- 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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- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:20.60.1-20.60.8
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-07
In response to the division of the Carthaginian forces, Archagathus divides his own army; however, in the inland, Hannon ambushes and defeats Aeschrion's troops, while in the upper regions, Himilco's stratagem leads to the near-total destruction of Eumachus's forces.
ἀνέτρεχον εἰς τὴν προϋπάρχουσαν φιλίαν. ὁ δʼ Ἀρχάγαθος ὁρῶν διειλημμένην ἅπασαν τὴν Λιβύην πολεμίοις στρατοπέδοις καὶ αὐτὸς διεῖλε τὴν δύναμιν καὶ μέρος μὲν ἐξέπεμψεν εἰς τὴν παραθαλάττιον, τῆς δʼ1 ἄλλης στρατιᾶς ἣν μὲν Αἰσχρίωνι παραδοὺς ἐξέπεμψεν, ἧς δʼ αὐτὸς ἡγεῖτο, καταλιπὼν τὴν ἱκανὴν φυλακὴν ἐπὶ τοῦ Τύνητος.
they returned to their pre-existing friendship. But Archagathus, seeing the whole of Libya divided by the enemy’s armies, also divided his own force, and sent one part to the coastal region, and of the rest of the army, one part he sent after delivering it to Aeschrion, and another he led himself, leaving a sufficient garrison at Tunis.
τοσούτων δὲ στρατοπέδων ἐπὶ τῆς χώρας πανταχῇ πλαζομένων καὶ προσδοκωμένης ἔσεσθαι πραγμάτων ὁλοσχεροῦς μεταβολῆς ἅπαντες ἠγωνίων, καραδοκοῦντες τὸ τέλος τῶν ἀποβησομένων. Ἄννων μὲν οὖν ἡγούμενος τοῦ κατὰ τὴν μεσόγειον στρατοπέδου θεὶς ἐνέδραν τοῖς περὶ τὸν Αἰσχρίωνα καὶ παραδόξως ἐπιθέμενος ἀνεῖλε πεζοὺς μὲν πλείους τῶν τετρακισχιλίων, ἱππεῖς δὲ περὶ διακοσίους, ἐν οἷς ἦν καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ στρατηγός· τῶν δʼ ἄλλων οἱ μὲν ἥλωσαν, οἱ δὲ διεσώθησαν πρὸς Ἀρχάγαθον, ἀπέχοντα σταδίους πεντακοσίους.
With so many armies wandering everywhere over the country, and a complete change in affairs being expected, everyone was in great anxiety, waiting in suspense for the outcome of what would happen. Now Hannon, leading the army in the inland, having set an ambush for Aeschrion and his men and having attacked them unexpectedly, slew more than four thousand of the infantry and about two hundred of the cavalry, among whom was the general himself. Of the rest, some were captured, and others escaped to Archagathus, who was five hundred stades away.
Ἰμίλκων δʼ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἄνω τόπους στρατεύειν ἀποδειχθεὶς τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἐφήδρευε τῇ πόλει πρὸς τὸν Εὔμαχον,2 ἐφελκόμενον βαρὺ τὸ στρατόπεδον3 διὰ τὰς ἐκ τῶν ἁλουσῶν πόλεων ὠφελείας.
But Himilco, having been appointed to march into the upper regions, at first lay in wait in the city against Eumachus, who was leading an army made heavy by the spoils from the captured cities.
μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἐκταξάντων τὴν δύναμιν καὶ προκαλουμένων εἰς μάχην Ἰμίλκων μέρος μὲν τῆς στρατιᾶς κατέλιπε διεσκευασμένον ἐν τῇ πόλει, διακελευσάμενος, ὅταν αὐτὸς ἀναχωρῇ προσποιούμενος φεύγειν, ἐπεξελθεῖν τοῖς ἐπιδιώκουσιν· αὐτὸς δὲ προαγαγὼν τοὺς ἡμίσεις τῶν στρατιωτῶν καὶ μικρὸν πρὸ τῆς παρεμβολῆς συνάψας μάχην εὐθὺς ἔφευγεν ὡς καταπεπληγμένος.
