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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §14.40.1-14.40.7

Aborted Expedition of Rhegium and Messene Against Dionysius

Passage 334 of 723 · Greek

Summary

The generals of Rhegium and Messene launch a joint expedition against the tyrant Dionysius, but the campaign collapses when the Messenian soldiers refuse to fight without public approval and withdraw, leading to an eventual peace treaty with Dionysius.

§14.40.1Ῥηγῖνοι δὲ Χαλκιδέων ὄντες ἄποικοι τὴν αὔξησιν τοῦ Διονυσίου χαλεπῶς ἑώρων.
The Rhegians, being colonists of the Chalcidians, viewed the rise of Dionysius with bitterness.
Ναξίους μὲν γὰρ καὶ Καταναίους συγγενεῖς ὄντας ἐξηνδραποδίσατο, τοῖς δὲ Ῥηγίνοις, γένους τοῦ αὐτοῦ μετέχουσι τοῖς ἠτυχηκόσιν, οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν ἀγωνίαν παρεῖχε τὸ γεγονός, πάντων εὐλαβουμένων μὴ ταῖς αὐταῖς συμφοραῖς περιπέσωσιν.
For he had enslaved the Naxians and Catanians, who were their kinsmen, and to the Rhegians, who shared the same stock with those who had suffered misfortune, this event brought no ordinary anxiety, as everyone feared lest they should fall into the same disasters.
§14.40.2ἔδοξεν οὖν αὐτοῖς, πρὶν τελείως ἰσχυρὸν γενέσθαι τὸν τύραννον, στρατεύειν ἐπʼ αὐτὸν κατὰ τάχος.
Therefore, it was decided by them, before the tyrant should become completely powerful, to make war against him with speed.
παραχρῆμα δὲ συνεβάλοντο πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον οὐκ ἐλάχιστα καὶ οἱ φυγαδευθέντες τῶν Συρακοσίων ὑπὸ Διονυσίου· τότε γὰρ οἱ πλεῖστοι διατρίβοντες ἐν Ῥηγίῳ διετέλουν περὶ τούτων διαλεγόμενοι, διδάσκοντες ὅτι συνεπιθήσονται τῷ καιρῷ πάντες οἱ Συρακόσιοι.
Immediately, those of the Syracusans who had been exiled by Dionysius also contributed not a little to the war; for at that time the majority of them, staying in Rhegium, continually discussed these matters, showing that all the Syracusans would join in the attack when the opportunity arose.
§14.40.3τέλος δὲ καταστήσαντες στρατηγούς, ἐξέπεμψαν μετʼ αὐτῶν πεζοὺς μὲν ἑξακισχιλίους, ἱππεῖς δὲ ἑξακοσίους, τριήρεις δὲ πεντήκοντα.
At last, having appointed generals, they sent out with them six thousand infantry, six hundred cavalry, and fifty triremes.
οὗτοι δὲ διαπλεύσαντες τὸν πορθμὸν ἔπεισαν τοὺς τῶν Μεσσηνίων στρατηγοὺς κοινωνῆσαι τοῦ πολέμου, φάσκοντες δεινὸν εἶναι περιιδεῖν ἀστυγείτονας Ἑλληνίδας πόλεις ἄρδην ἀνῃρημένας ὑπὸ τοῦ τυράννου.
Having sailed across the strait, these men persuaded the generals of the Messenians to join in the war, declaring that it was a terrible thing to look on while neighboring Greek cities were utterly destroyed by the tyrant.
§14.40.4οἱ μὲν οὖν στρατηγοὶ πεισθέντες τοῖς Ῥηγίνοις ἄνευ τῆς τοῦ δήμου γνώμης ἐξήγαγον τοὺς στρατιώτας· ἦσαν δʼ οὗτοι πεζοὶ μὲν τετρακισχίλιοι, ἱππεῖς δὲ τετρακόσιοι, τριήρεις δὲ τριάκοντα.
The generals of the Messenians, being persuaded by the Rhegians, led out their soldiers without the approval of the people; these were four thousand infantry, four hundred cavalry, and thirty triremes.
