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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §11.52.1-11.52.5

War of Iapyges and Tarantines and Fall of Rhegium

Passage 53 of 723 · Greek

Summary

During the archonship of Menon in Athens and the consulship of Lucius Aemilius and Gaius Cornelius in Rome, war breaks out in Italy between the Tarantines and the Iapyges. The Iapyges win the battle and pursue the fleeing enemies, capturing the city of Rhegium in the process.

§11.52.1ἐπʼ ἄρχοντος δʼ Ἀθήνησι Μένωνος Ῥωμαῖοι μὲν ὑπάτους κατέστησαν Λεύκιον Αἰμίλιον Μάμερκον καὶ Γάιον Κορνήλιον Λέντουλον, κατὰ δὲ τὴν Ἰταλίαν πόλεμος ἐνέστη Ταραντίνοις πρὸς τοὺς Ἰάπυγας·
When Menon was archon in Athens, the Romans appointed Lucius Aemilius Mamercus and Gaius Cornelius Lentulus as consuls; and in Italy, war broke out between the Tarantines and the Iapyges.
§11.52.2περὶ γὰρ ὁμόρου χώρας ἀμφισβητούντων πρὸς ἀλλήλους, ἐπὶ μέν τινας χρόνους διετέλουν ἁψιμαχοῦντες καὶ λεηλατοῦντες τὰς ἀλλήλων χώρας, ἀεὶ δὲ μᾶλλον τῆς διαφορᾶς συναυξομένης καὶ πολλάκις φόνων γινομένων, τὸ τελευταῖον εἰς ὁλοσχερῆ φιλοτιμίαν ὥρμησαν.
For since they disputed with each other over bordering territory, they continued for some time skirmishing and plundering each other's lands, but as their quarrel grew ever greater and killings frequently occurred, they finally rushed into a full-scale conflict.
§11.52.3οἱ μὲν οὖν Ἰάπυγες τήν τε παρʼ αὑτῶν δύναμιν παρεσκευάζοντο καὶ τὴν παρὰ τῶν ὁμόρων συμμαχίαν συνέλαβον, καὶ τοὺς σύμπαντας ἤθροισαν ὑπὲρ τοὺς δισμυρίους· οἱ δὲ Ταραντῖνοι πυθόμενοι τὸ μέγεθος τῆς ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς ἠθροισμένης δυνάμεως, τούς τε πολιτικοὺς στρατιώτας ἤθροισαν καὶ Ῥηγίνων συμμάχων ὄντων πολλοὺς προσελάβοντο.
Therefore, the Iapyges prepared their own forces and secured the alliance of their neighbors, amassing in total more than twenty thousand men; on the other hand, when the Tarantines learned of the size of the force gathered against them, they assembled their citizen soldiers and enlisted many from the Rhegians, who were their allies.
§11.52.4γενομένης δὲ μάχης ἰσχυρᾶς καὶ πολλῶν παρʼ ἀμφοτέροις πεσόντων, τὸ τελευταῖον οἱ Ἰάπυγες ἐνίκησαν.
A fierce battle took place and many fell on both sides, but in the end, the Iapyges were victorious.
τῶν δὲ ἡττηθέντων εἰς δύο μέρη σχισθέντων κατὰ τὴν φυγήν, καὶ τῶν μὲν εἰς Τάραντα τὴν ἀναχώρησιν ποιουμένων, τῶν δὲ εἰς τὸ Ῥήγιον φευγόντων, παραπλησίως τούτοις καὶ οἱ Ἰάπυγες ἐμερίσθησαν.
When the defeated split into two divisions in their flight, with some making their retreat to Tarentum and others fleeing to Rhegium, the Iapyges likewise divided themselves in a similar manner.
§11.52.5οἱ μὲν οὖν τοὺς Ταραντίνους διώξαντες ὀλίγου διαστήματος ὄντος πολλοὺς τῶν ἐναντίων ἀνεῖλον, οἱ δὲ τοὺς Ῥηγίνους διώκοντες ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ἐφιλοτιμήθησαν ὥστε συνεισπεσεῖν τοῖς φεύγουσιν εἰς τὸ Ῥήγιον καὶ τῆς πόλεως κυριεῦσαι.
Those, then, who pursued the Tarantines, because the distance was short, slew many of their opponents; but those who pursued the Rhegians pressed on with such eagerness that they burst into Rhegium along with the fugitives and made themselves masters of the city.

Notes

  1. §11.52.2ἀμφισβητούντων — A genitive absolute participle where the subject is not explicitly expressed. It is understood from the immediate context that the Tarantines and the Iapyges are the logical subject.
  2. §11.52.2διετέλουν ἁψιμαχοῦντες — The verb `διατελέω` takes a supplementary participle to express continuous action ("they continued skirmishing").
  3. §11.52.4τῶν δὲ ἡττηθέντων εἰς δύο μέρη σχισθέντων — A complex nested structure of genitive absolutes. Within the main genitive absolute `τῶν ἡττηθέντων... σχισθέντων` (the defeated having split), further genitive absolutes `τῶν μὲν... τῶν δὲ...` are embedded to describe the actions of each split group.
  4. §11.52.5ἐφιλοτιμήθησαν — Although passive in form, it has an active meaning of being filled with ambition, rivalry, or eagerness—in this context, displaying a fierce determination in their pursuit.
  5. §11.52.5ὥστε συνεισπεσεῖν — The conjunction `ὥστε` followed by the infinitive expresses the actual result of their eager pursuit ("so that they burst in").

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §11.52.1-11.52.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:11.52.1-11.52.5

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