- 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
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:20.69.1-20.69.5
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-06
Agathocles was released amidst the confusion in the camp and secretly sailed away, abandoning his sons. The remaining soldiers killed his sons and made peace with the Carthaginians in exchange for surrendering the cities.
φυλακήν. ἀναρχίας οὖν γενομένης ἐν τῷ στρατοπέδῳ θόρυβος ἦν καὶ ταραχὴ καὶ τῆς νυκτὸς ἐπιλαβούσης διεδόθη λόγος ὡς πλησίον εἰσὶν οἱ πολέμιοι. ἐμπεσούσης δὲ πτόης καὶ φόβου πανικοῦ διεσκευασμένος ἕκαστος προῆγεν ἐκ τῆς παρεμβολῆς οὐδενὸς παραγγέλλοντος.
imprisonment. Therefore, since a state of anarchy had arisen in the camp, there was noise and confusion, and as night came on, a report was spread abroad that the enemy were near. When terror and panic fell upon them, each man, having equipped himself, advanced out of the camp though no one had given orders.
καθʼ ὃν δὴ χρόνον οἱ τὸν δυνάστην παραφυλάττοντες οὐχ ἧττον τῶν ἄλλων ἐκπεπληγμένοι καὶ δόξαντες ὑπό τινων καλεῖσθαι ταχέως ἐξῆγον τὸν Ἀγαθοκλέα διειλημμένον δεσμοῖς.
At this very time, those who were guarding the ruler, being no less terrified than the others and thinking that they were being called by some persons, quickly brought out Agathocles, who was bound fast in chains.
τὸ δὲ πλῆθος ὡς ἴδεν, εἰς ἔλεον ἐτράπη καὶ πάντες ἐπεβόων ἀφεῖναι. ὁ δὲ λυθεὶς καὶ μετʼ ὀλίγων ἐμβὰς εἰς τὸ πορθμεῖον ἔλαθεν ἐκπλεύσας1 κατὰ τὴν δύσιν τῆς Πλειάδος χειμῶνος ὄντος. οὗτος μὲν οὖν τῆς ἰδίας σωτηρίας φροντίσας ἐγκατέλιπε τοὺς υἱούς, οὓς οἱ στρατιῶται τὸν δρασμὸν ἀκούσαντες εὐθὺς ἀπέσφαξαν, καὶ στρατηγοὺς ἐξ ἑαυτῶν ἑλόμενοι διελύθησαν πρὸς Καρχηδονίους, ὥστε τὰς πόλεις ἃς εἶχον παραδοῦναι καὶ λαβεῖν2 τάλαντα τριακόσια καὶ τοὺς μὲν αἱρουμένους μετὰ Καρχηδονίων στρατεύειν κομίζεσθαι τοὺς ἀεὶ διδομένους μισθούς, τοὺς δʼ ἄλλους εἰς Σικελίαν διακομισθέντας λαβεῖν οἰκητήριον Σολοῦντα.
But when the multitude saw him, they turned to pity and all cried out to let him go. And he, having been released and having embarked on a small boat with a few men, secretly sailed away about the setting of the Pleiades, it being winter. Thus he, caring only for his own safety, abandoned his sons, whom the soldiers immediately slaughtered as soon as they heard of his flight, and having chosen generals from among themselves, they made terms with the Carthaginians, on the condition that they should hand over the cities which they held and receive three hundred talents, and that those who chose to serve in the army with the Carthaginians should receive the customary pay, while the others, being transported to Sicily, should receive Solus as a dwelling place.
τῶν μὲν οὖν στρατιωτῶν οἱ πλείους ἐμμείναντες ταῖς συνθήκαις ἔτυχον τῶν ὁμολογηθέντων· ὅσοι δὲ τὰς πόλεις διακατέχοντες ἀντεῖχον ταῖς παρʼ Ἀγαθοκλέους ἐλπίσιν, ἐξεπολιορκήθησαν κατὰ κράτος.
Now the majority of the soldiers, abiding by the treaty, obtained the terms agreed upon; but as many as held the cities and held out in hopes of help from Agathocles, were taken by storm.
ὧν οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι τοὺς μὲν ἡγεμόνας ἀνεσταύρωσαν, τοὺς δʼ ἄλλους δήσαντες πέδαις, ἣν διὰ τὸν πόλεμον ἐξηγρίωσαν χώραν,3 ἐξηνάγκαζον τοὶς ἰδίοις πόνοις πάλιν ἐξημεροῦν. Καρχηδόνιοι μὲν οὖν ἔτος τέταρτον πολεμούμενοι τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον ἐκομίσαντο τὴν ἐλευθερίαν.
Of these, the Carthaginians crucified the leaders, and having bound the others in fetters, forced them by their own labors to cultivate again the land which they had laid waste because of the war. Thus the Carthaginians, after having been at war for four years, in this manner recovered their freedom.
- 20.69.3ἔλαθεν ἐκπλεύσας
An idiomatic construction of the verb λανθάνω with a participle, meaning 'to do something secretly' or 'without being noticed.' Here it indicates that the subject (Agathocles) sailed away without being detected.
- 20.69.3ὥστε τὰς πόλεις ἃς εἶχον παραδοῦναι καὶ λαβεῖν
The infinitive clauses led by the conjunction ὥστε (παραδοῦναι, λαβεῖν, κομίζεσθαι, λαβεῖν) specify the concrete terms (conditions) of the treaty (διελύθησαν) with the Carthaginians. It is interpreted as 'on the condition that' or 'with the result that.'
- 20.69.5ἣν διὰ τὸν πόλεμον ἐξηγρίωσαν χώραν
A construction where the antecedent (χώραν) is incorporated into the relative clause (ἣν...) (assimilation of the antecedent). The noun which should function as the direct object (τὴν χώραν) of the transitive verb ἐξηνάγκαζον in the main clause is drawn into the relative clause. In terms of meaning, it reads: 'they forced them to cultivate again the land (χώραν) which they had laid waste because of the war.'