Demetrius' Prowess and Decisive Victory at Salamis — Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica Book 20 (20.52.1–20.52.6), Greek & English

§20.52.1

λαμπρότατα δὲ πάντων Δημήτριος ἠγωνίσατο τῆς ἑπτήρους ἐπιβεβηκὼς ἐπὶ τῇ πρύμνῃ. ἀθρόων γὰρ αὐτῷ περιχυθέντων¹ οὓς μὲν ταῖς λόγχαις ἀκοντίζων, οὓς δὲ ἐκ χειρὸς τῷ δόρατι τύπτων ἀνῄρει· πολλῶν δὲ καὶ παντοίων βελῶν ἐπʼ αὐτὸν φερομένων ἃ μὲν προορώμενος ἐξέκλινεν, ἃ δὲ τοῖς σκεπαστηρίοις ὅπλοις ἐδέχετο.

But Demetrius fought most brilliantly of all, standing on the stern of his seven-banked ship. For when they swarmed over him in a mass, he slew some by throwing his javelins, and others by striking them hand to hand with his spear; and though many missiles of every kind were directed at him, some he avoided by seeing them beforehand, and others he received upon his defensive armor.

§20.52.2

τριῶν δʼ ὑπερασπιζόντων αὐτὸν εἷς μὲν λόγχῃ πληγεὶς ἔπεσεν, οἱ δὲ δύο κατετραυματίσθησαν. τέλος δὲ τοὺς ἀντιστάντας ὁ Δημήτριος ἐκβιασάμενος καὶ τροπὴν τοῦ δεξιοῦ κέρατος ποιήσας εὐθὺ καὶ τὰς συνεχεῖς φυγεῖν ἠνάγκασεν.

Of the three who protected him with their shields, one fell, struck by a spear, and the other two were severely wounded. At last Demetrius, having forced back those who resisted and having routed the right wing, compelled those in the adjoining line also to flee immediately.

§20.52.3

Πτολεμαῖος δὲ τὰ μέγιστα τῶν σκαφῶν καὶ τοὺς κρατίστους ἄνδρας ἔχων μεθʼ αὑτοῦ ῥᾳδίως ἐτρέψατο τοὺς καθʼ αὑτὸν τεταγμένους καὶ τῶν νεῶν² ἃς μὲν κατέδυσεν, ἃς δὲ αὐτάνδρους εἷλεν. ὑποστρέφων δʼ ἀπὸ τοῦ νικήματος ἤλπιζε καὶ τὰς ἄλλας ῥᾳδίως χειρώσασθαι· θεωρήσας δὲ τό τε εὐώνυμον κέρας τῶν ἰδίων συντετριμμένον καὶ τὰς συνεχεῖς ἁπάσας πρὸς φυγὴν ὡρμημένας, ἔτι δὲ τοὺς περὶ τὸν Δημήτριον μετὰ βάρους ἐπιφερομένους ἀπέπλευσεν εἰς Κίτιον.

Ptolemy, however, having with him the largest of the ships and the strongest men, easily routed those stationed against him, and of the ships he sank some, and captured others with their crews. Returning from his victory, he hoped easily to subdue the rest also; but when he observed that the left wing of his own forces had been shattered and all the adjoining ships had turned to flight, and moreover that Demetrius and his men were pressing on with heavy force, he sailed away to Citium.

§20.52.4

Δημήτριος δὲ νικήσας τῇ ναυμαχίᾳ τῷ μὲν Νέωνι καὶ Βουρίχῳ παρέδωκε τὰ στρατιωτικὰ τῶν πλοίων, προστάξας διώκειν καὶ τοὺς ἐν τῇ θαλάττῃ διανηχομένους ἀναλαμβάνειν· αὐτὸς δὲ τὰς ἰδίας ναῦς κοσμήσας τοῖς ἀκροστολίοις καὶ τὰς ἁλούσας ἐφελκόμενος τὸν πλοῦν ἐποιεῖτο πρὸς τὸ στρατόπεδον καὶ τὸν οἰκεῖον λιμένα.

