement of completion. This was indeed what was happening to him at that time.
ἐξέπεμψε μὲν γὰρ τοὺς ἐπιφανεστάτους τῶν πολιτῶν εἰς τὴν ἐπὶ τοὺς Νομάδας στρατείαν, ἵνα μηδένα τῶν ἀξιολόγων ἔχῃ τὸν ἀντιστησόμενον, οὐκ ἐτόλμα δὲ ἀποκαλύψασθαι πρὸς τὴν τυραννίδα, μετακαλούμενος ὑπὸ τῆς εὐλαβείας.2
For he sent out the most illustrious of the citizens on the expedition against the Numidians, in order that he might have no person of consequence to oppose him, yet he did not dare to reveal his designs for the tyranny, being held back by his caution.
καθʼ ὃν δὲ καιρὸν Ἀγαθοκλῆς ἐπέθετο τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ὀφέλλαν, ὁρμῆσαι καὶ τοῦτον συνέβη πρὸς τὴν δυναστείαν, ἀγνοούντων ἀμφοτέρων τὰ παρὰ τοῖς πολεμίοις πραττόμενα.
At the very time when Agathocles set upon Ophellas and his men, it happened that this man also made his bid for power, both of them being ignorant of what was being done among their enemies.
οὔτε γὰρ Ἀγαθοκλῆς ἔγνω τὴν ἐπίθεσιν τῆς τυραννίδος καὶ τὴν ἐν τῇ πόλει ταραχήν, ἐπεὶ ῥᾳδίως ἂν ἐκράτησε τῆς Καρχηδόνος· εἵλετο γὰρ ἂν Βορμίλκας ἐπʼ αὐτοφώρῳ γενόμενος συνεργεῖν Ἀγαθοκλεῖ μᾶλλον ἢ τοῖς πολίταις δοῦναι τὴν ἐκ τοῦ σώματος τιμωρίαν·3 οὔτε πάλιν οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι τὴν ἐπίθεσιν τὴν Ἀγαθοκλέους ἐπύθοντο· ῥᾳδίως γὰρ ἂν αὐτὸν ἐχειρώσαντο προσλαβόμενοι τὴν μετʼ Ὀφέλλα δύναμιν.
For neither did Agathocles know of the attempt on the tyranny and the confusion in the city, since he would easily have made himself master of Carthage; for Bormilcas, if caught in the act, would have preferred to cooperate with Agathocles rather than pay the penalty of bodily punishment to the citizens; nor, on the other hand, did the Carthaginians learn of the attack of Agathocles; for they would easily have subdued him by taking over the force that was with Ophellas.
ἀλλʼ, οἶμαι, παρʼ ἀμφοτέροις οὐκ ἀλογίστως συνέβη γενέσθαι ταύτην τὴν ἄγνοιαν, καίπερ μεγάλων μὲν οὐσῶν τῶν πράξεων, ἐγγὺς δʼ ἀλλήλων ἐπικεχειρηκότων τοῖς τηλικούτοις τολμήμασιν·
But, I think, it happened not without reason that this ignorance arose on both sides, even though their actions were great and they had embarked upon such daring enterprises so close to one another.
ὅ τε γὰρ Ἀγαθοκλῆς ἄνδρα φίλον μέλλων ἀναιρεῖν πρὸς οὐδὲν ἐπέβαλλε τὴν διάνοιαν τῶν παρὰ τοῖς πολεμίοις συντελουμένων, ὅ τε Βορμίλκας τὴν τῆς πατρίδος ἐλευθερίαν ἀφαιρούμενος οὐδὲν ὅλως ἐπολυπραγμόνει τῶν παρὰ τοῖς ἀντιστρατοπεδεύουσιν, ὡς ἂν ἔχων προκείμενον ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ τὸ μὴ τοὺς πολεμίους ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος, ἀλλὰ τοὺς πολίτας καταπολεμῆσαι.
For Agathocles, intending to make away with a friendly man, directed his mind to none of the things that were being accomplished among the enemy, and Bormilcas, taking away the freedom of his fatherland, busied himself not at all with the affairs of those encamped against them, inasmuch as he had it set before his soul to conquer not the enemy for the present, but his own citizens.
ταύτῃ δʼ ἄν τις καὶ τὴν ἱστορίαν καταμέμψαιτο, θεωρῶν ἐπὶ μὲν τοῦ βίου πολλὰς καὶ διαφόρους πράξεις συντελουμένας κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν καιρόν, τοῖς δʼ ἀναγράφουσιν ἀναγκαῖον ὑπάρχον τὸ μεσολαβεῖν τὴν διήγησιν καὶ τοῖς ἅμα συντελουμένοις μερίζειν τοὺς χρόνους παρὰ φύσιν, ὥστε τὴν μὲν ἀλήθειαν τῶν πεπραγμένων τὸ πάθος ἔχειν,4 τὴν δʼ ἀναγραφὴν ἐστερημένην τῆς ὁμοίας ἐξουσίας μιμεῖσθαι μὲν τὰ γεγενημένα, πολὺ δὲ λείπεσθαι τῆς ἀληθοῦς διαθέσεως.
On this account, one might also find fault with history, seeing that in life many diverse actions are performed at the same time, but for those who write them down it is necessary to interrupt the narrative and divide the times for events happening simultaneously, contrary to nature, with the result that the reality of the events has the vivid experience, while the written record, deprived of similar power, imitates indeed what happened, but falls far short of the true arrangement.
- 20.43.1πολλάκις δὲ διδόντος τοῦ καιροῦ τὰς ἀφορμὰς τοῦ πράττειν τὸ βεβουλευμένον
A genitive absolute construction (διδόντος τοῦ καιροῦ), within which the genitive articular infinitive (τοῦ πράττειν) modifies τὰς ἀφορμὰς as an adnominal genitive. τὸ βεβουλευμένον serves as the object of πράττειν.
- 20.43.2μετακαλούμενος ὑπὸ τῆς εὐλαβείας
The present passive/middle participle μετακαλούμενος is used here in a passive sense, meaning "being called back" or "being checked" by caution (εὐλαβείας). It describes the psychological restraint preventing him from revealing his ambition.
- 20.43.4δοῦναι τὴν ἐκ τοῦ σώματος τιμωρίαν
Based on the idiom δίκην / τιμωρίαν δίδωμι (to pay the penalty, to be punished), this phrase means "to suffer bodily punishment" (literally, "to give/pay the punishment from the body") rather than to inflict it on others.
- 20.43.7ὥστε τὴν μὲν ἀλήθειαν τῶν πεπραγμένων τὸ πάθος ἔχειν
The noun τὸ πάθος here denotes the "vivid quality" or "direct, lived experience" inherent in actual events, contrasted with the static "written record" (ἀναγραφή), which is forced to partition time artificially.