ἐπεὶ δὲ προῆλθον αἱ προειρημέναι δυνάμεις πρὸς τοὺς ὅρους τῆς Μεσσήνης, ἐνέπεσεν εἰς τοὺς στρατιώτας στάσις, Λαομέδοντος τοῦ Μεσσηνίου δημηγορήσαντος· §14.40.5οὗτος γὰρ συνεβούλευε μὴ κατάρχεσθαι πολέμου πρὸς τὸν Διονύσιον μηδὲν αὐτοὺς ἠδικηκότα.
But when the aforementioned forces had advanced to the borders of Messene, a mutiny broke out among the soldiers, after Laomedon the Messenian had delivered a speech; for he advised them not to begin a war against Dionysius, who had done them no wrong.
οἱ μὲν οὖν τῶν Μεσσηνίων στρατιῶται, τὸν πόλεμον οὐκ ἐπικεκυρωκότος τοῦ δήμου, παραχρῆμʼ ἐπείσθησαν, καὶ τοὺς στρατηγοὺς καταλιπόντες ἀνέκαμψαν εἰς τὴν πατρίδα·
Therefore, the soldiers of the Messenians, since the people had not ratified the war, were immediately persuaded, and leaving their generals behind, they returned to their native city.
§14.40.6Ῥηγῖνοι δʼ οὐκ ὄντες ἀξιόμαχοι καθʼ ἑαυτούς, ἐπειδὴ τοὺς Μεσσηνίους ἑώρων διαλύοντας τὸ στρατόπεδον, καὶ αὐτοὶ ταχέως ἀνέκαμψαν εἰς Ῥήγιον.
The Rhegians, not being a match for the enemy by themselves, when they saw the Messenians disbanding their camp, themselves also quickly returned to Rhegium.
Διονύσιος δὲ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἐπὶ τοὺς ὅρους τῆς Συρακοσίας ἐξήγαγε τὴν δύναμιν, προσδεχόμενος τὴν τῶν πολεμίων ἔφοδον· ὡς δʼ ἤκουσε τὴν ἀνάζευξιν αὐτῶν, ἀπήγαγε τὴν στρατιὰν εἰς τὰς Συρακούσας·
Meanwhile, Dionysius at first led his force to the borders of the territory of Syracuse, expecting the attack of the enemy; but when he heard of their withdrawal, he led his army back to Syracuse.
§14.40.7διαπρεσβευσαμένων δὲ τῶν Ῥηγίνων καὶ τῶν Μεσσηνίων περὶ εἰρήνης, κρίνων συμφέρον εἶναι διαλύεσθαι τὴν ἔχθραν πρὸς τὰς πόλεις, συνέθετο τὴν εἰρήνην.
When the Rhegians and the Messenians sent envoys concerning peace, judging it to be advantageous to dissolve the hostility toward these cities, he concluded the peace.

Notes

  1. 14.40.1οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν — The feminine singular accusative present participle of τυγχάνω (τυχοῦσαν) accompanied by the negative οὐ forms an idiomatic expression (litotes) meaning "not the ordinary," i.e., "extraordinary" or "grave."
  2. 14.40.3περιιδεῖν ... ἀνῃρημένας — The verb περιοράω ("look on," "allow") takes a supplementary participle to mean "look on while something is being done." Here, ἀνῃρημένας (perfect passive participle of ἀναιρέω, "to destroy") agrees with Ἑλληνίδας πόλεις ("Greek cities") to denote what is being looked on.
  3. 14.40.5μηδὲν αὐτοὺς ἠδικηκότα — The perfect active participle ἠδικηκότα (from ἀδικέω, "to do wrong") modifies the preceding accusative noun τὸν Διονύσιον. Since the verb ἀδικέω can take a double accusative (here αὐτούς and μηδέν), the phrase means "having done them no wrong."

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §14.40.1-14.40.7. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:14.40.1-14.40.7

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