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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §15.76.1-15.76.4

Dispute over Oropus and the Persian-Mediated Peace

Passage 488 of 723 · Greek

Summary

This chunk records the events of the archonship of Cephisodorus in Athens, including the dispute over Oropus, the founding of the new city of Cos, the conclusion of a common peace mediated by the Persian king, and a list of prominent intellectuals active at the time, such as Isocrates, Aristotle, Plato, and Xenophon.

§15.76.1τοῦ δʼ ἐνιαυσίου χρόνου διεληλυθότος Ἀθήνησι μὲν ἦρχε Κηφισόδωρος, ἐν Ῥώμῃ δʼ ἀντὶ τῶν ὑπάτων χιλιάρχους ὁ δῆμος τέσσαρας κατέστησε, Λεύκιον Φούριον, Παῦλον Μάλλιον, Σερούιον Σουλπίκιον, Σερούιον Κορνήλιον.
When the year's time had elapsed, Cephisodorus was archon in Athens, and in Rome the people appointed four military tribunes instead of consuls: Lucius Furius, Paulus Mallius, Servius Sulpicius, and Servius Cornelius.
ἐπὶ δὲ τούτων Θεμίσων ὁ Ἐρετρίας τύραννος Ὠρωπὸν κατελάβετο.
During their term of office, Themison, the tyrant of Eretria, seized Oropus.
ταύτην δὲ τὴν πόλιν οὖσαν Ἀθηναίων παραλόγως ἀπέβαλεν· τῶν γὰρ Ἀθηναίων στρατευσάντων ἐπʼ αὐτὸν καὶ πολὺ ταῖς δυνάμεσιν ὑπερεχόντων, οἱ Θηβαῖοι βοηθήσαντες αὐτῷ καὶ παραλαβόντες ἐν παρακαταθήκῃ τὴν πόλιν οὐκ ἀπέδωκαν.
But he lost this city, which belonged to the Athenians, in an unexpected manner; for when the Athenians campaigned against him and were far superior in their forces, the Thebans, having come to his aid and received the city in trust, did not return it.
§15.76.2—ἅμα δὲ τούτοις πραττομένοις Κῷοι μετῴκησαν εἰς τὴν νῦν οἰκουμένην πόλιν καὶ κατεσκεύασαν αὐτὴν ἀξιόλογον· πλῆθός τε γὰρ ἀνδρῶν εἰς ταύτην ἠθροίσθη καὶ τείχη πολυτελῆ κατεσκευάσθη καὶ λιμὴν ἀξιόλογος.
At the same time that these things were being done, the Coans migrated to the city they now inhabit and built it into a noteworthy one; for a great multitude of men was gathered into it, magnificent walls were built, and a noteworthy harbor was constructed.
ἀπὸ δὲ τούτων τῶν χρόνων αἰεὶ μᾶλλον ηὐξήθη προσόδοις τε δημοσίαις καὶ τοῖς τῶν ἰδιωτῶν πλούτοις, καὶ τὸ σύνολον ἐνάμιλλος ἐγένετο ταῖς πρωτευούσαις πόλεσιν.
From this time onward, it grew ever more through public revenues and the wealth of private individuals, and as a whole became a rival to the leading cities.
§15.76.3—ἅμα δὲ τούτοις πραττομένοις ὁ τῶν Περσῶν βασιλεὺς ἀποστείλας πρέσβεις ἔπεισε τοὺς Ἕλληνας τοὺς μὲν πολέμους καταλύσασθαι καὶ κοινὴν εἰρήνην συνθέσθαι πρὸς ἀλλήλους.
At the same time that these things were being done, the king of the Persians sent envoys and persuaded the Greeks to bring their wars to an end and conclude a common peace with one another.
διόπερ ὅ τε Λακωνικὸσκαὶ Βοιωτικὸς κληθεὶς πόλεμος κατελύθη, πλείω μείνας ἐτῶν πέντε, τὴν ἀρχὴν λαβὼν ἀπὸ τῶν Λευκτρικῶν.
Therefore, the so-called Laconian and Boeotian War was ended, having lasted more than five years, taking its beginning from the Battle of Leuctra.
§15.76.4ὑπῆρξαν δὲ κατὰ τούτους τοὺς χρόνους ἄνδρες κατὰ παιδείαν ἄξιοι μνήμης Ἰσοκράτης τε ὁ ῥήτωρ καὶ οἱ τούτου γενόμενοι μαθηταὶ καὶ Ἀριστοτέλης ὁ φιλόσοφος, ἔτι δὲ Ἀναξιμένης ὁ Λαμψακηνὸς καὶ Πλάτων ὁ Ἀθηναῖος, ἔτι δὲ τῶν Πυθαγορικῶν φιλοσόφων οἱ τελευταῖοι, Ξενοφῶν τε ὁ τὰς ἱστορίας συγγραψάμενος ἐσχατόγηρως ὤν· μέμνηται γὰρ τῆς Ἐπαμεινώνδου τελευτῆς μετʼ ὀλίγον χρόνον γεγενημένης· Ἀρίστιππός τε καὶ Ἀντισθένης, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις Αἰσχίνης ὁ Σφήττιος ὁ Σωκρατικός.
And during these times there lived men worthy of memory for their education: Isocrates the orator and those who became his pupils, and Aristotle the philosopher, furthermore Anaximenes of Lampsacus and Plato the Athenian, as well as the last of the Pythagorean philosophers, and Xenophon who wrote the histories, being of extreme old age; for he mentions the death of Epaminondas which occurred a short time later; also Aristippus and Antisthenes, and in addition to these, Aeschines of Sphettus, the Socratic.

Notes

  1. §15.76.1οὖσαν Ἀθηναίων — The present participle οὖσαν either acts attributively to modify the antecedent τὴν πόλιν, or expresses concession ("although it belonged to the Athenians"). The genitive Ἀθηναίων is a possessive genitive.
  2. §15.76.4ἐσχατόγηρως ὤν — The participle ὤν (with the adjective ἐσχατόγηρως "extremely old") is in the nominative, modifying the subject Ξενοφῶν. The following γάρ clause provides the evidence for his extreme age (his mention of the death of Epaminondas).

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §15.76.1-15.76.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:15.76.1-15.76.4

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