Demetrius, having won the naval battle, turned over the military vessels to Neon and Burichus, commanding them to pursue the enemy and to pick up those who were swimming in the sea. He himself, having decorated his own ships with the stern-ornaments and towing the captured ones, made his voyage toward the camp and his own harbor.

§20.52.5

κατὰ δὲ τὸν τῆς ναυμαχίας καιρὸν Μενέλαος ὁ ἐν τῇ Σαλαμῖνι στρατηγὸς πληρώσας τὰς ἑξήκοντα ναῦς ἐξαπέστειλε πρὸς βοήθειαν τῷ Πτολεμαίῳ, ναύαρχον ἐπιστήσας Μενοίτιον. γενομένου δʼ ἀγῶνος περὶ τὸ στόμα τοῦ λιμένος πρὸς τὰς ἐφορμούσας ναῦς καὶ τῶν ἐκ τῆς πόλεως βιασαμένων αἱ μὲν τοῦ Δημητρίου δέκα ναῦς ἔφυγον πρὸς τὸ πεζὸν στρατόπεδον, οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Μενοίτιον ἀναπλεύσαντες καὶ τῶν καιρῶν μικρὸν ὑστερήσαντες³ ἀνέστρεψαν πάλιν εἰς τὴν Σαλαμῖνα.

During the time of the sea-fight, Menelaus, the general in Salamis, having manned his sixty ships, sent them to the aid of Ptolemy, placing Menoetius in command as admiral. Though a battle took place near the mouth of the harbor against the blockading ships and the men from the city forced their way through, the ten ships of Demetrius fled to the land camp, while Menoetius and his men, having sailed out but being slightly too late for the opportunity, turned back again to Salamis.

§20.52.6

τῆς δὲ ναυμαχίας τοιοῦτον τέλος λαβούσης τῶν μὲν πορίων ἥλω πλείω τῶν ἑκατόν, ἐν οἷς ἦσαν σχεδὸν στρατιῶται ὀκτακισχίλιοι· τῶν δὲ μακρῶν αὔτανδροι μὲν ἐλήφθησαν τεσσαράκοντα, διεφθάρησαν δὲ περὶ ὀγδοήκοντα, ἃς πλήρεις οὔσας θαλάττης⁴ κατήγαγον οἱ κρατήσαντες εἰς τὴν πρὸς τῇ πόλει στρατοπεδείαν. διεφθάρη δὲ καὶ τῶν Δημητρίου σκαφῶν εἴκοσι· πάντα δὲ τῆς προσηκούσης ἐπιμελείας τυχόντα παρείχετο τὰς ἁρμοζούσας χρείας.

The naval battle having come to such an end, more than one hundred of the transports were captured, in which there were nearly eight thousand soldiers; and of the warships, forty were taken with their crews, while about eighty were damaged and filled with seawater, which the victors towed to their camp near the city. Twenty of Demetrius’s vessels were also damaged; but all of them, receiving the proper care, were rendered fit for their appropriate services.

Syntax notes4 items

20.52.1ἀθρόων γὰρ αὐτῷ περιχυθέντων
A genitive absolute construction where the subject of the participle περιχυθέντων (such as "the enemy soldiers") is omitted. The dative αὐτῷ is governed by the verb περιχέομαι (to pour around, swarm over).
20.52.3τῶν νεῶν
A partitive genitive placed at the beginning of the clause for emphasis, specifying the whole which is later divided by the correlative relative pronouns ἃς μὲν ... ἃς δὲ ... ("some ships... others...").
20.52.5τῶν καιρῶν μικρὸν ὑστερήσαντες
The verb ὑστερέω (to be late, miss) governs the genitive case because of its comparative or privative force. Here, τῶν καιρῶν (the critical moment, opportunity) is its genitive complement, meaning "having slightly missed the opportunity."
20.52.6ἃς πλήρεις οὔσας θαλάττης
The adjective πλήρης (full of) governs the genitive case, here taking θαλάττης (sea, i.e., seawater). It describes the ships being waterlogged or filled with seawater.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:20.52.1-20.52.6