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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §14.96.1-14.96.5

Peace between Dionysius and Carthage and capture of Faliscus

Passage 390 of 723 · Greek

Summary

The Carthaginian army under Magon suffered from supplies shortage; Dionysius, after being abandoned by the Syracusans, concluded peace with Carthage and acquired Tauromenium, while the Romans captured Faliscus in Italy.

§14.96.1Μάγων δʼ ἐν πολεμίᾳ χώρᾳ στρατοπεδεύων, καὶ τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἐνδεὴς ἀεὶ μᾶλλον γινόμενος, οὐ μετρίως ἠλαττοῦτο· καὶ γὰρ οἱ περὶ τὸν Ἄγυριν τῆς χώρας ἔμπειροι καθεστῶτες ἐν ταῖς ἐνέδραις ἐπλεονέκτουν καὶ τὰς ἀγορὰς τῶν πολεμίων ἀφῃροῦντο.
Meanwhile Magon, encamping in hostile territory and becoming increasingly in want of necessities, suffered no small disadvantage; for those around Agyris, being familiar with the country, held the upper hand in ambushes and cut off the enemy's supplies.
§14.96.2λεγόντων δὲ τῶν Συρακοσίων διὰ μάχης κρίνειν ὡς τάχιστα τὰ πράγματα, Διονύσιος ἠναντιοῦτο λέγων χωρὶς κινδύνων τῷ χρόνῳ καὶ τῇ σπάνει καταφθαρήσεσθαι τοὺς βαρβάρους· ἐφʼ οἷς παροργισθέντες οἱ Συρακόσιοι κατέλιπον τὸν Διονύσιον.
When the Syracusans urged to decide the issue as quickly as possible by battle, Dionysius opposed them, saying that without danger the barbarians would be worn down by time and scarcity; at this the Syracusans, being angered, abandoned Dionysius.
§14.96.3ὁ δὲ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον εὐλαβούμενος ἐπʼ ἐλευθερίαν ἐκάλει τοὺς οἰκέτας, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα διαπρεσβευσαμένων τῶν Καρχηδονίων ὑπὲρ εἰρήνης ὑπακούσας ἀναπομπίμους τοῖς κυρίοις ἐποίησε, πρὸς δὲ τοὺς Καρχηδονίους εἰρήνην ἐποιήσατο.
He at first, being apprehensive, called the household slaves to freedom, but after this, when the Carthaginians sent envoys to treat for peace, he listened to them, sent the slaves back to their masters, and made peace with the Carthaginians.
§14.96.4ἦσαν δʼ αἱ συνθῆκαι τὰ μὲν ἄλλα παραπλήσιαι ταῖς πρότερον, Σικελοὺς δὲ δεῖν ὑπὸ Διονύσιον τετάχθαι καὶ παραλαβεῖν αὐτὸν τὸ Ταυρομένιον.
The terms of the treaty were in other respects similar to the previous ones, but with the conditions that the Sicels should be subject to Dionysius and that he should take over Tauromenium.
μετὰ δὲ τὰς συνθήκας Μάγων μὲν ἀπέπλευσε, Διονύσιος δὲ παραλαβὼν τὸ Ταυρομένιον τοὺς μὲν πλείστους τῶν ἐκεῖ Σικελῶν ἐξέβαλεν, τῶν δʼ ἰδίων μισθοφόρων τοὺς ἐπιτηδειοτάτους ἐπιλέξας κατῴκισεν.
After the treaty, Magon sailed away, and Dionysius, having taken over Tauromenium, expelled most of the Sicels who were there, and having selected the most suitable of his own mercenaries, settled them there.
§14.96.5καὶ τὰ μὲν κατὰ Σικελίαν ἐν τούτοις ἦν, κατὰ δὲ τὴν Ἰταλίαν Ῥωμαῖοι Φαλίσκον πόλιν ἐκ τοῦ Φαλίσκων ἔθνους ἐξεπόρθησαν.
And while the affairs of Sicily were in this state, in Italy the Romans plundered the city of Faliscus from the nation of the Faliscans.

Notes

  1. 14.96.1τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἐνδεὴς — The genitive of separation or deprivation required by the adjective ἐνδεής (lacking, in want of).
  2. 14.96.2λεγόντων δὲ τῶν Συρακοσίων — A genitive absolute construction showing a contrastive relationship; while the Syracusans demanded an immediate decisive battle, Dionysius opposed it.
  3. 14.96.3ἀναπομπίμους τοῖς κυρίοις ἐποίησε — A double accusative structure where the adjective ἀναπομπίμους (to be sent back) is used as a predicate accusative with the verb ἐποίησε, referring back to the accusative object τοὺς οἰκέτας (the slaves).
  4. 14.96.4Σικελοὺς δὲ δεῖν ὑπὸ Διονύσιον τετάχθαι — An accusative with infinitive construction explaining the terms of the treaty (αἱ συνθῆκαι). The impersonal verb δεῖν takes the accusative Σικελούς as its subject and the perfect passive infinitive τετάχθαι as its complement.

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §14.96.1-14.96.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:14.96.1-14.96.5

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