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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §15.70.1-15.70.3

Dionysius' Reinforcements and Philiscus' Failed Peace

Passage 482 of 723 · Greek

Summary

The reinforcements sent by the tyrant of Sicily distinguish themselves in Greece, while a Persian-mediated peace negotiation fails due to Theban non-compliance. Meanwhile, Euphron establishes a tyranny in Sicyon with Argive help.

§15.70.1ἐκ δὲ τῆς Σικελίας Κελτοὶ καὶ Ἴβηρες δισχίλιοι κατέπλευσαν εἰς Κόρινθον, ἐκπεμφθέντες ὑπὸ Διονυσίου τοῦ τυράννου συμμαχῆσαι Λακεδαιμονίοις, εἰς μῆνας πέντε τοὺς μισθοὺς εἰληφότες.
From Sicily, two thousand Celts and Iberians sailed to Corinth, having been sent by the tyrant Dionysius to fight as allies with the Lacedaemonians, having received their pay for five months.
οἱ δʼ Ἕλληνες πεῖραν αὐτῶν βουλόμενοι λαβεῖν προῆγον αὐτούς, καὶ κατὰ τὰς συμπλοκὰς καὶ μάχας ἀνδραγαθούντων αὐτῶν, πολλοί τε τῶν Βοιωτῶν καὶ τῶν συμμάχων ὑπʼ αὐτῶν ἀνῃροῦντο.
The Greeks, wishing to make a trial of them, led them forward, and as they bore themselves bravely in the skirmishes and battles, many of the Boeotians and of their allies were killed by them.
διόπερ δόξαντες εὐχειρίᾳ καὶ ἀνδρείᾳ διαφέρειν καὶ πολλὰς χρείας παρασχόμενοι, καὶ τιμηθέντες ὑπὸ τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων τοῦ θέρους λήγοντος ἐξαπεστάλησαν εἰς τὴν Σικελίαν.
Therefore, being thought to excel in hand-to-hand combat and courage, and having rendered many services, and having been honored by the Lacedaemonians, they were sent back to Sicily as the summer was drawing to a close.
§15.70.2μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα Φιλίσκος μὲν ὑπʼ Ἀρταξέρξου τοῦ βασιλέως ἀποσταλεὶς κατέπλευσεν ἐπὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα, παρακαλῶν τοὺς Ἕλληνας διαλύσασθαι μὲν τοὺς πολέμους, εἰρήνην δὲ κοινὴν συνθέσθαι.
After these things, Philiscus, sent by King Artaxerxes, arrived by sea in Greece, urging the Greeks to end their wars and to make a common peace.
οἱ μὲν οὖν ἄλλοι πάντες ἀσμένως ὑπήκουσαν, Θηβαῖοι δὲ κατὰ τὴν ἰδίαν ὑπόστασιν ὅλην τὴν Βοιωτίαν ὑπὸ μίαν ἀγαγόντες συντέλειαν οὐ προσεδέχθησαν.
All the others, then, gladly complied, but the Thebans, since they had brought all Boeotia under a single confederacy in accordance with their own position, were not admitted.
ἀπογνωσθείσης δὲ τῆς κοινῆς εἰρήνης, ὁ μὲν Φιλίσκος καταλιπὼν τοῖς Λακεδαιμονίοις δισχιλίους ἐπιλέκτους μισθοφόρους ἔχοντας τοὺς μισθούς, ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὴν Ἀσίαν.
When the common peace was given up, Philiscus left for the Lacedaemonians two thousand select mercenaries with their pay provided, and departed for Asia.
§15.70.3ἅμα δὲ τούτοις πραττομένοις Εὔφρων ὁ Σικυώνιος, διαφέρων θράσει καὶ ἀπονοίᾳ, συνεργοὺς λαβὼν Ἀργείους ἐπέθετο τυραννίδι.
At the same time that these things were being done, Euphron of Sicyon, outstanding in boldness and recklessness, having taken Argives as accomplices, set his hand to tyranny.
κρατήσας δὲ τῆς ἐπιβολῆς τετταράκοντα τοὺς εὐπορωτάτους τῶν Σικυωνίων ἐφυγάδευσε, δημεύσας αὐτῶν τὰς οὐσίας, καὶ πολλῶν χρημάτων κυριεύσας μισθοφόρους ἤθροισε καὶ τῆς πόλεως ἐδυνάστευσεν.
Having succeeded in his attempt, he banished forty of the wealthiest Sicyonians, confiscated their estates, and having got possession of much money, gathered mercenaries and ruled over the city.

Notes

  1. §15.70.1ἀνδραγαθούντων αὐτῶν — Genitive absolute construction. Since the logical subject of the participle (αὐτῶν, referring to the Celts and Iberians) differs from the subject of the main clause (πολλοί... τῶν Βοιωτῶν...), the genitive absolute is used.
  2. §15.70.1εὐχειρίᾳ — Originally a noun meaning "dexterity" or "closeness of hand," but here used in a military context to denote skill in hand-to-hand combat or prowess in fighting.
  3. §15.70.2κατὰ τὴν ἰδίαν ὑπόστασιν — The noun ὑπόστασις can mean "foundation," "purpose," or "insistence." Here it refers to the Thebans' own political "position" or "insistence" on representing the whole of Boeotia.
  4. §15.70.2οὐ προσεδέχθησαν — Aorist indicative passive of the verb προσδέχομαι (to admit or accept). It means "they (the Thebans) were not admitted," expressing passively that the other Greek states rejected the Thebans' demand to sign the peace treaty on behalf of all Boeotia.
  5. §15.70.3ἅμα δὲ τούτοις πραττομένοις — A construction with the preposition ἅμα (at the same time as) governing the dative phrase. Combined with the dative participle πραττομένοις, it forms an adverbial phrase expressing concurrent actions ("at the same time that these things were being done").

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §15.70.1-15.70.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:15.70.1-15.70.3

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