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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §15.22.1-15.22.2

Command of Agesipolis and Skirmishes with Olynthus

Passage 434 of 723 · Greek

Summary

During the archonship of Demophilus in Athens, Rome appoints military tribunes, and Sparta votes for war against Olynthus, appointing King Agesipolis as commander. Agesipolis takes over the campaign, while the Olynthians, fearing his force, avoid major battles and limit themselves to skirmishes.

§15.22.1ἐπʼ ἄρχοντος δʼ Ἀθήνησι Δημοφίλου Ῥωμαῖοι ἀντὶ τῶν ὑπάτων χιλιάρχους κατέστησαν Πόπλιον Κορνήλιον, Λεύκιον Οὐεργίνιον, Λεύκιον Παπίριον, Μάρκον Φούριον, Οὐαλέριον, Αὖλον Μάλλιον, Λεύκιον καὶ Ποστούμιον.
When Demophilus was archon at Athens, the Romans, instead of consuls, appointed as military tribunes Publius Cornelius, Lucius Verginius, Lucius Papirius, Marcus Furius, Valerius, Aulus Manlius, Lucius, and Postumius.
§15.22.2ἐπὶ δὲ τούτων Λακεδαιμόνιοι μὲν στρατηγὸν προχειρισάμενοι Ἀγησίπολιν τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ δύναμιν ἱκανὴν παραδόντες, ἐψηφίσαντο πρὸς Ὀλυνθίους πολεμεῖν.
Under their term of office, the Lacedaemonians, having chosen King Agesipolis as general and entrusted him with a sufficient force, voted to make war against the Olynthians.
οὗτος δὲ καταντήσας εἰς τὴν τῶν Ὀλυνθίων χώραν καὶ παραλαβὼν τοὺς προϋπάρχοντας ἐν τῇ παρεμβολῇ στρατιώτας διεπολέμει πρὸς τοὺς ἐγχωρίους.
He, having arrived in the territory of the Olynthians and taken over the soldiers who were already in the camp, carried on the war against the inhabitants.
οἱ δʼ Ὀλύνθιοι μεγάλην μὲν μάχην οὐδεμίαν κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν ἐνιαυτὸν συνεστήσαντο, ἀκροβολισμοὺς δὲ καὶ βραχείας συμπλοκὰς ποιούμενοι διετέλεσαν, καταπεπληγμένοι τὴν μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως δύναμιν.
But the Olynthians engaged in no great battle during this year, but continued to make skirmishes and brief encounters, being terrified of the force with the king.

Notes

  1. 15.22.1ἐπʼ ἄρχοντος ... Δημοφίλου — A genitive absolute construction, which is a formulaic expression used to indicate the official calendar year of Athens.
  2. 15.22.1χιλιάρχους — Literally meaning "commanders of a thousand" (chiliarchs) in Greek, here used to translate the Roman office of "military tribunes with consular power" (tribuni militum consulari potestate).
  3. 15.22.2ποιούμενοι διετέλεσαν — The verb διατελέω, accompanied by a participle (here ποιούμενοι), functions auxiliary-like to express a continuous or ongoing action ("continued to make").
  4. 15.22.2καταπεπληγμένοι — A perfect passive participle. Verbs of emotion or mental state in the passive (or middle) voice can take the object of their fear directly in the accusative case (τὴν ... δύναμιν). The participle agrees with the subject of the main clause, οἱ δʼ Ὀλύνθιοι, and is used adverbially to express cause ("being terrified of").

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §15.22.1-15.22.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:15.22.1-15.22.2

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