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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §12.51.1-12.51.2

Sitalces' Reconciliation with Perdiccas and Retreat

Passage 145 of 723 · Greek

Summary

Fearing Sitalces' invasion, the Greek cities organized a common force, which, along with the difficulties of winter, prompted Sitalces to make peace with Perdiccas and withdraw his army to Thrace.

§12.51.1τοῦ δὲ Σιτάλκου περὶ ταῦτα διατρίβοντος Θετταλοὶ καὶ Ἀχαιοὶ καὶ Μάγνητες καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι πάντες Ἕλληνες ὅσοι κατῴκουν μεταξὺ Μακεδονίας καὶ Θερμοπυλῶν, συνεφρόνησαν καὶ δύναμιν ἀξιόλογον κοινῇ συνεστήσαντο· εὐλαβοῦντο γὰρ μήποτε τοσαύταις μυριάσιν οἱ Θρᾷκες ἐμβάλωσιν αὐτῶν εἰς τὴν χώραν, καὶ κινδυνεύσωσι ταῖς πατρίσι.
While Sitalces was occupied with these matters, the Thessalians, Achaeans, Magnetes, and all the other Greeks who dwelt between Macedonia and Thermopylae, united in purpose and jointly organized a notable force; for they were afraid lest the Thracians, with so many tens of thousands, should invade their territory and bring danger to their homelands.
§12.51.2τὸ δʼ αὐτὸ καὶ τῶν Χαλκιδέων ποιησάντων, Σιτάλκης πυθόμενος τοὺς Ἕλληνας ἁδρὰς δυνάμεις συνηθροικέναι καὶ τοὺς στρατιώτας ὑπὸ τοῦ χειμῶνος ἐνοχλουμένους ἐννοούμενος, πρὸς μὲν τὸν Περδίκκαν διαλυσάμενος ἐπιγαμίας ἐποιήσατο, τὰς δὲ δυνάμεις ἀπήγαγεν εἰς τὴν Θρᾴκην.
And when the Chalcidians had done the same thing, Sitalces, learning that the Greeks had assembled strong forces and considering that his soldiers were being distressed by the winter, made peace with Perdiccas, establishing marriage alliances, and led his forces back to Thrace.

Notes

  1. 12.51.1εὐλαβοῦντο γὰρ μήποτε ... ἐμβάλωσιν ... καὶ κινδυνεύσωσι — A clause of fearing introduced by the verb of fearing εὐλαβοῦντο (imperfect of εὐλαβέομαι) followed by μήποτε and the subjunctives ἐμβάλωσιν and κινδυνεύσωσι, meaning "fearing lest they should..." or "lest they might...".
  2. 12.51.1τοσαύταις μυριάσιν — Dative of military accompaniment (or military force), indicating the troops with which the invasion was conducted: "with so many tens of thousands."
  3. 12.51.2τοὺς στρατιώτας ὑπὸ τοῦ χειμῶνος ἐνοχλουμένους ἐννοούμενος — The participle ἐννοούμενος (from ἐννοέομαι, "considering, reflecting on") takes an accusative object (τοὺς στρατιώτας) and a supplementary participle (ἐνοχλουμένους), expressing the fact: "considering that the soldiers were being distressed by the winter."

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §12.51.1-12.51.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:12.51.1-12.51.2

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