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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §15.12.1-15.12.2

Flooding of Mantinea and Dispersion into Villages

Passage 424 of 723 · Greek

Summary

The Lacedaemonians flood Mantinea by damming the rain-swollen river, forcing the city to surrender. They then order the citizens to dismantle their city and resettle in their former villages.

§15.12.1κατὰ δὲ τὴν Ἑλλάδα Λακεδαιμονίων πορθούντων Μαντίνειαν, τὸ μὲν θέρος διετέλεσαν οἱ Μαντινεῖς γενναίως ἀγωνιζόμενοι πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους· ἐδόκουν γὰρ ἀνδρείᾳ διαφέρειν τῶν Ἀρκάδων, καὶ διὰ τοῦθʼ οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι πρότερον εἰώθεισαν ἐν ταῖς μάχαις τούτους παραστάτας ἔχειν καὶ πιστοτάτους τῶν συμμάχων·
Meanwhile, in Greece, while the Lacedaemonians were laying waste to Mantinea, during the summer the Mantineans continued to fight bravely against the enemy; for they were thought to excel the Arcadians in courage, and for this reason the Lacedaemonians had previously been accustomed to have them as comrades-in-arms in battles and as the most faithful of their allies.
τοῦ δὲ χειμῶνος ἐνστάντος, καὶ τοῦ παρὰ τὴν Μαντίνειαν ποταμοῦ μεγάλην αὔξησιν ἐκ τῶν ὄμβρων λαβόντος, οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι τὸ ῥεῦμα τοῦ ποταμοῦ διαλαβόντες μεγάλοις χώμασιν ἀπέστρεψαν τὸν ποταμὸν εἰς τὴν πόλιν καὶ πάντα τὸν σύνεγγυς τόπον ἐποίησαν λιμνάζειν.
But when winter set in, and the river flowing past Mantinea received a great increase from the rains, the Lacedaemonians diverted the flow of the river with large dams, turning the river into the city and causing the entire neighboring region to become a lake.
§15.12.2διὸ καὶ τῶν οἰκιῶν πιπτουσῶν καταπλαγέντες οἱ Μαντινεῖς ἠναγκάσθησαν τὴν πόλιν παραδοῦναι τοῖς Λακεδαιμονίοις.
Therefore, as their houses were collapsing, the Mantineans, thrown into consternation, were forced to surrender their city to the Lacedaemonians.
οἱ δὲ παραλαβόντες ἄλλο μὲν οὐθὲν κακὸν εἰργάσαντο τοὺς Μαντινεῖς, προσέταξαν δὲ εἰς τὰς ἀρχαίας κώμας μετοικισθῆναι.
The Lacedaemonians, having taken possession of it, did no other harm to the Mantineans, but ordered them to be resettled into their ancient villages.
διόπερ ἠναγκάσθησαν τὴν μὲν ἰδίαν πατρίδα κατασκάπτειν, εἰς δὲ τὰς κώμας μετοικῆσαι.
Consequently, they were compelled to demolish their own fatherland and to migrate to the villages.

Notes

  1. 15.12.1διετέλεσαν ... ἀγωνιζόμενοι — The verb διατελέω is used with a supplementary participle to mean "continue to do something." Here, it expresses that they continuously fought bravely throughout the summer.
  2. 15.12.1παραστάτας ἔχειν καὶ πιστοτάτους — The verb ἔχω takes a double accusative construction (to have A as B). Here, τούτους (them) is the direct object, while παραστάτας (comrades-in-arms) and πιστοτάτους (most faithful ones) serve as predicate accusatives.
  3. 15.12.2ἄλλο μὲν οὐθὲν κακὸν εἰργάσαντο τοὺς Μαντινεῖς — The verb ἐργάζομαι (to do or inflict) takes a double accusative of the action or harm inflicted (ἄλλο οὐθὲν κακόν) and the person affected (τοὺς Μαντινεῖς).
  4. 15.12.2μετοικισθῆναι — A passive infinitive (from μετοικίζω, "to resettle/cause to migrate") acting as the object of the main verb προσέταξαν (ordered). The implied subject of this infinitive is the Mantineans (the recipients of the order) rather than the Lacedaemonians.

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §15.12.1-15.12.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:15.12.1-15.12.2

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