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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §13.49.1-13.49.6

Siege of Pydna and Fleet Movements at the Hellespont

Passage 228 of 723 · Greek

Summary

This passage describes the conquest and relocation of Pydna by King Archelaus of Macedon, and the movements of both the Athenian and Spartan fleets as they assemble around the Hellespont to prepare for a decisive clash near Cyzicus.

§13.49.1Ἀρχέλαος δʼ ὁ τῶν Μακεδόνων βασιλεύς, τῶν Πυδναίων ἀπειθούντων, πολλῇ δυνάμει τὴν πόλιν περιεστρατοπέδευσεν.
Archelaus, the king of the Macedonians, since the Pydnaeans did not submit, besieged the city with a large force.
παρεβοήθησε δʼ αὐτῷ καὶ Θηραμένης ἔχων στόλον· ὃς χρονιζούσης τῆς πολιορκίας ἀπέπλευσεν εἰς Θρᾴκην πρὸς Θρασύβουλον τὸν ἀφηγούμενον τοῦ στόλου παντός.
Theramenes also came to his assistance, having a fleet; but he, as the siege dragged on, sailed away to Thrace to join Thrasybulus, who was in command of the entire fleet.
§13.49.2ὁ μὲν οὖν Ἀρχέλαος φιλοτιμότερον πολιορκήσας τὴν Πύδναν καὶ κρατήσας μετῴκισεν αὐτὴν ἀπὸ θαλάττης ὡς εἴκοσι στάδια.
Archelaus, then, having besieged Pydna with greater determination and mastered it, relocated it about twenty stades from the sea.
ὁ δὲ Μίνδαρος, ἤδη τοῦ χειμῶνος λήγοντος, συνήγαγε τὰς πανταχόθεν τριήρεις· ἔκ τε γὰρ τῆς Πελοποννήσου πολλαὶ παρεγενήθησαν καὶ παρὰ τῶν ἄλλων συμμάχων ὁμοίως.
Mindarus, now that the winter was already ending, gathered his triremes from all sides; for many arrived from the Peloponnese and likewise from the other allies.
οἱ δʼ ἐν Σηστῷ τῶν Ἀθηναίων στρατηγοί, πυνθανόμενοι τὸ μέγεθος τοῦ συναγομένου τοῖς πολεμίοις στόλου, περιδεεῖς ἦσαν, μήποτε πάσαις ταῖς τριήρεσιν ἐπιπλεύσαντες οἱ πολέμιοι κυριεύσωσι τῶν νεῶν.
The Athenian generals at Sestos, learning of the size of the fleet being gathered by the enemy, were in great fear lest the enemy, sailing against them with all their triremes, should capture their ships.
§13.49.3ὅθεν αὐτοὶ μὲν καθελκύσαντες τὰς οὔσας ἐν Σηστῷ ναῦς περιέπλευσαν τὴν Χερρόνησον καὶ καθωρμίσθησαν εἰς Καρδίαν· εἰς δὲ Θρᾴκην πρὸς Θρασύβουλον καὶ Θηραμένην ἔπεμψαν τριήρεις, παρακαλοῦντες μετὰ τοῦ στόλου τὴν ταχίστην ἥκειν·
Therefore, they themselves launched the ships they had in Sestos, sailed around the Chersonese, and came to anchor at Cardia; and they sent triremes to Thrace to Thrasybulus and Theramenes, urging them to come with their fleet as quickly as possible.
μετεπέμψαντο δὲ καὶ τὸν Ἀλκιβιάδην ἐκ Λέσβου μεθʼ ὧν εἶχε νεῶν, καὶ συνήχθη πᾶς ὁ στόλος εἰς ἕνα τόπον, σπευδόντων τῶν στρατηγῶν περὶ τῶν ὅλων διακινδυνεῦσαι.
They also summoned Alcibiades from Lesbos with the ships he had, and the entire fleet was assembled in one place, as the generals were eager to risk a decisive battle for the whole issue.
§13.49.4Μίνδαρος δʼ ὁ τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων ναύαρχος πλεύσας εἰς Κύζικον πᾶσαν τὴν δύναμιν ἐξεβίβασε καὶ τὴν πόλιν περιεστρατοπέδευσεν.
Mindarus, the Lacedaemonian admiral, having sailed to Cyzicus, disembarked his entire force and besieged the city.
παρεγενήθη δὲ καὶ Φαρνάβαζος μετὰ πολλῆς στρατιᾶς, μεθʼ οὗ πολιορκήσας Μίνδαρος εἷλε τὴν Κύζικον κατὰ κράτος.
Pharnabazus also arrived with a large army, with whom Mindarus besieged and took Cyzicus by storm.
§13.49.5οἱ δὲ τῶν Ἀθηναίων στρατηγοὶ κρίναντες ἐπὶ Κύζικον πλεῖν, ἀνήχθησαν μετὰ πασῶν τῶν νεῶν καὶ τὴν Χερρόνησον περιέπλεον.
The Athenian generals, having decided to sail against Cyzicus, put out to sea with all their ships and sailed around the Chersonese.
καὶ πρῶτον μὲν εἰς Ἐλεοῦντα παρεγένοντο· μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ἐφιλοτιμήθησαν νυκτὸς τὴν τῶν Ἀβυδηνῶν πόλιν παραπλεῦσαι πρὸς τὸ μὴ κατανοηθῆναι τὸ πλῆθος τῶν νεῶν ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων.
First they arrived at Elaeus; after this, they made it their ambition to sail past the city of the Abydenes by night, so that the multitude of their ships might not be noticed by the enemy.
§13.49.6ἐπεὶ δʼ ἦλθον εἰς Προικόννησον, τὴν μὲν νύκτα κατηυλίσθησαν ἐν ταύτῃ, τῇ δʼ ὑστεραίᾳ τοὺς μὲν ἐπιβεβηκότας στρατιώτας διεβίβασαν εἰς τὴν τῶν Κυζικηνῶν χώραν, καὶ τῷ στρατηγοῦντι τούτων Χαιρέᾳ προσέταξαν ἄγειν τὸ στρατόπεδον ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν.
And when they came to Proiconnesus, they spent the night there, and on the following day they transported the soldiers who were on board to the territory of the Cyzicenes, and ordered Chaereas, who was in command of these, to lead the army against the city.

Notes

  1. §13.49.1ὃς — A relative pronoun used in a coordinating (or continuative) sense, functioning equivalent to a demonstrative pronoun ('and he'). It refers back to Theramenes (Θηραμένης) in the preceding clause.
  2. §13.49.2περιδεεῖς ἦσαν, μήποτε... κυριεύσωσι — The adjective of fearing, `περιδεεῖς` ('very fearful'), introduces a object clause of fearing with `μή` (`μήποτε`) and the subjunctive `κυριεύσωσι`, expressing apprehension about a future possibility.
  3. §13.49.3περὶ τῶν ὅλων — An idiomatic expression meaning 'for the whole issue' or 'concerning the entire fortune of the war', modifying the infinitive `διακινδυνεῦσαι` ('to risk, hazard a battle').
  4. §13.49.5πρὸς τὸ μὴ κατανοηθῆναι — The preposition `πρὸς` with the articular infinitive in the passive voice (`κατανοηθῆναι`) and the negative `μή` expresses negative purpose ('in order that they might not be noticed').

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §13.49.1-13.49.6. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:13.49.1-13.49.6

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