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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §15.38.1-15.38.4

Conclusion of Common Peace and Exclusion of Thebes

Passage 450 of 723 · Greek

Summary

During the archonship of Hippodamus in Athens, a common peace is concluded among the Greek cities at the instigation of the Persian king, but the Thebans alone, asserting their hegemony over Boeotia, refuse to accept the terms and are excluded from the treaty.

§15.38.1ἐπʼ ἄρχοντος δʼ Ἀθήνησιν Ἱπποδάμου Ῥωμαῖοι χιλιάρχους ἀντὶ τῶν ὑπάτων κατέστησαν τέτταρας, Λεύκιον Οὐαλέριον, Λεύκιον Μάλλιον, Σερούιον Σουλπίκιον, Λοκρήτιον.
When Hippodamus was archon in Athens, the Romans appointed four military tribunes instead of consuls: Lucius Valerius, Lucius Mallius, Servius Sulpicius, and Lucretius.
ἐπὶ δὲ τούτων Ἀρταξέρξησὁ τῶν Περσῶν βασιλεὺς μέλλων πολεμεῖν πρὸς Αἰγυπτίους καὶ σπεύδων ξενικὴν δύναμιν ἀξιόλογον συστήσασθαι, διέγνω συλλύσασθαι τοὺς κατὰ τὴν Ἑλλάδα πολέμους· οὕτως γὰρ μάλιστʼ ἤλπιζε τοὺς Ἕλληνας ἀπολελυμένους τῶν οἰκείων πολέμων ἑτοιμοτέρους ἔσεσθαι πρὸς τὰς ξενολογίας.
In the term of these men, Artaxerxes the king of the Persians, intending to wage war against the Egyptians and being eager to assemble a notable mercenary force, resolved to settle the wars in Greece; for in this way he especially hoped that the Greeks, being released from their domestic wars, would be more ready for recruitment.
διόπερ πρέσβεις ἐξέπεμψεν εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα τοὺς παρακαλέσοντας τὰς πόλεις κοινὴν εἰρήνην συνθέσθαι.
Therefore, he sent envoys to Greece to urge the cities to conclude a common peace.
§15.38.2τῶν δʼ Ἑλλήνων ἀσμένως προσδεξαμένων τοὺς λόγους διὰ τὸ κάμνειν τῇ συνεχείᾳ τῶν πολέμων, συνέθεντο πάντες τὴν εἰρήνην, ὥστε πάσας τὰς πόλεις αὐτονόμους καὶ ἀφρουρήτους εἶναι.
Since the Greeks gladly accepted the proposals because they were weary of the continuity of the wars, they all concluded the peace on the condition that all the cities should be autonomous and free of garrisons.
καὶ κατέστησαν οἱ Ἕλληνες ἐξαγωγεῖς, οἳ κατὰ πόλιν ἑκάστην ἐπελθόντες ἐξήγαγον ἁπάσας τὰς φρουράς.
And the Greeks appointed evacuator-commissioners, who, going around to each city, withdrew all the garrisons.
§15.38.3μόνων δὲ Θηβαίων οὐ προσδεξαμένων κατὰ πόλιν γίνεσθαι τὰς σπονδάς, ἀλλὰ τὴν Βοιωτίαν ἅπασαν ὑπὸ τὴν τῶν Θηβαίων συντέλειαν ταττόντων, καὶ Ἀθηναίων μὲν ἀντειπόντων φιλοτιμότατα, Καλλιστράτου τοῦ δημαγωγοῦ τὸν λόγον διαθεμένου, ὑπὲρ δὲ τῶν Θηβαίων Ἐπαμεινώνδου διαθεμένου λόγον θαυμαστῶς ἐν τῷ κοινῷ συνεδρίῳ, τοῖς μὲν ἄλλοις Ἕλλησι πᾶσι συμφώνως αἱ σπονδαὶ συνετελέσθησαν, μόνοι δὲ Θηβαῖοι κριθέντες ἔκσπονδοι, καὶ τοῦ Ἐπαμεινώνδου διὰ τῆς ἰδίας ἀρετῆς ἐμποιοῦντος φρόνημα τοῖς πολίταις, ἐθάρρησαν τοῖς ἁπάντων δόγμασιν ἀντιβαίνειν.
But since the Thebans alone did not accept that the treaty should be made city by city, but tried to place all Boeotia under the confederacy of the Thebans, and while the Athenians opposed them most fiercely, with the demagogue Callistratus delivering the speech, and on behalf of the Thebans, Epaminondas delivered a speech marvelously in the common council, the treaty was concluded harmoniously for all the other Greeks; the Thebans alone were judged to be excluded from the treaty, but since Epaminondas, through his own virtue, inspired pride in his fellow citizens, they had the courage to oppose the decrees of everyone.
§15.38.4Λακεδαιμόνιοι μὲν γὰρ καὶ Ἀθηναῖοι, διὰ πάντων περὶ τῆς ἡγεμονίας διαφιλοτιμούμενοι, παρεχώρουν ἀλλήλοις, οἱ μὲν τῆς κατὰ γῆν, οἱ δὲ τῆς κατὰ θάλατταν ἀρχῆς ἄξιοι κρινόμενοι.
For the Lacedaemonians and the Athenians, who had been disputing the hegemony in all things, made concessions to each other, the former being judged worthy of the rule by land, and the latter of that by sea.
διόπερ τὴν ἐκ τρίτου προσώπου ἀναφερομένην ἡγεμονίαν χαλεπῶς ἔφερον, καὶ τὰς κατὰ Βοιωτίαν πόλεις ἀπέσπων τῆς τῶν Θηβαίων συντελείας.
Therefore, they took it ill that a hegemony should be brought forward by a third party, and they sought to detach the cities in Boeotia from the confederacy of the Thebans.

Notes

  1. §15.38.1ἐπὶ δὲ τούτων — τούτων refers back to the four military tribunes (χιλιάρχους) mentioned just before, meaning 'during their term of office.' Although grammatically it could be taken as neuter plural ('at the time of these events'), the standard annalistic formula indicating the timeframe of the year makes the former interpretation far more likely.
  2. §15.38.3μόνων δὲ Θηβαίων οὐ προσδεξαμένων... — This section features a complex structure with multiple genitive absolutes. The concessive/causal clauses containing the obstinacy of the Thebans (Θηβαίων οὐ προσδεξαμένων...), the Athenian opposition with Callistratus' speech (Ἀθηναίων... ἀντειπόντων), and Epaminondas' defense (Ἐπαμεινώνδου διαθεμένου) are all coordinated in the genitive absolute. These lead to the first main clause αἱ σπονδαὶ συνετελέσθησαν (the treaty was concluded), which is followed by another genitive absolute (τοῦ Ἐπαμεινώνδου... ἐμποιοῦντος) embedded in the second main clause μόνοι δὲ Θηβαῖοι... ἐθάρρησαν... (the Thebans alone had the courage...).
  3. §15.38.4τὴν ἐκ τρίτου προσώπου ἀναφερομένην ἡγεμονίαν — ἐκ τρίτου προσώπου means 'from a third party,' referring to the rising power of Thebes in contrast to the two traditional powers (Sparta and Athens). The present passive participle ἀναφερομένην here has the sense of 'being brought forward' or 'rising,' indicating the hegemony asserted or about to be established by another party.

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §15.38.1-15.38.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:15.38.1-15.38.4

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