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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §13.63.1-13.63.6

Hermocrates' Return and Rebuilding of Selinus

Passage 242 of 723 · Greek

Summary

Hermocrates of Syracuse returns to Sicily, raises funds and forces to rebuild Selinus, and plunders Carthaginian territories to win popularity and prepare for his recall to Syracuse.

§13.63.1εἰς δὲ τὴν Σικελίαν κατέπλευσεν Ἑρμοκράτης ὁ Συρακόσιος.
Hermocrates the Syracusan sailed down to Sicily.
οὗτος δʼ ἐν μὲν τῷ πρὸς Ἀθηναίους πολέμῳ στρατηγήσας καὶ πολλὰ τῇ πατρίδι χρήσιμος γενόμενος πλεῖστον ἴσχυσε παρὰ τοῖς Συρακοσίοις, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ναύαρχος πεμφθεὶς σὺν τριάκοντα πέντε τριήρεσι Λακεδαιμονίοις συμμαχήσων ὑπὸ τῶν ἀντιπολιτευομένων κατεστασιάσθη, καὶ φυγῆς μὲν ἐγενήθη κατάδικος, τὸν δὲ στόλον παρέδωκεν ἐν Πελοποννήσῳ τοῖς ἐπὶ τὴν διαδοχὴν ἀποσταλεῖσιν.
He, having been general in the war against the Athenians and having become very useful to his fatherland, had the greatest influence among the Syracusans, but after this, having been sent as admiral with thirty-five triremes to ally with the Lacedaemonians, he was overcome by factional opposition by his political opponents, and became condemned to exile, and delivered the fleet in Peloponnesus to those who had been sent to succeed him.
§13.63.2αὐτὸς δʼ ἐκ τῆς στρατείας φιλίαν ἔχων πρὸς Φαρνάβαζον τὸν τῶν Περσῶν σατράπην ἔλαβε παρʼ αὐτοῦ πολλὰ χρήματα, μεθʼ ὧν εἰς Μεσσήνην καταπλεύσας πέντε μὲν ἐναυπήγησε τριήρεις, χιλίους δʼ ἐμισθώσατο στρατιώτας.
But he himself, having friendship from the campaign with Pharnabazus the satrap of the Persians, received from him a large sum of money, with which sailing down to Messene he built five triremes and hired a thousand soldiers.
§13.63.3παραλαβὼν δὲ καὶ τῶν ἐκπεπτωκότων Ἱμεραίων ὡς χιλίους, ἐπεχείρησε μὲν εἰς Συρακούσας κατελθεῖν συναγωνιζομένων αὐτῷ τῶν φίλων, ἀποτυχὼν δὲ τῆς ἐπιβολῆς ὥρμησε διὰ τῆς μεσογείου, καὶ καταλαβόμενος τὸν Σελινοῦντα τῆς πόλεως μέρος ἐτείχισε καὶ πανταχόθεν κατεκάλει τοὺς διασωζομένους τῶν Σελινουντίων.
And taking along also about a thousand of the expelled Himeraeans, he attempted indeed to return to Syracuse, with his friends fighting along with him, but having failed in the attempt, he set out through the interior, and occupying Selinus, he walled a part of the city and called back from everywhere those of the Selinuntians who had survived.
§13.63.4πολλοὺς δὲ καὶ ἄλλους ὑποδεχόμενος εἰς τὸν τόπον συνήγαγε δύναμιν ἐπιλέκτων ἀνδρῶν ἑξακισχιλίων.
And receiving many others also into the place, he gathered a force of six thousand select men.
ἐντεῦθεν δʼ ὁρμώμενος πρῶτον μὲν τὴν τῶν Μοτυηνῶν ἐπόρθησε χώραν, καὶ τοὺς ἐπεξελθόντας ἐκ τῆς πόλεως μάχῃ κρατήσας πολλοὺς μὲν ἀνεῖλε, τοὺς δʼ ἄλλους συνεδίωξεν ἐντὸς τοῦ τείχους.
Setting out from there, first indeed he plundered the territory of the Motyans, and overcoming in battle those who came out from the city, he slew many of them, and pursued the rest within the wall.
μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα τὴν τῶν Πανορμιτῶν χώραν λεηλατήσας ἀναριθμήτου λείας ἐκυρίευσε, τῶν δὲ Πανορμιτῶν πανδημεὶ παραταξαμένων πρὸ τῆς πόλεως εἰς πεντακοσίους μὲν αὐτῶν ἀνεῖλε, τοὺς δʼ ἄλλους συνέκλεισεν ἐντὸς τῶν τειχῶν.
After this, having ravaged the territory of the Panormitans, he became master of countless booty, and when the Panormitans in full force drew up for battle before the city, he slew up to five hundred of them, and shut up the rest within the walls.
§13.63.5παραπλησίως δὲ καὶ τὴν ἄλλην χώραν ἅπασαν τὴν ὑπὸ Καρχηδονίους οὖσαν πορθῶν ἐπαίνου παρὰ τοῖς Σικελιώταις ἐτύγχανεν.
And plundering in like manner also all the rest of the territory which was under the Carthaginians, he met with praise among the Siceliots.
εὐθὺ δὲ καὶ τῶν Συρακοσίων οἱ πλεῖστοι μετεμελήθησαν,ἀναξίως τῆς ἰδίας ἀρετῆς ὁρῶντες πεφυγαδευμένον τὸν Ἑρμοκράτην.
And immediately most of the Syracusans also repented, seeing Hermocrates exiled unworthily of his own virtue.
§13.63.6διὸ καὶ περὶ αὐτοῦ πολλῶν λόγων γινομένων ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις, ὁ μὲν δῆμος φανερὸς ἦν βουλόμενος καταδέχεσθαι τὸν ἄνδρα, ὁ δʼ Ἑρμοκράτης ἀκούων τὴν περὶ αὑτοῦ φήμην ἐν ταῖς Συρακούσαις παρεσκευάζετο πρὸς τὴν αὑτοῦ κάθοδον ἐπιμελῶς, εἰδὼς τοὺς ἀντιπολιτευομένους ἀντιπράξοντας.
Wherefore, while many speeches were being made concerning him in the assemblies, the people was manifest in wishing to recall the man, but Hermocrates, hearing the rumor concerning himself in Syracuse, was diligently preparing for his own return, knowing that his political opponents would oppose him.
καὶ τὰ μὲν κατὰ Σικελίαν ἐν τούτοις ἦν.
And the affairs of Sicily were in this state.

