- 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-grc6:20.99.1-20.99.3
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-06
Prompted by his father, Demetrius sought an opportunity for peace, while the Rhodians, advised by Ptolemy and mediated by the Aetolian League, agreed to a settlement retaining their autonomy with specific alliance conditions and hostages.
Δημήτριος δὲ τὴν τῆς πόλεως ἅλωσιν ὑπολαβὼν ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ τὴν τύχην ἀφῃρῆσθαι1 πάλιν παρεσκευάζετο πρὸς τὴν πολιορκίαν. εἶτα τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῷ γράψαντος διαλύσασθαι πρὸς Ῥοδίους ὡς ἄν ποτε δύνηται, τὸν κάλλιστον ἐπετήρει καιρόν, δώσοντα προφάσεις εὐλόγους τῆς συνθέσεως.2
But Demetrius, considering that the capture of the city had been snatched from his hands by fortune, was again preparing for the siege. Then, when his father wrote to him to come to terms with the Rhodians in whatever way he could, he began to watch for the most favorable opportunity, which would afford plausible pretexts for the agreement.
Πτολεμαίου δὲ γράψαντος τοῖς Ῥοδίοις τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ὅτι πέμψει σίτου πλῆθος αὐτοῖς καὶ στρατιώτας τρισχιλίους, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα συμβουλεύοντος,3 ἐὰν ᾖ δυνατόν, μετρίως διαλύσασθαι πρὸς Ἀντίγονον, ἅπαντες ἔρεπον πρὸς τὴν εἰρήνην.
And when Ptolemy wrote to the Rhodians, first that he would send them a great quantity of grain and three thousand soldiers, and after this advising them, if it were possible, to come to terms on moderate conditions with Antigonus, they all inclined toward peace.
καθʼ ὃν δὴ χρόνον τοῦ κοινοῦ τῶν Αἰτωλῶν ἀποστείλαντος πρεσβευτὰς περὶ διαλύσεων οἱ Ῥόδιοι συνέθεντο πρὸς Δημήτριον ἐπὶ τοῖσδε, αὐτόνομον καὶ ἀφρούρητον εἶναι τὴν πόλιν καὶ ἔχειν τὰς ἰδίας προσόδους, συμμαχεῖν δὲ Ῥοδίους Ἀντιγόνῳ πλὴν ἐὰν ἐπὶ Πτολεμαῖον στρατεύηται, καὶ δοῦναι4 τῶν πολιτῶν ὁμήρους ἑκατὸν οὓς ἂν ἀπογράψηται Δημήτριος πλὴν τῶν ἀρχὰς ἐχόντων.
At this very time, when the League of the Aetolians had sent ambassadors concerning a settlement, the Rhodians came to an agreement with Demetrius on the following terms: that the city should be autonomous and ungarrisoned, and should have its own revenues; that the Rhodians should be allies of Antigonus, except if he should campaign against Ptolemy; and that they should give one hundred hostages from among the citizens, whomever Demetrius might register, except those holding public offices.
- 20.99.1τὴν τῆς πόλεως ἅλωσιν ὑπολαβὼν ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ τὴν τύχην ἀφῃρῆσθαι
An accusative and infinitive construction serving as the object of ὑπολαβών. Here, τὴν τύχην is the subject accusative of the infinitive, and ἀφῃρῆσθαι (perfect middle-passive infinitive of ἀφαιρέω) functions in the middle sense ('has snatched away'), taking τὴν τῆς πόλεως ἅλωσιν as its direct object: 'judging that fortune had snatched the capture of the city from his hands'.
- 20.99.1δώσοντα προφάσεις εὐλόγους τῆς συνθέσεως
The future active participle δώσοντα (masculine singular accusative) modifies the preceding noun καιρόν, indicating purpose or a characterization ('which would afford'). The genitive τῆς συνθέσεως is an objective genitive dependent on the noun προφάσεις, meaning 'plausible pretexts for the agreement'.
- 20.99.2Πτολεμαίου δὲ γράψαντος... μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα συμβουλεύοντος
Two parallel genitive absolute constructions sharing the same subject, Πτολεμαίου. The two actions of the same person (writing first, and advising thereafter) are represented by the genitive participles γράψαντος and συμβουλεύοντος, both modifying the single genitive noun.
- 20.99.3ἐπὶ τοῖσδε, αὐτόνομον καὶ ἀφρούρητον εἶναι... καὶ ἔχειν... συμμαχεῖν δὲ... καὶ δοῦναι...
A series of coordinate infinitive clauses explaining the specific terms introduced by the prepositional phrase ἐπὶ τοῖσδε ('on the following conditions'). The subject accusative of εἶναι and ἔχειν is τὴν πόλιν, whereas that of συμμαχεῖν and δοῦναι is Ῥοδίους.