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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §15.72.1-15.72.4

The Tearless Battle and the Founding of Megalopolis

Passage 484 of 723 · Greek

Summary

The narrative explains how Epaminondas was dismissed from the office of boeotarch due to suspicions from the battle of Corinth, served as a private citizen, and was later reinstated. It also records the Lacedaemonians' complete victory over the Arcadians in the "Tearless Battle" and the subsequent founding of Megalopolis.

§15.72.1ἐπιζητουμένης δὲ τῆς αἰτίας, πῶς ὁ τοιοῦτος ἀνὴρ ἰδιώτης ὢν ἐστρατεύετο μετὰ τῶν εἰς Θετταλίαν ἀποσταλέντων, ἀποδοτέον τὸν οἰκεῖον λόγον τῆς ἀπολογίας.
Since the reason is asked why such a man, being a private citizen, served in the army with those who were dispatched to Thessaly, the appropriate explanation for his defense must be given.
τῇ μάχῃ τῇ περὶ Κόρινθον Ἐπαμεινώνδας διακόψας τὴν ἐπὶ τοῦ προτειχίσματος φυλακὴν τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων, καὶ δυνάμενος πολλοὺς ἀνελεῖν τῶν πολεμίων, ἠρκέσθη τῷ προτερήματι καὶ τῆς ἐπὶ πλεῖον μάχης ἀπέστη.
In the battle around Corinth, Epaminondas, having broken through the guard of the Lacedaemonians on the outwork, and though he was able to slay many of the enemy, was satisfied with his initial success and desisted from further fighting.
§15.72.2γενομένης δὲ περὶ αὐτὸν ἱκανῆς ὑποψίας ὡς πεφεισμένου τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων ἰδίας ἕνεκα χάριτος, οἱ φθονοῦντες αὐτοῦ τῇ δόξῃ καιρὸν ἔλαβον εὐλόγου διαβολῆς.
As sufficient suspicion arose against him that he had spared the Lacedaemonians for the sake of a private favor, those who envied his glory found an opportunity for plausible slander.
ἐπενεγκάντων οὖν αὐτῷ προδοσίας ἔγκλημα, τὸ πλῆθος παροξυνθὲν ἀπέστησεν αὐτὸν τῆς βοιωταρχίας, καὶ ἰδιώτην ποιῆσαν ἐξαπέστειλε μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων.
Therefore, when they brought a charge of treason against him, the multitude, being provoked, removed him from the office of boeotarch, and having made him a private citizen, sent him out with the others.
ὡς δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀποτελεσμάτων ἐξήλειψε τὰς καθʼ ἑαυτοῦ διαβολάς, τότε ὁ δῆμος ἀποκατέστησεν αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν προγεγενημένην εὐδοξίαν.
But when he wiped out the slanders against himself by his achievements, then the people restored him to his former glory.
§15.72.3μετʼ ὀλίγον δὲ χρόνον Λακεδαιμονίοις πρὸς Ἀρκάδας ἐγένετο μεγάλη μάχη, ἐν ᾗ ἐνίκησαν Λακεδαιμόνιοι ἐπιφανῶς.
A short time after, a great battle took place between the Lacedaemonians and the Arcadians, in which the Lacedaemonians won a brilliant victory.
μετὰ γὰρ τὴν ἐν Λεύκτροις ἧτταν τοῦτο πρῶτον αὐτοῖς παράδοξον εὐτύχημα ἐγένετο· ἔπεσον γὰρ Ἀρκάδων μὲν ὑπὲρ τοὺς μυρίους, Λακεδαιμονίων δʼ οὐδείς.
For after their defeat at Leuctra, this was their first unexpected piece of good fortune; for over ten thousand of the Arcadians fell, while not one of the Lacedaemonians died.
προεῖπον δʼ αὐτοῖς αἱ Δωδωνίδες ἱέρειαι, διότι πόλεμος οὗτος Λακεδαιμονίοις ἄδακρυς ἔσται.
The priestesses of Dodona had foretold to them that this war would be tearless for the Lacedaemonians.
§15.72.4μετὰ δὲ τὴν μάχην οἱ Ἀρκάδες, φοβηθέντες τὰς τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων εἰσβολάς, ἔκτισαν ἐπί τινος ἐπικαίρου τόπου τὴν ὀνομαζομένην Μεγάλην πόλιν, συρρίψαντες εἰς αὐτὴν κώμας εἴκοσι τῶν ὀνομαζομένων Μαιναλίων καὶ Παρρασίων Ἀρκάδων.
After the battle, the Arcadians, fearing the invasions of the Lacedaemonians, founded in a certain strategic place the city called Megalopolis, merging into it twenty villages of the so-called Maenalian and Parrhasian Arcadians.
καὶ τὰ μὲν κατὰ τοὺς Ἕλληνας ἐν τούτοις ἦν.
And the affairs of the Greeks were in this state.

Notes

  1. 15.72.1ἰδιώτης ὢν — A concessive participle phrase meaning "although he was a private citizen (without public office)." It serves to introduce the background story of how Epaminondas came to serve without his official post as boeotarch, which was mentioned in the previous section (71.6).
  2. 15.72.2ὡς πεφεισμένου — A combination of the conjunction ὡς (denoting a subjective reason or allegation) and the genitive perfect middle-passive participle of φείδομαι ("to spare, show mercy"), functioning within a genitive absolute. It explains the specific content of the preceding noun ὑποψίας ("suspicion"), meaning "on the ground that he had spared them."
  3. 15.72.2ἐπενεγκάντων — A genitive absolute construction (aorist active participle) with an omitted subject. From the context, the subject is understood to be the "slanderers" or "envious rivals" who envied his glory.
  4. 15.72.4συρρίψαντες — A participle meaning "having thrown together" or "merging." Here it refers to the historical process of synoecism (synoikismos), in which multiple scattered, small-scale communities (κώμας) were consolidated into a single large city (Megalopolis).

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §15.72.1-15.72.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:15.72.1-15.72.4

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