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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §11.36.1-11.36.7

Greek Victory at Mycale and the Retreat of Xerxes

Passage 37 of 723 · Greek

Summary

In the Battle of Mycale, despite initial confusion, the Greeks defeat the Persians with the aid of Asian Greeks such as Samians and Milesians, prompting the distressed Xerxes to retreat to Ecbatana.

§11.36.1ἀμφοτέρων δὲ αὐτῶν ἐκταξάντων τὴν στρατιὰν καὶ προσαγόντων ἐπʼ ἀλλήλους, οἱ μὲν Πέρσαι τοὺς πολεμίους ὁρῶντες ὀλίγους ὄντας κατεφρόνησαν αὐτῶν καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς κραυγῆς ἐπεφέροντο·
When both of them had drawn up their armies and were advancing against each other, the Persians, seeing that the enemy were few, despised them and rushed upon them with a great shout.
§11.36.2τῶν δὲ Σαμίων καὶ Μιλησίων πανδημεὶ προελομένων βοηθῆσαι τοῖς Ἕλλησι καὶ μετʼ ἀλλήλων κοινῇ προσαγόντων κατὰ σπουδήν, ὡς προϊόντες εἰς ὄψιν ἦλθον τοῖς Ἕλλησιν, οἱ μὲν Ἴωνες ἐνόμιζον εὐθαρσεστέρους ἔσεσθαι τοὺς Ἕλληνας, ἀπέβη δὲ τοὐναντίον.
When the Samians and Milesians had resolved with their whole population to aid the Greeks and were advancing together in haste, as they came forward into the sight of the Greeks, the Ionians thought that the Greeks would become more courageous, but the opposite happened.
§11.36.3δόξαντες γὰρ οἱ περὶ τὸν Λεωτυχίδην τὸν Ξέρξην ἐκ τῶν Σάρδεων ἐπιέναι μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως, ἐφοβήθησαν, καὶ ταραχῆς γενομένης ἐν τῷ στρατοπέδῳ διεφέροντο πρὸς ἀλλήλους· οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἔφασαν τὴν ταχίστην δεῖν εἰς τὰς ναῦς ἀπιέναι, οἱ δὲ μένειν καὶ τεθαρρηκότως παρατάξασθαι.
For Leotychides and his men, thinking that Xerxes was coming from Sardis with his force, were frightened, and since confusion arose in the camp, they disagreed with one another; for some said that they must depart to the ships as quickly as possible, while others said that they should remain and bravely draw up their lines.
ἔτι δʼ αὐτοῖς τεθορυβημένοις ἐπεφάνησαν οἱ Πέρσαι διεσκευασμένοι καταπληκτικῶς καὶ μετὰ βοῆς ἐπιφερόμενοι.
While they were still in confusion, the Persians appeared, formidably equipped and rushing upon them with a shout.
§11.36.4οἱ δʼ Ἕλληνες οὐδεμίαν ἀνοχὴν ἔχοντες τοῦ βουλεύσασθαι, συνηναγκάσθησαν ὑπομεῖναι τὴν ἔφοδον τῶν βαρβάρων.
The Greeks, having no respite for deliberation, were compelled to withstand the onset of the barbarians.
καὶ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἀμφοτέρων ἀγωνιζομένων εὐρώστως ἰσόρροπος ἦν ἡ μάχη καὶ συχνοὶ παρʼ ἀμφοτέροις ἔπιπτον· τῶν δὲ Σαμίων καὶ τῶν Μιλησίων ἐπιφανέντων οἱ μὲν Ἕλληνες ἐπερρώσθησαν, οἱ βάρβαροι δὲ καταπλαγέντες πρὸς φυγὴν ὥρμησαν.
At first, as both fought vigorously, the battle was evenly balanced and many fell on both sides; but when the Samians and Milesians appeared, the Greeks were encouraged, while the barbarians, struck with terror, turned to flight.
§11.36.5πολλοῦ δὲ γενομένου φόνου, οἱ μὲν περὶ τὸν Λεωτυχίδην καὶ Ξάνθιππον ἐπικείμενοι τοῖς ἡττημένοις κατεδίωξαν τοὺς βαρβάρους μέχρι τῆς παρεμβολῆς, συνεπελάβοντο δὲ τῆς μάχης ἤδη κεκριμένης Αἰολεῖς καὶ τῶν ἄλλων πολλοὶ τῶν κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν· δεινὴ γάρ τις ἐνέπεσεν ἐπιθυμία ταῖς κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν πόλεσι τῆς ἐλευθερίας.
Although there was a great slaughter, Leotychides and Xanthippus, pressing hard upon the defeated, pursued the barbarians as far as their camp, and when the battle was already decided, the Aeolians and many of the other inhabitants of Asia joined in the fight; for a terrible desire for freedom had fallen upon the cities of Asia.
§11.36.6διόπερ σχεδὸν ἅπαντες οὔθʼ ὁμήρων οὔτε ὅρκων ἐποιήσαντο φροντίδα, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων Ἑλλήνων ἀπέκτειναν ἐν τῇ φυγῇ τοὺς βαρβάρους.
Therefore almost all of them paid no heed to either hostages or oaths, but together with the other Greeks slew the barbarians in their flight.
τοῦτον δὲ τὸν τρόπον ἡττηθέντων τῶν Περσῶν, ἀνῃρέθησαν αὐτῶν πλείους τῶν τετρακισμυρίων· τῶν δὲ διασωθέντων οἱ μὲν εἰς τὴν στρατοπεδείαν διέφυγον, οἱ δὲ εἰς Σάρδεις ἀπεχώρησαν.
When the Persians were defeated in this manner, more than forty thousand of them were slain; of those who escaped, some fled into the camp, and others retreated to Sardis.
§11.36.7Ξέρξης δὲ πυθόμενος τήν τε περὶ τὰς Πλαταιὰς ἧτταν καὶ τὴν ἐν τῇ Μυκάλῃ τροπὴν τῶν ἰδίων, μέρος μὲν τῆς δυνάμεως ἀπέλιπεν ἐν Σάρδεσιν, ὅπως διαπολεμῇ πρὸς τοὺς Ἕλληνας, αὐτὸς δὲ τεθορυβημένος μετὰ τῆς λοιπῆς στρατιᾶς προῆγεν, ἐπʼ Ἐκβατάνων ποιούμενος τὴν πορείαν.
Xerxes, on learning of both the defeat at Plataea and the rout of his own men at Mycale, left a part of his force in Sardis so that they might carry on the war against the Greeks, while he himself, in confusion, advanced with the rest of the army, making his way toward Ecbatana.

