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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §15.88.1-15.88.4

Eulogy of Epaminondas and the End of Theban Hegemony

Passage 500 of 723 · Greek

Summary

The author praises the outstanding virtues of Epaminondas, comparing him with both his contemporaries and past illustrious leaders, and notes how his death marked the end of Theban hegemony and the beginning of its decline.

§15.88.1ἡμεῖς δʼ εἰωθότες ταῖς τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀνδρῶν τελευταῖς ἐπιλέγειν τὸν ἴδιον ἔπαινον, οὐδαμῶς ἁρμόττον ἡγούμεθα παραδραμεῖν ἀνδρὸς τηλικούτου τὴν τελευτὴν ἀνεπισήμαντον.
We, being accustomed to add our own praise to the deaths of good men, consider it by no means fitting to pass over the death of so great a man without notice.
δοκεῖ γάρ μοι μὴ μόνον τοὺς καθʼ ἑαυτὸν ὑπερβάλλειν τῇ στρατηγικῇ συνέσει καὶ ἐμπειρίᾳ, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις ἐπιεικείᾳ τε καὶ μεγαλοψυχίᾳ.
For he seems to me to surpass his contemporaries not only in military intelligence and experience, but also, in addition to these, in fairness and magnanimity.
§15.88.2κατὰ μὲν γὰρ τὴν ἡλικίαν τὴν τούτου γεγόνασιν ἄνδρες ἐπιφανεῖς Πελοπίδας τε Θηβαῖος καὶ Τιμόθεος καὶ Κόνων, ἔτι δὲ Χαβρίας καὶ Ἰφικράτης οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις Ἀγησίλαος ὁ Σπαρτιάτης, βραχὺ τοῖς χρόνοις προτερῶν· ἐν δὲ τοῖς πρὸ τοῦ χρόνοις, ἐπὶ τῶν Μηδικῶν καὶ πρὸ τῶν Περσικῶν καιρῶν, Σόλων καὶ Θεμιστοκλῆς καὶ Μιλτιάδης, ἔτι δὲ Κίμων καὶ Μυρωνίδης καὶ Περικλῆς καί τινες ἕτεροι παρὰ τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις, κατὰ δὲ τὴν Σικελίαν Γέλων ὁ Δεινομένους καί τινες ἕτεροι.
For in his lifetime there lived illustrious men, Pelopidas the Theban, Timotheus, and Conon, and further Chabrias and Iphicrates the Athenians, and in addition to these, Agesilaus the Spartan, who was slightly earlier in time; and in the times before this, during the Median Wars and before the Persian times, Solon, Themistocles, and Miltiades, and further Cimon, Myronides, and Pericles, and certain others among the Athenians, and in Sicily, Gelon the son of Deinomenes, and some others.
§15.88.3ἀλλʼ ὅμως εἴ τις συγκρίναι τὰς τούτων ἀρετὰς τῇ Ἐπαμεινώνδου στρατηγίᾳ τε καὶ δόξῃ, πολὺ ἂν προέχουσαν εὕροι τὴν περὶ τὸν Ἐπαμεινώνδαν ἀρετήν.
But nevertheless, if anyone should compare the virtues of these men with the generalship and glory of Epaminondas, he would find the virtue of Epaminondas to be far superior.
παρὰ μὲν γὰρ ἑκάστῳ τῶν ἄλλων ἓν ἂν εὕροι προτέρημα τῆς δόξης, παρὰ δὲ τούτῳ πάσας τὰς ἀρετὰς ἠθροισμένας.
For in each of the others one might find a single point of superiority for their glory, but in him all the virtues gathered together.
καὶ γὰρ ῥώμῃ σώματος καὶ λόγου δεινότητι, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις ψυχῆς λαμπρότητι καὶ μισαργυρίᾳ καὶ ἐπιεικείᾳ, καὶ τὸ μέγιστον, ἀνδρείᾳ καὶ στρατηγικῇ συνέσει πολὺ διήνεγκε πάντων.
For indeed in strength of body and eloquence of speech, and in addition to these, in brilliance of soul, freedom from avarice, and fairness, and what is greatest, in courage and military intelligence, he far excelled all.
§15.88.4τοιγαροῦν ἡ πατρὶς αὐτοῦ ζῶντος μὲν ἐκτήσατο τὴν ἡγεμονίαν τῆς Ἑλλάδος, τελευτήσαντος δὲ ταύτης ἐστερήθη καὶ τῆς ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον ἀεὶ μεταβολῆς ἐπειράθη, καὶ πέρας διὰ τὴν ἀφροσύνην τῶν ἡγουμένων ἀνδραποδισμοῦ καὶ κατασκαφῆς ἔλαβε πεῖραν.
Consequently, while he was alive, his homeland acquired the hegemony of Greece, but when he died, it was deprived of this and experienced a constant change for the worse, and finally, through the folly of its leaders, it experienced enslavement and destruction.
Ἐπαμεινώνδας μὲν οὖν παρὰ πᾶσι περιβόητον ἔχων τὴν ἀρετήν, τοιαύτης ἔτυχε καταστροφῆς τοῦ βίου.
Epaminondas, then, possessing a virtue celebrated among all, met with such an end of his life.

Notes

  1. 15.88.1ἡμεῖς δʼ εἰωθότες — The participle `εἰωθότες` agrees with the subject `ἡμεῖς` of the main verb `ἡγούμεθα`, functioning as a causal or circumstantial participle. This is a formulaic expression used by the historian to state his custom or editorial practice, establishing the premise of the statement.
  2. 15.88.1παραδραμεῖν ἀνδρὸς τηλικούτου τὴν τελευτὴν ἀνεπισήμαντον — The adjective `ἀνεπισήμαντον` functions predicatively with the noun `τὴν τελευτήν` ("to pass over the death... as unremarked"). The infinitive phrase `παραδραμεῖν...` serves as the subject of the indirect statement set up by the neuter participle `οὐδαμῶς ἁρμόττον [εἶναι]` as the object complement of `ἡγούμεθα`.
  3. 15.88.3εἴ τις συγκρίναι ... πολὺ ἂν προέχουσαν εὕροι — The manuscripts present a variant between `συγκρίναι` (optative) and `συγκρίνει` (present indicative). To match the potential optative with `ἄν` (`ἂν εὕροι`) in the apodosis, the protasis is best understood with the optative `συγκρίναι`, forming a future less vivid (potential) condition. The participle `προέχουσαν` functions as a supplementary participle (object complement) after `εὕροι`.
  4. 15.88.4αὐτοῦ ζῶντος / τελευτήσαντος — Both are genitive absolute constructions. The former uses the present participle `ζῶντος` to denote duration ("while he was alive"), whereas the latter uses the aorist participle `τελευτήσαντος` (with the subject `αὐτοῦ` omitted) to denote an action prior to the main verb ("after he died"). The contrast is sharpened by `μέν... δέ` to highlight the dramatic change in the fate of Thebes during and after his lifetime.

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §15.88.1-15.88.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:15.88.1-15.88.4

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