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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §11.31.1-11.31.3

Death of Mardonius and Rout of the Persian Army

Passage 32 of 723 · Greek

Summary

Following the death of Mardonius in battle, the barbarian forces collapsed, with some fleeing to the wooden wall, the pro-Persian Greeks retreating to Thebes, and Artabazus leading the remaining troops toward Phocis.

§11.31.1Μαρδόνιος δὲ συναναγκαζόμενος βαθεῖαν ποιῆσαι τὴν φάλαγγα, διέταξε τὴν δύναμιν ὅπως ποτʼ ἔδοξεν αὐτῷ συμφέρειν, καὶ μετὰ βοῆς ἀπήντησε τοῖς Ἕλλησιν.
Mardonius, being compelled to make his phalanx deep, drew up his force in such a way as seemed to him to be advantageous, and with a shout met the Greeks.
ἔχων δὲ περὶ αὐτὸν τοὺς ἀρίστους πρῶτος ἐνέβαλεν εἰς τοὺς ἀντιτεταγμένους Λακεδαιμονίους, καὶ γενναίως ἀγωνισάμενος πολλοὺς ἀνεῖλε τῶν Ἑλλήνων·
Having around him his best men, he was the first to charge into the Lacedaemonians drawn up opposite him, and fighting bravely, he slew many of the Greeks.
ἀντιταχθέντων δὲ τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων εὐρώστως, καὶ πάντα κίνδυνον ὑπομενόντων προθύμως, πολὺς ἐγίνετο φόνος τῶν βαρβάρων.
But since the Lacedaemonians opposed him vigorously and eagerly endured every danger, a great slaughter of the barbarians took place.
§11.31.2ἕως μὲν οὖν συνέβαινε τὸν Μαρδόνιον μετὰ τῶν ἐπιλέκτων προκινδυνεύειν, εὐψύχως ὑπέμενον τὸ δεινὸν οἱ βάρβαροι·
As long, then, as it happened that Mardonius was fighting in the forefront of danger with his chosen men, the barbarians endured the peril courageously.
ἐπεὶ δʼ ὅ τε Μαρδόνιος ἀγωνιζόμενος ἐκθύμως ἔπεσε καὶ τῶν ἐπιλέκτων οἱ μὲν ἀπέθανον, οἱ δὲ κατετρώθησαν, ἀνατραπέντες ταῖς ψυχαῖς πρὸς φυγὴν ὥρμησαν.
But when Mardonius, fighting with furious courage, fell, and of his chosen men some died and others were wounded, they were disheartened and turned to flight.
§11.31.3ἐπικειμένων δὲ τῶν Ἑλλήνων, οἱ μὲν πλείους τῶν βαρβάρων εἰς τὸ ξύλινον τεῖχος συνέφυγον, τῶν δʼ ἄλλων οἱ μὲν μετὰ Μαρδονίου ταχθέντες Ἕλληνες εἰς τὰς Θήβας ἀνεχώρησαν, τοὺς δὲ λοιποὺς ὄντας πλείους τῶν τετρακισμυρίων ἀναλαβὼν Ἀρτάβαζος, ἀνὴρ παρὰ Πέρσαις ἐπαινούμενος, εἰς θάτερον μέρος ἔφυγε, καὶ σύντονον τὴν ἀναχώρησιν ποιησάμενος προῆγεν ἐπὶ τῆς Φωκίδος.
And as the Greeks pressed hard upon them, the greater part of the barbarians fled for refuge to the wooden wall. Of the rest, those Greeks who had been stationed with Mardonius retreated to Thebes. But Artabazus, a man held in high esteem among the Persians, taking with him the remaining force, which was more than forty thousand, fled in the other direction, and making a rapid retreat, advanced toward Phocis.

Notes

  1. §11.31.1συναναγκαζόμενος βαθεῖαν ποιῆσαι τὴν φάλαγγα — The passive participle συναναγκαζόμενος ("being compelled") governs the infinitive ποιῆσαι ("to make"). This reflects the causal connection to the narrowness of the terrain (στενοχωρία) mentioned in the preceding chapter (11.30.5-6), which forced him to deepen his phalanx.
  2. §11.31.1ὅπως ποτʼ ἔδοξεν αὐτῷ συμφέρειν — ὅπως introduces an indirect question clause. The use of the indicative aorist (ἔδοξεν) rather than subjunctive or optative expresses the specific manner in which Mardonius actually decided at that past moment. ποτέ adds a generalizing or indefinite nuance ("in whatever way").
  3. §11.31.2ἀνατραπέντες ταῖς ψυχαῖς — A combination of ἀνατραπέντες (passive aorist participle of ἀνατρέπω, "to overturn, overthrow") and ταῖς ψυχαῖς as a dative of respect or relation ("in their souls"). It emphasizes their mental collapse or loss of morale following the loss of their leader, rather than just physical defeat.
  4. §11.31.3τῶν δʼ ἄλλων οἱ μὲν μετὰ Μαρδονίου ταχθέντες Ἕλληνες — τῶν δʼ ἄλλων is a partitive genitive indicating "the others" out of the retreating forces, from which "the Greeks who had been stationed with Mardonius" (οἱ μὲν... Ἕλληνες) are singled out as the subject.

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §11.31.1-11.31.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:11.31.1-11.31.3

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