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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §12.77.1-12.77.5

Alliance of Athens and Argos and Peloponnesian Unrest

Passage 171 of 723 · Greek

Summary

While Athens restored Delos, tension rose between Athens and Sparta over Pylos, leading to an alliance between Athens and Argos amidst Peloponnesian confusion. Meanwhile, localized conflicts and captures occurred around Heracleia in Trachis and Mecyberna.

§12.77.1ἐπʼ ἄρχοντος δʼ Ἀθήνησιν Ἀστυφίλου Ῥωμαῖοι κατέστησαν ὑπάτους Λεύκιον Κοΐντιον καὶ Αὖλον Σεμπρώνιον, Ἠλεῖοι δʼ ἤγαγον Ὀλυμπιάδα ἐνενηκοστήν, καθʼ ἣν ἐνίκα στάδιον Ὑπέρβιος Συρακόσιος.
When Astyphilus was archon in Athens, the Romans established Lucius Quinctius and Aulus Sempronius as consuls, and the Eleans celebrated the ninetieth Olympiad, in which Hyperbius of Syracuse won the stadion.
ἐπὶ δὲ τούτων Ἀθηναῖοι μὲν κατά τινα χρησμὸν Δηλίοις ἀπέδοσαν τὴν νῆσον, καὶ κατῆλθον εἰς τὴν πατρίδα οἱ τὸ Ἀδραμύτιον οἰκοῦντες Δήλιοι.
Under these magistrates, the Athenians, in accordance with an oracle, restored the island to the Delians, and the Delians who were dwelling in Adramyttium returned to their homeland.
§12.77.2τῶν δὲ Ἀθηναίων οὐκ ἀποδόντων Λακεδαιμονίοις τὴν Πύλον, πάλιν αἱ πόλεις αὗται πρὸς ἀλλήλας διεφέροντο καὶ πολεμικῶς εἶχον.
But since the Athenians did not restore Pylos to the Lacedaemonians, these cities once more fell into dispute with one another and were in a state of hostility.
ἃ δὴ πυθόμενος ὁ δῆμος τῶν Ἀργείων ἔπεισε τοὺς Ἀθηναίους φιλίαν συνθέσθαι πρὸς τοὺς Ἀργείους.
Learning of this, the Argive people persuaded the Athenians to conclude a friendship with the Argives.
§12.77.3αὐξομένης δὲ τῆς διαφορᾶς, οἱ μὲν Λακεδαιμόνιοι τοὺς Κορινθίους ἔπεισαν ἐγκαταλιπεῖν τὴν κοινὴν σύνοδον καὶ συμμαχεῖν τοῖς Λακεδαιμονίοις.
As the dispute grew, the Lacedaemonians persuaded the Corinthians to abandon the common alliance and to ally with the Lacedaemonians.
τοιαύτης δὲ ταραχῆς γενομένης καὶ ἀναρχίας οὔσης, τὰ κατὰ τὴν Πελοπόννησον ἐν τούτοις ἦν.
Since such confusion had arisen and anarchy prevailed, affairs in the Peloponnese were in this state.
§12.77.4ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἐκτὸς τόποις Αἰνιᾶνες καὶ Δόλοπες καὶ Μηλιεῖς συμφρονήσαντες δυνάμεσιν ἀξιολόγοις ἐστράτευσαν ἐπὶ τὴν Ἡράκλειαν τὴν ἐν Τραχῖνι.
In the regions outside the Peloponnese, the Aenianes, Dolopes, and Malians, having united, campaigned with a notable force against Heracleia in Trachis.
ἀντιταχθέντων δὲ τῶν Ἡρακλεωτῶν, καὶ μάχης γενομένης ἰσχυρᾶς, ἡττήθησαν οἱ τὴν Ἡράκλειαν κατοικοῦντες.
Although the Heracleots drew up against them and a fierce battle ensued, the inhabitants of Heracleia were defeated.
πολλοὺς δʼ ἀποβαλόντες στρατιώτας, καὶ συμφυγόντες ἐντὸς τῶν τειχῶν, μετεπέμψαντο βοήθειαν παρὰ τῶν Βοιωτῶν.
Having lost many soldiers and fled for refuge inside their walls, they sent for help from the Boeotians.
ἀποστειλάντων δʼ αὐτοῖς τῶν Θηβαίων χιλίους ὁπλίτας ἐπιλέκτους, μετʼ αὐτῶν ἠμύνοντο τοὺς ἐπεστρατευκότας.
When the Thebans dispatched to them one thousand select hoplites, they, with these troops, repulsed those who had campaigned against them.
§12.77.5ἅμα δὲ τούτοις πραττομένοις Ὀλύνθιοι μὲν στρατεύσαντες ἐπὶ πόλιν Μηκύβερναν, φρουρουμένην ὑπʼ Ἀθηναίων, τὴν μὲν φρουρὰν ἐξέβαλον, αὐτοὶ δὲ τὴν πόλιν κατέσχον.
While these things were being done, the Olynthians campaigned against the city of Mecyberna, which was garrisoned by the Athenians, expelled the garrison, and themselves occupied the city.

Notes

  1. §12.77.1ἐπὶ δὲ τούτων — The preposition ἐπί with the genitive expresses time, meaning 'in the time of' or 'under the term of'. The pronoun τούτων is plural and refers to the Athenian archon and Roman consuls mentioned just before.
  2. §12.77.2τῶν δὲ Ἀθηναίων οὐκ ἀποδόντων — Genitive absolute. Here it expresses the cause or reason (since the Athenians did not restore Pylos) for the event in the main clause (the resurgence of the dispute).
  3. §12.77.4ἀντιταχθέντων δὲ τῶν Ἡρακλεωτῶν, καὶ μάχης γενομένης ἰσχυρᾶς — Two genitive absolutes are coordinated by the conjunction καί, presenting the preparatory circumstances leading to the main action of the verb ἡττήθησαν (were defeated).

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §12.77.1-12.77.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:12.77.1-12.77.5

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