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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §15.28.1-15.28.5

Formation of the Second Athenian League and Alliances

Passage 440 of 723 · Greek

Summary

During the archonship of Calleas in Athens, the Boeotian cities united against Sparta, and Athens formed a common alliance with an equal-vote congress, prompting the Lacedaemonians to employ both diplomatic gestures and military preparations.

§15.28.1ἐπʼ ἄρχοντος δʼ Ἀθήνησι Καλλέου Ῥωμαῖοι χιλιάρχους ἀντὶ τῶν ὑπάτων κατέστησαν τέτταρας, Λεύκιον Παπίριον, Μάρκον Πόπλιον, Τίτον Κορνήλιον, Κόιντον Λεύκιον.
When Calleas was archon in Athens, the Romans appointed four military tribunes instead of consuls, Lucius Papirius, Marcus Publius, Titus Cornelius, and Quintus Lucius.
ἐπὶ δὲ τούτων, Λακεδαιμονίων ἐπταικότων περὶ τὰς Θήβας, οἱ μὲν Βοιωτοὶ θαρρήσαντες συνεστράφησαν, καὶ κοινὴν συμμαχίαν ποιησάμενοι, δύναμιν ἀξιόλογον συνεστήσαντο, προσδοκῶντες ἥξειν τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους μεγάλαις δυνάμεσιν εἰς τὴν Βοιωτίαν.
During their term of office, since the Lacedaemonians had failed at Thebes, the Boeotians, taking courage, banded together, and having formed a common alliance, organized a notable force, expecting that the Lacedaemonians would invade Boeotia with large forces.
§15.28.2Ἀθηναῖοι δὲ πρέσβεις τοὺς ἀξιολογωτάτους τῶν παρʼ αὐτοῖς ἐξέπεμψαν ἐπὶ τὰς ὑπὸ Λακεδαιμονίους τεταγμένας πόλεις, παρακαλοῦντες ἀντέχεσθαι τῆς κοινῆς ἐλευθερίας.
The Athenians dispatched their most distinguished citizens as ambassadors to the cities subject to the Lacedaemonians, urging them to hold fast to their common liberty.
οἱ γὰρ Λακεδαιμόνιοι διὰ τὸ μέγεθος τῆς περὶ αὐτοὺς δυνάμεως ὑπεροπτικῶς καὶ βαρέως ἦρχον τῶν ὑποτεταγμένων· διόπερ πολλοὶ τῶν ὑπʼ αὐτοὺς τεταγμένων ἀπέκλινον πρὸς τοὺς Ἀθηναίους.
For the Lacedaemonians, because of the greatness of their power, ruled their subjects in an overbearing and harsh manner; therefore, many of those who were subject to them inclined towards the Athenians.
§15.28.3πρῶτοι δὲ πρὸς τὴν ἀπόστασιν ὑπήκουσαν Χῖοι καὶ Βυζάντιοι, καὶ μετὰ τούτους Ῥόδιοι καὶ Μυτιληναῖοι καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τινὲς νησιωτῶν· αἰεὶ δὲ μᾶλλον αὐξομένης τῆς τῶν Ἑλλήνων ὁρμῆς πολλαὶ πόλεις προσέθεντο τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις.
The first to respond to the revolt were the Chians and Byzantines, and after them the Rhodians, the Mytilaeans, and some of the other islanders; and as the enthusiasm of the Greeks grew ever greater, many cities allied themselves with the Athenians.
ὁ δὲ δῆμος μετεωρισθεὶς ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν πόλεων εὐνοίᾳ κοινὸν συνέδριον ἁπάντων τῶν συμμάχων συνεστήσαντο, καὶ συνέδρους ἀπέδειξαν ἑκάστης πόλεως.
The Athenian people, elated by the goodwill of the cities, established a common congress of all the allies and appointed representatives for each city.
§15.28.4ἐτάχθη δʼ ἀπὸ τῆς κοινῆς γνώμης τὸ μὲν συνέδριον ἐν ταῖς Ἀθήναις συνεδρεύειν, πόλιν δὲ ἐπʼ ἴσης καὶ μεγάλην καὶ μικρὰν μιᾶς ψήφου κυρίαν εἶναι, πάσας δʼ ὑπάρχειν αὐτονόμους, ἡγεμόσι χρωμένας Ἀθηναίοις.
It was decreed by common consent that the congress should meet in Athens, that every city, both great and small, should be equal and have one vote, and that all should remain autonomous, while recognizing the Athenians as leaders.
οἱ δὲ Λακεδαιμόνιοι τὴν ὁρμὴν τῶν πόλεων ὁρῶντες ἀκατάσχετον οὖσαν πρὸς τὴν ἀπόστασιν, ὅμως πρεσβείαις καὶ λόγοις φιλανθρώποις, ἔτι δʼ ἐπαγγελίαις εὐεργετικαῖς ἐφιλοτιμοῦντο διορθοῦσθαι τὰς ἀλλοτριότητας τῶν ἀνθρώπων.
But the Lacedaemonians, though they saw that the urge of the cities toward revolt was irresistible, nevertheless endeavored by embassies, friendly words, and even promises of benefits, to repair the alienation of these peoples.
§15.28.5ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τῆς εἰς τὸν πόλεμον παρασκευῆς ἐποιοῦντο πολλὴν φροντίδα, προσδοκῶντες μέγαν καὶ πολυχρόνιον αὑτοῖς ἔσεσθαι τὸν Βοιωτικὸν πόλεμον, συμμαχούντων τοῖς Θηβαίοις τῶν Ἀθηναίων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων Ἑλλήνων τῶν κοινωνούντων τοῦ συνεδρίου.
In like manner they also took great care in preparing for the war, expecting that the Boeotian War would be great and long-lasting for them, since the Athenians and the other Greeks who shared in the congress were allied with the Thebans.

Notes

  1. §15.28.3ὁ δὲ δῆμος ... συνεστήσαντο, καὶ ... ἀπέδειξαν — The singular noun subject 'ὁ δῆμος' (the people) is paired with the third-person plural verbs 'συνεστήσαντο' and 'ἀπέδειξαν'. This is a classic example of 'constructio ad sensum' (construction according to sense), where the semantic plurality of a collective noun overrides grammatical number agreement.
  2. §15.28.4ἐτάχθη δʼ ... τὸ μὲν συνέδριον ... συνεδρεύειν — The passive verb 'ἐτάχθη' is used impersonally ('it was decreed'), leading three coordinate accusative-with-infinitive clauses (τὸ μὲν συνέδριον... συνεδρεύειν, πόλιν δὲ... εἶναι, and πάσας δʼ ὑπάρχειν...) as its subjects. The subject of each infinitive is placed in the accusative case.
  3. §15.28.5συμμαχούντων τοῖς Θηβαίοις τῶν Ἀθηναίων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων Ἑλλήνων τῶν κοινωνούντων τοῦ συνεδρίου — A genitive absolute clause at the end of the sentence. The genitive noun phrase 'τῶν Ἀθηναίων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων Ἑλλήνων...' serves as the subject of the present participle 'συμμαχούντων'. It expresses the attendant circumstance or cause distinct from the main clause's subject (the Lacedaemonians), functioning here as a causal clause ('since they were allied').

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §15.28.1-15.28.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:15.28.1-15.28.5

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