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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §15.17.1-15.17.5

Death of Leptines and the Peace Treaty in Sicily

Passage 429 of 723 · Greek

Summary

In the battle of Cronium, Leptines is killed and Dionysius' army suffers a major defeat, but the victorious Carthaginians propose peace with moderate terms, leading to a treaty involving territorial concessions and indemnity.

§15.17.1Λεπτίνης μὲν γὰρ ἐπὶ θατέρου κέρως τεταγμένος καὶ διαφέρων ἀνδρείᾳ, μαχόμενος ἡρωικῶς καὶ πολλοὺς ἀνελὼν τῶν Καρχηδονίων ἐπιφανῶς κατέστρεψε τὸν βίον· τούτου δὲ πεσόντος οἱ Φοίνικες θαρρήσαντες καὶ βιασάμενοι τοὺς ἀντιτεταγμένους ἐτρέψαντο. §15.17.2Διονύσιος δὲ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἔχων ἐπιλέκτους τοὺς συντεταγμένους προετέρει τῶν ἀντιτεταγμένων· ὡς δʼ ὁ τοῦ Λεπτίνου θάνατος ἐγνώσθη καὶ τὸ ἕτερον κέρας συνετέτριπτο, κατεπλάγησαν οἱ τοῦ Διονυσίου καὶ πρὸς φυγὴν ὥρμησαν. §15.17.3τροπῆς δὲ παντελοῦς γενομένης, οἱ μὲν Καρχηδόνιοι φιλοτιμότερον καταδιώξαντες παρήγγελλον ἀλλήλοις μηδένα ζωγρεῖν· διὸ καὶ πάντων τῶν περικαταλαμβανομένων ἀναιρουμένων πᾶς ὁ πλησίον τόπος νεκρῶν ἐπληρώθη. §15.17.4τοσοῦτος δʼ ἐγένετο φόνος, μνησικακούντων τῶν Φοινίκων, ὥστε τοὺς ἀναιρεθέντας εὑρεθῆναι τῶν Σικελιωτῶν πλείους τῶν μυρίων καὶ τετρακισχιλίων.
For Leptines, who was stationed on one of the two wings and was outstanding in courage, after fighting heroically and slaying many of the Carthaginians, ended his life gloriously; and when he fell, the Phoenicians took courage and, forcing back those arrayed against them, put them to flight. Dionysius, indeed, at first having those drawn up with him as elite troops, had the advantage over those arrayed against him; but when the death of Leptines became known and the other wing was shattered, Dionysius' men were terrified and turned to flight. When a complete rout took place, the Carthaginians pursued more eagerly and ordered one another to take no prisoners; and for this reason, as all who were overtaken were slain, all the neighboring area was filled with dead bodies. So great was the slaughter, since the Phoenicians harbored resentment, that those of the Siceliots who were slain were found to be more than fourteen thousand.
οἱ δὲ περιλειφθέντες καταφυγόντες εἰς τὴν παρεμβολὴν τῆς νυκτὸς ἐπιγενομένης διεσώθησαν.
Those who survived escaped to the camp and were saved as night came on.
οἱ δὲ Καρχηδόνιοι μεγάλῃ παρατάξει νικήσαντες ἀνεχώρησαν εἰς Πάνορμον. §15.17.5ἀνθρωπίνως δὲ τὴν εὐημερίαν ἐνεγκόντες ἀπέστειλαν πρεσβευτάς, δόντες ἐξουσίαν τῷ Διονυσίῳ καταλύσασθαι τὸν πόλεμον.
The Carthaginians, having won a victory in a great battle, withdrew to Panormus. But bearing their success with human moderation, they sent ambassadors, giving Dionysius the opportunity to end the war.
ἀσμένως δὲ τοῦ τυράννου προσδεξαμένου τοὺς λόγους ἐγένοντο διαλύσεις, ὥστʼ ἔχειν ἀμφοτέρους ὧν πρότερον ὑπῆρχον κύριοι· ἐξαίρετον δʼ ἔλαβον οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι τὴν τῶν Σελινουντίων πόλιν τε καὶ χώραν καὶ τῆς Ἀκραγαντίνης μέχρι τοῦ Ἁλύκου καλουμένου ποταμοῦ.
Since the tyrant gladly accepted the terms, a treaty of peace was made, on the condition that both should hold what they had previously possessed; but the Carthaginians received as a special territory the city and land of the Selinuntines and that of the Acragantines as far as the river called Halycus.
ἔτισε δὲ Διονύσιος τοῖς Καρχηδονίοις τάλαντα χίλια.
Dionysius also paid the Carthaginians one thousand talents.
καὶ τὰ μὲν κατὰ Σικελίαν ἐν τούτοις ἦν.
And such was the state of affairs in Sicily.

Notes

  1. 15.17.1θατέρου — Contraction of τοῦ ἑτέρου ('the other of two'). Here it refers to one of the two wings of the army (the one commanded by Leptines).
  2. 15.17.2ἔχων ἐπιλέκτους τοὺς συντεταγμένους — The adjective ἐπιλέκτους ('chosen, elite') is in the predicative position, meaning 'having those drawn up with him (τοὺς συντεταγμένους) as elite troops.'
  3. 15.17.4πλείους τῶν μυρίων καὶ τετρακισχιλίων — πλείους is the contracted form of the comparative πλείονες. The following genitive τῶν μυρίων καὶ τετρακισχιλίων is a genitive of comparison, meaning 'more than fourteen thousand (ten thousand and four thousand).'
  4. 15.17.5ἀνθρωπίνως — The adverb literally means 'humanly', but here it functions in the sense of 'with human moderation' or 'humane attitude', referring to not being arrogant in victory.

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §15.17.1-15.17.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:15.17.1-15.17.5

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