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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §16.33.1-16.33.4

Onomarchus' Military Expansion and Defeat in Boeotia

Passage 541 of 723 · Greek

Summary

Onomarchus, encouraged by a dream which he misinterpreted, builds up his military strength and uses bribes to gain allies or enforce neutrality, but his invasion of Boeotia ends in a defeat by the Thebans.

§16.33.1ἐπῆρε δʼ αὐτὸν πρὸς τὴν ὑπόστασιν ταύτην ὄνειρος ἔμφασιν διδοὺς μεγάλης αὐξήσεώς τε καὶ δόξης· κατὰ γὰρ τὸν ὕπνον ἔδοξε τὸν κολοττὸν τὸν χαλκοῦν, ὃν ἀνέθηκαν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος οἱ Ἀμφικτύονες, ἀναπλάττειν εἰς ὕψος ταῖς ἰδίαις χερσὶ καὶ ποιῆσαι πολὺ μείζονα.
And he was incited to this undertaking by a dream that gave an indication of great advancement and glory; for in his sleep he thought that he was remodeling higher with his own hands the bronze colossus which the Amphictyons had dedicated in the temple of Apollo, and making it much larger.
ὑπέλαβεν οὖν αὐτῷ σημαίνεσθαι παρὰ τῶν θεῶν αὔξησιν δόξης ἔσεσθαι διὰ τῆς αὑτοῦ στρατηγίας· τὸ δʼ ἀληθὲς οὐχ οὕτως εἶχε, τοὐναντίον δὲ παρεσημαίνετο· διὰ τὸ τοὺς Ἀμφικτύονας ἐκ τοῦ ζημιώματος ἀναθεῖναι, τῶν Φωκέων εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν παρανομησάντων καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ζημιωθέντων ἐσημαίνετο ἡ ζημία τῶν Φωκέων αὔξησιν ἀπολήψεσθαι ταῖς τοῦ Ὀνομάρχου χερσίν· ὅπερ καὶ συνέβη γενέσθαι.
So he assumed that it was signaled to him by the gods that there would be an increase of glory through his generalship; but the truth was not so, on the contrary, the opposite was indicated; because, since the Amphictyons had dedicated it from the fine—the Phocians having committed lawless acts against the temple and on this account having been fined—it was indicated that the fine of the Phocians would receive an increase at the hands of Onomarchus; which indeed came to pass.
§16.33.2ὁ δʼ οὖν Ὀνόμαρχος στρατηγὸς αὐτοκράτωρ ᾑρημένος ἐκ μὲν τοῦ χαλκοῦ καὶ σιδήρου κατεσκεύασεν ὅπλων πλῆθος, ἐκ δὲ τοῦ ἀργυρίου καὶ χρυσίου νόμισμα κόψας ταῖς τε συμμαχούσαις πόλεσι διεδίδου καὶ μάλιστα τοὺς προεστηκότας ἐδωροδόκει.
At any rate, Onomarchus, having been elected general with absolute power, manufactured a multitude of weapons from the bronze and iron, and having struck coin from the silver and gold, he distributed it to the allied cities and especially bribed their leading men.
διέφθειρε δὲ καὶ τῶν πολεμίων πολλούς, οὓς μὲν συμμαχεῖν πείθων, οὓς δὲ τὴν ἡσυχίαν ἔχειν ἀξιῶν.
And he corrupted also many of his enemies, persuading some to join in alliance, and asking others to keep quiet.
§16.33.3πάντα δὲ ῥᾳδίως ἐπετέλει διὰ τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων φιλαργυρίαν· καὶ γὰρ τοὺς Θετταλοὺς μέγιστον ἔχοντας τῶν συμμάχων ἀξίωμα δωροδοκήσας ἔπεισε τὴν ἡσυχίαν ἔχειν.
And he accomplished everything easily because of the avarice of men; for indeed, having bribed the Thessalians, who had the greatest reputation among the allies, he persuaded them to keep quiet.
καὶ τῶν μὲν Φωκέων τοὺς ἐναντιουμένους συλλαμβάνων ἀνῄρει καὶ τὰς οὐσίας ἐδήμευεν, εἰς δὲ τὴν πολεμίαν ἐμβαλὼν Θρόνιον μὲν ἐκπολιορκήσας ἐξηνδραποδίσατο, Ἀμφισσεῖς δὲ καταπληξάμενος ἠνάγκασεν ὑποτάττεσθαι.
And of the Phocians, those who opposed him he arrested and put to death, and confiscated their properties; and invading the enemy's territory, he took Thronium by siege and enslaved its inhabitants, and having terrified the Amphissians, he forced them to submit.
§16.33.4τὰς δʼ ἐν Δωριεῦσι πόλεις πορθήσας τὴν χώραν αὐτῶν ἐδῄωσεν.
And having plundered the cities among the Dorians, he ravaged their territory.
εἰς δὲ τὴν Βοιωτίαν ἐμβαλὼν Ὀρχομενὸν μὲν εἷλεν, ἐπιχειρήσας δʼ ἐκπολιορκεῖν Χαιρώνειαν καὶ ἡττηθεὶς ὑπὸ Θηβαίων ἐπανῆλθεν εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν.
And invading Boeotia, he captured Orchomenus, but having attempted to take Chaeronea by siege and having been defeated by the Thebans, he returned to his own country.

Notes

  1. §16.33.1ἀναπλάττειν — Complementary infinitive of ἔδοξε, with Onomarchus himself as its implied subject.
  2. §16.33.1διὰ τὸ τοὺς Ἀμφικτύονας ἐκ τοῦ ζημιώματος ἀναθεῖναι — Articular infinitive construction (τὸ ... ἀναθεῖναι) governed by the preposition διά, where τοὺς Ἀμφικτύονας is the subject accusative of the infinitive, and ἐκ τοῦ ζημιώματος ('from the fine') indicates the source of funds.
  3. §16.33.1ἐσημαίνετο ἡ ζημία τῶν Φωκέων αὔξησιν ἀπολήψεσθαι — The infinitive phrase 'ἡ ζημία ... αὔξησιν ἀπολήψεσθαι' acts as the subject of the impersonal verb ἐσημαίνετο, meaning 'it was indicated that the fine of the Phocians would receive an increase.'
  4. §16.33.2οὓς μὲν ... οὓς δὲ — Archaic use of the relative pronoun as a demonstrative, meaning 'some... others...' Here in the masculine accusative plural, referring to parts of the enemies (τῶν πολεμίων).

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §16.33.1-16.33.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:16.33.1-16.33.4

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