But after this, when the Greeks drew up their force and challenged them to battle, Himilco left a part of his army equipped in the city, commanding them that whenever he himself retreated, pretending to flee, they should sally out against the pursuers. He himself, having led forward half of the soldiers and joined battle a little before the camp, immediately fled as if terrified.
οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Εὔμαχον ἐπαρθέντες τῇ νίκῃ καὶ τῆς τάξεως οὐδὲν φροντίσαντες ἐδίωκον καὶ τεθορυβημένως τῶν ὑποχωρούντων ἐξήπτοντο· ἄφνω δὲ καθʼ ἕτερον μέρος τῆς πόλεως ἐκχυθείσης τῆς δυνάμεως κατεσκευασμένης καὶ πλήθους ἱκανοῦ πρὸς ἓν παρακέλευσμα συναλαλάξαντος κατεπλάγησαν.
And Eumachus and his men, elated by the victory and taking no thought of their order, pursued them and in confusion pressed hard upon those who were retreating. But suddenly, when the equipped force poured out from another part of the city, and a sufficient multitude shouted their war-cry at a single signal, they were struck with terror.
ἐμβαλόντων οὖν τῶν βαρβάρων εἰς ἀσυντάκτους καὶ πεφοβημένους διὰ τὸ παράδοξον, ταχὺ τροπὴν συνέβη γενέσθαι τῶν Ἑλλήνων. ὑποτεμομένων δὲ τῶν Καρχηδονίων τὴν εἰς τὴν στρατοπεδείαν ἀποχώρησιν τῶν πολεμίων ἠναγκάσθησαν οἱ περὶ τὸν Εὔμαχον καταφυγεῖν ἐπὶ τὸν πλησίον λόφον ὕδατος σπανίζοντα.
Therefore, when the barbarians fell upon those who were out of order and terrified by the unexpected event, it quickly happened that a rout of the Greeks took place. And since the Carthaginians cut off the enemy’s retreat to their camp, Eumachus and his men were forced to flee to a nearby hill that was lacking in water.
περιστρατοπεδευσάντων δὲ τὸν τόπον τῶν Φοινίκων ἅμα μὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ δίψους καταπονηθέντες, ἅμα δʼ ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων κρατούμενοι σχεδὸν ἅπαντες ἀνῃρέθησαν· ἀπὸ μὲν γὰρ πεζῶν ὀκτακισχιλίων τριάκοντα μόνον διεσώθησαν, ἀπὸ δʼ ἱππέων ὀκτακοσίων τετταράκοντα διέφυγον τὸν κίνδυνον.
When the Phoenicians encamped around the place, being exhausted on the one hand by thirst, and on the other hand overwhelmed by the enemy, almost all of them were destroyed; for of eight thousand infantry only thirty were saved, and of eight hundred cavalry only forty escaped the danger.
- 20.60.1τῆς δʼ ἄλλης στρατιᾶς ἣν μὲν ... ἧς δʼ ...
Corresponding to the partitive genitive τῆς δʼ ἄλλης στρατιᾶς, the relative clauses ἣν μὲν ... ἧς δʼ ... are coordinated. The first relative pronoun ἣν is in the accusative as the direct object of the transitive verb ἐξέπεμψεν, while the second ἧς is in the genitive governed by the verb ἡγεῖτο. This illustrates an asymmetrical case alignment in parallel structures.
- 20.60.4ἐφήδρευε τῇ πόλει πρὸς τὸν Εὔμαχον
The verb ἐφεδρεύω means 'to lie in wait' or 'watch in ambush'. The dative τῇ πόλει functions either as a dative of place ('in the city') or as the object of vigil ('watching the city'). Here, it describes Himilco staying in the city to wait for the approach of Eumachus, whose army was slowed down by plunder.
- 20.60.4ἐφελκόμενον βαρὺ τὸ στρατόπεδον
The participle ἐφελκόμενον is a present middle participle in the accusative masculine singular, modifying τὸν Εὔμαχον. The word βαρὺ is used adverbially (neuter singular adjective) meaning 'heavily' or 'sluggishly', modifying the action of dragging along the army (τὸ στρατόπεδον).