Notes

  1. §11.36.2ὡς προϊόντες εἰς ὄψιν ἦλθον τοῖς Ἕλλησιν — The subject of the participle `προϊόντες` and the verb `ἦλθον` is the Samians and Milesians mentioned in the preceding genitive absolute. `τοῖς Ἕλλησιν` is a dative of reference or approach, meaning 'appeared to the sight of the Greeks'.
  2. §11.36.3δόξαντες γὰρ οἱ περὶ τὸν Λεωτυχίδην τὸν Ξέρξην ἐκ τῶν Σάρδεων ἐπιέναι μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως — `δόξαντες` is the aorist passive participle of `δοκέω`, used here in an active sense expressing the subjective belief of the subject of the main clause (`οἱ περὶ τὸν Λεωτυχίδην`). The subject of the infinitive `ἐπιέναι` is the accusative `τὸν Ξέρξην`.
  3. §11.36.5συνεπελάβοντο δὲ τῆς μάχης ἤδη κεκριμένης Αἰολεῖς — `τῆς μάχης ἤδη κεκριμένης` is a genitive absolute expressing time ('when the battle had already been decided'). Although the verb `συνεπελάβοντο` takes a genitive object, its direct object is omitted here, indicating that they took part in the action when the battle was already decided.
  4. §11.36.6οὔθʼ ὁμήρων οὔτε ὅρκων ἐποιήσαντο φροντίδα — `φροντίδα ἐποιήσαντο` functions like the verb `φροντίζω`, taking the genitives `ὁμήρων` and `ὅρκων` as its objects ('paid no heed to either hostages or oaths'). These hostages and oaths refer to those previously given to the Persians.

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §11.36.1-11.36.7. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:11.36.1-11.36.7

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