- 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-grc6:20.75.1-20.75.5
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-06
Ptolemy attempts to win over Antigonus's forces with rewards, while Antigonus counters by severely punishing deserters and attempts to land his troops, but is forced to retreat to the Phatnitic mouth due to strong defenses and nightfall.
Πτολεμαῖος δὲ προκατειληφὼς τοὺς εὐκαιροτάτους τόπους ἀσφαλέσι φυλακαῖς ἀπέστειλέν τινας ἐν τοῖς κοντωτοῖς, παρακελευσάμενος προσπλεῖν πλησίον τῆς ἐκβάσεως καὶ κηρύττειν1 ὅτι δώσει τοῖς μεταβαλομένοις ἀπʼ Ἀντιγόνου τῶν μὲν ἰδιωτῶν ἑκάστοις δύο μνᾶς, τοῖς δʼ ἐφʼ ἡγεμονίας τεταγμένοις τάλαντον.
Ptolemy, having pre-occupied the most advantageous positions with secure garrisons, sent out some men in pole-boats, commanding them to sail near the outlet and proclaim that he would give to those who deserted from Antigonus two minae to each of the private soldiers and a talent to those in command.
γενομένων οὖν τῶν κηρυγμάτων τοιούτων ἐνέπεσέ τις ὁρμὴ πρὸς μετάθεσιν τοῖς μετʼ Ἀντιγόνου μισθοφόροις, ἐν οἷς καὶ τῶν ἡγεμόνων πλείους προθύμους εἶναι συνέβαινε2 διʼ αἰτίας τινὰς εἰς τὸ μεταβολῆς ἐπιθυμεῖν.
When such proclamations were made, an impulse to desert fell upon the mercenaries under Antigonus, among whom it happened that many of the officers also, for certain reasons, were eager to desire a change.
πολλῶν δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν αὐτομολούντων ὁ μὲν Ἀντίγονος ἐπιστήσας τῷ χείλει τοῦ ποταμοῦ τοξότας καὶ σφενδονήτας καὶ πολλὰ τῶν ὀξυβελικῶν τοὺς προσπλέοντας ἐν τοῖς κοντωτοῖς ἀνέστελλε· τῶν δʼ αὐτομολούντων συλλαβών τινας δεινῶς ᾐκίσατο, βουλόμενος καταπλήξασθαι τοὺς τῆς ὁμοίας ὁρμῆς ἀντεχομένους.
As many were deserting to him, Antigonus, having stationed archers and slingers along the bank of the river, as well as many of the catapults, kept back those who were sailing near in the pole-boats; and having seized some of the deserters, he tortured them terribly, wishing to terrify those who were clinging to the same impulse.
καὶ προσλαβὼν τὰ καθυστεροῦντα τῶν σκαφῶν προσέπλευσεν ἐπὶ τὸ καλούμενον Ψευδόστομον, νομίζων ἐνταῦθα δυνήσεσθαί τινας τῶν στρατιωτῶν ἀποβιβάσαι. εὑρὼν δὲ πρὸς αὐτῷ φυλακὴν ἰσχυρὰν καὶ τοῖς τε ὀξυβελέσι καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις παντοίοις βέλεσιν ἀνειργόμενος ἀπέπλευσε περικαταλαμβανούσης νυκτός.
And having taken with him the ships that were lagging behind, he sailed toward the so-called Pseudostomon, thinking that he would be able to disembark some of the soldiers there. But finding a strong garrison at it, and being kept off by the catapults and all other kinds of missiles, he sailed away as night was overtaking him.
ἔπειτα παραγγείλας τοῖς κυβερνήταις ἀκολουθεῖν τῇ στρατηγίδι νηὶ προσέχοντας τῷ λαμπτῆρι προσέπλευσεν ἐπὶ τὸ στόμα τοῦ Νείλου τὸ καλούμενον Φατνιτικόν· ἡμέρας δὲ γενομένης, ἐπειδὴ πολλαὶ τῶν νεῶν ἀπεπλανήθησαν, ἠναγκάσθη ταύτας περιμένειν καὶ τὰς μάλιστα ταχυναυτούσας τῶν ἠκολουθηκυιῶν ἐξαποστέλλειν3 ἐπὶ τὴν τούτων ζήτησιν.
Then, having ordered the pilots to follow the flagship while keeping an eye on the lantern, he sailed to the mouth of the Nile called Phatnitic. When day came, since many of the ships had gone astray, he was forced to wait for them and to dispatch the fastest-sailing of those that had followed in search of them.
- 20.75.1παρακελευσάμενος προσπλεῖν ... καὶ κηρύττειν
The participle παρακελευσάμενος (commanding) agrees with the subject of the main clause (Ptolemy), and the following infinitives προσπλεῖν and κηρύττειν take the accusative τινας (some men), the object of the main verb, as their subject.
- 20.75.2ἐν οἷς καὶ τῶν ἡγεμόνων πλείους προθύμους εἶναι συνέβαινε
The impersonal verb συνέβαινε (it happened) takes the infinitive εἶναι with its subject accusative πλείους (more [of the officers]). The adjective προθύμους agrees with this accusative subject, and is further qualified by εἰς τὸ ... ἐπιθυμεῖν indicating the object of their eagerness.
- 20.75.5ἠναγκάσθη ταύτας περιμένειν καὶ τὰς μάλιστα ταχυναυτούσας τῶν ἠκολουθηκυιῶν ἐξαποστέλλειν
The passive verb ἠναγκάσθη (he was forced) governs two infinitives connected by καί: περιμένειν (to wait) and ἐξαποστέλλειν (to dispatch). The accusative object of the latter is τὰς μάλιστα ταχυναυτούσας (the fastest-sailing [ships]), with τῶν ἠκολουθηκυιῶν acting as a partitive genitive.