- 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-grc6:20.66.1-20.66.4
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-06
The Carthaginian army, mistaking the deserting Libyans from Agathocles' camp for an attacking Greek force, falls into self-destructive panic and suffers heavy casualties in the darkness.
τῶν μὲν γὰρ Ἀγαθοκλεῖ συντεταγμένων Λιβύων εἰς πεντακισχιλίους ἀποστάντες τῶν Ἑλλήνων νυκτὸς ηὐτομόλουν πρὸς τοὺς βαρβάρους. τούτους δὲ οἱ πρὸς τὴν κατασκοπὴν ἐκπεμφθέντες ὡς ἴδον1 ἐπὶ τὴν παρεμβολὴν τῶν Καρχηδονίων προσάγοντας, νομίσαντες τὴν τῶν Ἑλλήνων δύναμιν ἅπασαν διεσκευασμένην ἐπιέναι, ταχὺ τοῖς στρατιώταις ἐδήλωσαν τὴν προσιοῦσαν δύναμιν.
For about five thousand of the Libyans stationed under Agathocles, having revolted from the Greeks, were deserting by night to the barbarians. When those who had been sent out for scouting saw them approaching the camp of the Carthaginians, supposing that the entire force of the Greeks was advancing in full preparation, they quickly reported the approaching force to the soldiers.
διαδοθέντος οὖν πρὸς ἅπαντας τοῦ λόγου θόρυβος ἐνέπιπτε καὶ προσδοκία τῆς τῶν πολεμίων ἐφόδου. ἑκάστου δὲ τὴν σωτηρίαν ἐν τῇ φυγῇ τιθεμένου2 καὶ μήτε παραγγέλματος δοθέντος ὑπὸ τῶν στρατηγῶν μήτε τάξεως οὔσης μηδεμιᾶς οἱ φεύγοντες ἐνέπιπτον ἀλλήλοις· ὧν οἱ μὲν διὰ τὸ σκότος, οἱ δὲ διὰ τὴν ἔκπληξιν ἀγνοοῦντες τοὺς οἰκείους ὡς πολεμίους ἠμύνοντο.
Therefore, as the rumor was spread to everyone, confusion fell upon them and an expectation of the enemy’s attack. Since each one placed his safety in flight, and no order was given by the generals, nor was there any formation, those who were fleeing collided with one another; of whom some because of the darkness, and others because of their panic, failing to recognize their comrades, defended themselves against them as if they were enemies.
πολλοῦ δὲ φόνου γινομένου καὶ τῆς ἀγνοίας ἐπικρατούσης οἱ μὲν ἐν χειρῶν νόμῳ3 διεφθάρησαν, οἱ δʼ ἐκπεπηδηκότες ἄνοπλοι καὶ τὴν φυγὴν ποιούμενοι διὰ τῶν δυσχωριῶν κατεκρημνίζοντο, τῆς ψυχῆς ἐπτοημένης διὰ τὸν ἀπροσδόκητον φόβον. τὸ δὲ τέλος πλειόνων ἢ πεντακισχιλίων ἀπολομένων τὸ λοιπὸν πλῆθος διεσώθη πρὸς τὴν Καρχηδόνα.
While great slaughter was taking place and ignorance prevailed, some were destroyed in hand-to-hand combat, while others, having leaped out unarmed and making their escape through difficult terrain, fell down the cliffs, their souls being terrified because of the unexpected fear. In the end, after more than five thousand had perished, the remaining multitude escaped safely to Carthage.
οἱ δʼ ἐν τῇ πόλει τότε μὲν συνεξαπατηθέντες τῇ φήμῃ τῶν ἰδίων ὑπέλαβον ἡττῆσθαι μάχῃ καὶ τῆς δυνάμεως τὸ πλεῖστον διεφθάρθαι. διόπερ ἀγωνιῶντες ἀνέῳξαν τὰς πύλας καὶ μετὰ θορύβου καὶ πτοήσεως ἐδέχοντο τοὺς στρατιώτας, φοβούμενοι μὴ τοῖς ἐσχάτοις4 οἱ πολέμιοι συνεισπέσωσιν· ἡμέρας δὲ γενομένης μαθόντες τἀληθὲς μόλις ἀπελύθησαν τῆς τῶν δεινῶν προσδοκίας.
Meanwhile, those in the city, being at that time similarly deceived by the rumor, supposed that their own men had been defeated in battle and that the greatest part of the force had been destroyed. Therefore, in great anxiety, they opened the gates and received the soldiers with tumult and panic, fearing lest the enemy should rush in together with the hindmost; but when day came, having learned the truth, they were at last relieved of their expectation of disasters.
- 20.66.1ὡς ἴδον
A third-person plural aorist accompanied by the conjunction ὡς ('when'). ἴδον is a poetic or Ionic form of εἶδον, or an irregular form found in Hellenistic Greek (Koine).
- 20.66.2ἑκάστου δὲ τὴν σωτηρίαν ἐν τῇ φυγῇ τιθεμένου
Genitive absolute construction. It is juxtaposed with two further genitive absolutes (μήτε παραγγέλματος δοθέντος, μήτε τάξεως οὔσης), all of which describe the causes or circumstances for the main verb ἐνέπιπτον.
- 20.66.3ἐν χειρῶν νόμῳ
An idiomatic expression meaning 'in hand-to-hand combat' or 'by the law of force.' Literally 'in the law of hands,' it refers to close-quarter fighting rather than an orderly battle.
- 20.66.4τοῖς ἐσχάτοις
Dative complement of the compound verb συνεισπέσωσιν (to rush in together with), which contains the preposition συν-. Here it refers to the 'hindmost soldiers' of their own retreating army, indicating the fear that the enemy might mingle with them and rush through the gates.