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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §14.61.1-14.61.6

Dionysius' Retreat and the Campanians of Aetna

Passage 355 of 723 · Greek

Summary

When Dionysius decides to retreat to defend Syracuse, many disappointed Siceliotes abandon him. Meanwhile, Himilcon attempts to win over the Campanians of Aetna, but they are forced to remain allied with Dionysius due to hostages.

§14.61.1οἱ δὲ Σικελιῶται τὴν πορείαν μὲν ἐπὶ Συρακουσῶν ἐποιήσαντο, νομίζοντες δὲ πάντως εἰς ἐργώδη πολιορκίαν συγκλεισθήσεσθαι, παρεκάλουν τὸν Διονύσιον εὐθέως ἀπαντᾶν τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ἰμίλκωνα διὰ τὴν γεγενημένην νίκην· τάχα γὰρ τῷ παραδόξῳ τῆς ἐπιφανείας καταπλήξεσθαι τοὺς βαρβάρους καὶ τὸ πρότερον ἐλάττωμα διορθώσεσθαι.
The Siceliotes directed their march toward Syracuse, but believing that they would certainly be shut up in a difficult siege, they urged Dionysius to meet Himilcon immediately, because of the victory that had taken place; for they thought that by the unexpectedness of their appearance, the barbarians would be struck with terror, and the former setback would be rectified.
§14.61.2Διονύσιος δὲ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον τοῖς παρακαλοῦσι πειθόμενος ἕτοιμος ἦν ἄγειν τὴν δύναμιν ἐπὶ Ἰμίλκωνα· ὡς δέ τινες τῶν φίλων ἔλεγον αὐτῷ, ὅτι κινδυνεύσει τὴν πόλιν ἀποβαλεῖν, ἐὰν Μάγων ἀναχθῇ μετὰ τοῦ στόλου παντὸς ἐπὶ Συρακουσῶν, εὐθέως μετενόησε· καὶ γὰρ τὴν Μεσσήνην ᾔδει τῷ παραπλησίῳ τρόπῳ τοῖς βαρβάροις ὑποχείριον γεγενημένην.
Dionysius, at first yielding to those who urged him, was ready to lead his force against Himilcon; but when some of his friends told him that he would run the risk of losing the city if Mago should set sail with the entire fleet against Syracuse, he immediately changed his mind; for indeed he knew that Messene had fallen into the hands of the barbarians in a similar manner.
ὥστε οὐκ ἀσφαλὲς εἶναι νομίζων ἔρημον ποιῆσαι τὴν πόλιν τῶν ἀμυνομένων, ἀνέζευξεν ἐπὶ Συρακουσῶν.
Therefore, thinking it not safe to leave the city empty of defenders, he retreated to Syracuse.
§14.61.3τῶν δὲ Σικελιωτῶν οἱ πλεῖστοι χαλεπῶς φέροντες ἐπὶ τῷ μὴ βούλεσθαι τοῖς πολεμίοις ἀπαντᾶν, καταλιπόντες τὸν Διονύσιον οἱ μὲν εἰς τὰς ἰδίας πατρίδας, οἱ δʼ εἰς τὰ σύνεγγυς τῶν φρουρίων ἀπεχώρησαν.
Most of the Siceliotes, being deeply resentful at his unwillingness to meet the enemy, abandoned Dionysius and departed, some to their own homelands and others to the neighboring strongholds.
§14.61.4Ἰμίλκων δὲ δυσὶν ἡμέραις κατανύσας εἰς τὸν τῶν Καταναίων αἰγιαλόν, τὰς μὲν ναῦς ἁπάσας ἐνεώλκησε, μεγάλου πνεύματος ἐπιγενομένου, τὴν δὲ δύναμιν ἐφʼ ἡμέρας τινὰς ἀναλαμβάνων πρέσβεις ἀπέστειλε πρὸς τοὺς τὴν Αἴτνην κατέχοντας Καμπανούς, παρακαλῶν ἀποστῆναι τοῦ Διονυσίου.
Himilcon, arriving at the shore of the Cataneans in two days, hauled all his ships up on land, as a great wind had come up, and while resting his force for a few days, he sent ambassadors to the Campanians who held Aetna, urging them to revolt from Dionysius.
§14.61.5ἐπηγγέλλετο δʼ αὐτοῖς χώραν τε δωρήσεσθαι πολλὴν καὶ τῶν ἐκ τοῦ πολέμου λαφύρων κοινωνοὺς ποιήσεσθαι· ἐδίδασκε δὲ καὶ τοὺς τὴν Ἔντελλαν κατοικοῦντας Καμπανοὺς εὐδοκοῦντας Καρχηδονίοις καὶ συμμαχοῦντας κατὰ τῶν Σικελιωτῶν, καθόλου δὲ τὸ τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἀπεδείκνυε πολέμιον ὑπάρχον τῶν ἄλλων ἐθνῶν.
He promised to give them much land and to make them partners in the spoils of the war; he also pointed out that the Campanians living in Entella were pleased with the Carchedonians and were allied with them against the Siceliotes, and in general he showed that the nation of the Greeks was hostile to all other peoples.
§14.61.6οἱ δὲ Καμπανοὶ δεδωκότες ὁμήρους τῷ Διονυσίῳ, καὶ τοὺς ἀρίστους τῶν στρατιωτῶν ἀπεσταλκότες εἰς Συρακούσας, ἠναγκάσθησαν διατηρῆσαι τὴν πρὸς Διονύσιον συμμαχίαν, καίπερ ἐπιθυμοῦντες μεταβαλέσθαι πρὸς Καρχηδονίους.
But the Campanians, having given hostages to Dionysius and having sent the best of their soldiers to Syracuse, were forced to maintain their alliance with Dionysius, although they desired to go over to the Carchedonians.

Notes

  1. 14.61.1καταπλήξεσθαι ... διορθώσεσθαι — The subject of the infinitive `καταπλήξεσθαι` (future middle or passive infinitive) is the accusative `τοὺς βαρβάρους`, functioning in an intransitive/passive sense ('the barbarians would be struck with terror'). Similarly, the subject of `διορθώσεσθαι` (future middle infinitive used with passive meaning) is the accusative `τὸ πρότερον ἐλάττωμα` ('the former setback would be rectified'). Both constitute accusative-and-infinitive constructions in indirect discourse introduced implicitly within the explanation.
  2. 14.61.2ἔρημον ... τῶν ἀμυνομένων — The adjective `ἔρημος` governs the genitive case, meaning 'deprived of' or 'empty of.' Here, the genitive plural present middle-passive participle `τῶν ἀμυνομένων` ('those defending') depends on `ἔρημον`, forming the phrase 'to leave the city empty of defenders.'
  3. 14.61.5ἐδίδασκε — The verb `διδάσκω`, which usually means 'to teach,' is employed here in the sense of 'to point out, explain, or argue.' It takes the participles `εὐδοκοῦντας` and `συμμαχοῦντας` in the accusative to mean 'he pointed out that they were pleased... and allied...'

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §14.61.1-14.61.6. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:14.61.1-14.61.6

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