Division of the Carthaginian Army to Relieve the Siege — Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica Book 20 (20.59.1–20.59.4), Greek & English

§20.59.1

μέχρι μὲν δὴ τούτων τῶν καιρῶν ἐν τῇ Λιβύῃ κατὰ νοῦν ἅπαντα τὰ πράγματα τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ἀρχάγαθον ἦν. μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα τῆς γερουσίας ἐν Καρχηδόνι βουλευσαμένης περὶ τοῦ πολέμου καλῶς ἔδοξε τοῖς συνέδροις τρία στρατόπεδα ποιήσαντας¹ ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ἐκπέμψαι, τὸ μὲν ἐπὶ τὰς παραθαλαττίους πόλεις, τὸ δʼ εἰς τὴν μεσόγειον, τὸ δʼ εἰς τοὺς ἄνω τόπους.

Up to these times indeed, all things in Libya were according to the mind of Archagathus and his followers. But after this, when the senate in Carthage had deliberated concerning the war, it seemed good to the councillors to form three armies and send them out of the city: one against the coastal cities, one into the inland, and one into the upper regions.

§20.59.2

ἐνόμιζον γὰρ τοῦτο πράξαντες πρῶτον μὲν τὴν πόλιν ἀπαλλάξειν² τῆς πολιορκίας, ἅμα δὲ καὶ τῆς σιτοδείας· πολλῶν γὰρ καὶ παντοδαπῶν ὄχλων συμπεφευγότων εἰς τὴν Καρχηδόνα συνέβαινε πάντων γεγονέναι σπάνιν, ἐξανηλωμένων ἤδη τῶν ἐπιτηδείων· ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς πολιορκίας οὐκ ἦν κίνδυνος, ἀπροσίτου τῆς πόλεως οὔσης διὰ τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν τειχῶν καὶ τῆς θαλάττης ὀχυρότητα·

For they thought that by doing this they would, first of all, deliver the city from the siege, and at the same time also from the food shortage; for, since many and diverse crowds had fled together into Carthage, it happened that there was a scarcity of all things, the provisions having already been consumed; and from the siege there was no danger, the city being inaccessible due to its strength from the walls and the sea;

§20.59.3

ἔπειθʼ ὑπελάμβανον καὶ τοὺς συμμάχους διαμένειν μᾶλλον πλειόνων στρατοπέδων ὄντων ἐν ὑπαίθρῳ τῶν παραβοηθούντων· τὸ δὲ μέγιστον, ἤλπιζον καὶ τοὺς πολεμίους ἀναγκασθήσεσθαι μερίζειν τὰς δυνάμεις καὶ μακρὰν ἀποσπᾶσθαι τῆς Καρχηδόνος. ἅπερ ἅπαντα κατὰ τὴν ἐπίνοιαν αὐτῶν συνετελέσθη·

secondly, they supposed that the allies would also remain more faithful if there were more armies in the field to assist them; and, what was most important, they hoped that the enemy also would be compelled to divide their forces and be drawn far away from Carthage. All of which things were accomplished according to their plan;

§20.59.4

τρισμυρίων μὲν γὰρ στρατιωτῶν ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ἐκπεμφθέντων οἱ καταλειπόμενοι ἔμποροι οὐχ οἷον³ ἱκανὰ πρὸς αὐτάρκειαν εἶχον, ἀλλʼ ἐκ περιουσίας ἐχρῶντο δαψιλέσι πᾶσιν, οἵ τε σύμμαχοι τὸ πρὸ τοῦ διὰ τὸν ἀπὸ τῶν πολεμίων φόβον ἀναγκαζόμενοι προστίθεσθαι τοῖς πολεμίοις τότε πάλιν θαρρήσαντες

for, thirty thousand soldiers having been sent out of the city, the remaining merchants not only had enough for self-sufficiency, but from abundance enjoyed all things lavishly, and the allies, who previously had been compelled through fear of the enemy to side with the enemy, then taking courage again

Syntax notes3 items

20.59.1ποιήσαντας
Accusative masculine plural participle, agreeing with the unexpressed subject-accusative of the infinitive "ἐκπέμψαι" (to send out). Although there is a dative in the main clause ("τοῖς συνέδροις"), the accusative is used here in accordance with the common Greek syntax where the subject of an infinitive is put in the accusative.
20.59.2ἀπαλλάξειν
Future active infinitive of "ἀπαλλάσσω", forming an indirect statement after "ἐνόμιζον" (they thought). It takes "τὴν πόλιν" as its accusative subject/object and the genitives "τῆς πολιορκίας... τῆς σιτοδείας" as genitives of separation.
20.59.4οὐχ οἷον
An idiomatic phrase meaning "not only... but..." or "so far from... that...". In the structure "οὐχ οἷον... ἀλλʼ...", it correlates with the subsequent clause to emphasize that they not only had enough for self-sufficiency but indeed possessed a lavish abundance.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:20.59.1-20.59.4