Notes

  1. §13.63.1φυγῆς ... κατάδικος — The genitive φυγῆς is governed by the adjective κατάδικος (condemned to), representing the penalty or charge. Combined with γίγνομαι (ἐγενήθη), it means 'became condemned to exile'.
  2. §13.63.3συναγωνιζομένων αὐτῷ τῶν φίλων — A genitive absolute construction. The logical subject of the present participle συναγωνιζομένων is τῶν φίλων, which is distinct from the main subject of the clause (Hermocrates). The dative pronoun αὐτῷ refers to Hermocrates and is governed by the compound verb συναγωνίζομαι.
  3. §13.63.5ἀναξίως τῆς ἰδίας ἀρετῆς ... πεφυγαδευμένον — The participle construction in the accusative (πεφυγαδευμένον τὸν Ἑρμοκράτην) functions as the object of the participle of perception ὁρῶντες, meaning 'seeing that Hermocrates had been exiled'. The adverb ἀναξίως governs the genitive of standard τῆς ἰδίας ἀρετῆς ('unworthily of his own virtue/merit').
  4. §13.63.6φανερὸς ἦν βουλόμενος — A personal construction with the nominative participle (βουλόμενος) instead of an impersonal construction (such as φανερὸν ἦν...). Literally, 'the people was manifest in wishing', meaning 'it was clear that the people wished'.

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §13.63.1-13.63.6. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:13.63.1-13.63.6

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