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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §14.105.1-14.105.4

Surrender of Italiotes and Dionysius' Unexpected Clemency

Passage 399 of 723 · Greek

Summary

Dionysius besieges the defeated Italiotes who have fled to a waterless hill. Upon their surrender, he unexpectedly treats them with utmost clemency, releasing them without ransom and granting autonomy to their cities.

§14.105.1πολλῶν δʼ ἀναιρουμένων ἐν τῇ κατὰ τὸ πεδίον τροπῇ, κατέφυγε τὸ πλῆθος ἐπί τινα λόφον, ἐρυμνὸν μὲν ὄντα πρὸς τὴν πολιορκίαν, ἄνυδρον δὲ καὶ δυνάμενον ῥᾳδίως ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων φυλάττεσθαι.
While many were being slain in the rout along the plain, the multitude fled for refuge to a certain hill, which was strong indeed against a siege, but waterless and capable of being easily guarded by the enemy.
ὃν ὁ Διονύσιος περιστρατοπεδεύσας τήν τε ἡμέραν ἐκείνην καὶ τὴν νύκτα διηγρύπνησεν ἐν τοῖς ὅπλοις, ἐπιμελῶς ταῖς φυλακαῖς χρησάμενος.
Dionysius, having encamped around it, remained awake under arms through both that day and the night, employing guards diligently.
τῇ δʼ ὑστεραίᾳ διὰ τὸ καῦμα καὶ τὴν ἀνυδρίαν οἱ συμπεφευγότες κακῶς ἀπήλλαττον.
On the next day, because of the heat and the lack of water, those who had fled there together fared badly.
§14.105.2ἐπικηρυκευσαμένων δʼ αὐτῶν πρὸς τὸν Διονύσιον καὶ παρακαλούντων λύτρα πράξασθαι, οὐ μέτριος ἐν τοῖς εὐημερήμασι γενόμενος προσέταττεν ἀποθέσθαι τὰ ὅπλα καὶ σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἐγχειρίσαι τῷ κρατοῦντι.
When they sent heralds to Dionysius and begged him to exact a ransom, he, not behaving moderately in his success, commanded them to lay down their arms and surrender themselves to the victor.
σκληροῦ δὲ τοῦ προστάγματος ὄντος, μέχρι μέν τινος διεκαρτέρουν, ὡς δʼ ὑπὸ τῆς φυσικῆς ἀνάγκης κατεβαροῦντο, παρέδωκαν αὑτοὺς περὶ ὀγδόην ὥραν, ἤδη τὰ σώματα παρειμένοι.
Since this command was harsh, they held out for a certain time, but when they were weighed down by physical necessity, they surrendered themselves around the eighth hour, their bodies already exhausted.
§14.105.3Διονύσιος δὲ λαβὼν ῥάβδον καὶ πατάξας ἐπὶ τοῦ ἐδάφους ἠρίθμει τοὺς καταβαίνοντας αἰχμαλώτους, ὄντας πλείους τῶν μυρίων.
Dionysius, taking a staff and striking it upon the ground, counted the captives as they came down, who were more than ten thousand.
καὶ πάντων αὐτοῦ ὑποπτευόντων τὸ θηριῶδες, τοὐναντίον ἐφάνη πάντων ἐπιεικέστατος· §14.105.4τούς τε γὰρ αἰχμαλώτους ἀφῆκεν αὐτεξουσίους χωρὶς λύτρων καὶ πρὸς τὰς πλείστας τῶν πόλεων εἰρήνην συνθέμενος ἀφῆκεν αὐτονόμους.
And although everyone suspected his brutal nature, on the contrary he showed himself the most merciful of all; for he released the captives free without ransom, and having made peace with most of the cities, he left them autonomous.
ἐπὶ δὲ τούτοις ἐπαίνου τυχὼν ὑπὸ τῶν εὖ παθόντων χρυσοῖς στεφάνοις ἐτιμήθη, καὶ σχεδὸν τοῦτʼ ἔδοξε πρᾶξειν ἐν τῷ ζῆν κάλλιστον.
Having received praise for these deeds from those who had benefited, he was honored with golden crowns, and this was considered almost the finest deed of his life.

Notes

  1. 14.105.1ὃν ὁ Διονύσιος περιστρατοπεδεύσας — The relative pronoun ὃν (masculine accusative singular) refers to the antecedent λόφον and functions as the direct object of the circumstantial participle περιστρατοπεδεύσας, rather than being directly governed by the main verb διηγρύπνησεν.
  2. 14.105.2τὰ σώματα παρειμένοι — παρειμένοι is the perfect passive participle (nominative plural masculine) of παρίημι, meaning 'weakened' or 'exhausted'. The noun τὰ σώματα (neuter plural accusative) functions as an accusative of respect ('with respect to their bodies', often called the Greek accusative).
  3. 14.105.4ἔδοξε πρᾶξειν — The transmitted text reads the future infinitive πρᾶξειν, which is used with the past main verb ἔδοξε ('seemed' or 'was judged') to refer to a past action ('the finest deed he had performed in his life'). In classical prose, the aorist infinitive πρᾶξαι would be expected, suggesting a late linguistic development or a scribal error.

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §14.105.1-14.105.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:14.105.1-14.105.4

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