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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §16.40.1-16.40.6

Persian Aid to Thebes and Artaxerxes' Expedition

Passage 548 of 723 · Greek

Summary

In the year of archon Theellus, the impoverished Thebans request financial aid from Persian King Artaxerxes, who sends 300 talents. The narrative then shifts to Asia, explaining the history of the revolts of Egypt, Phoenicia, and Cyprus, and Artaxerxes' decision to personally lead a massive army to reclaim these territories.

§16.40.1ἐπʼ ἄρχοντος δʼ Ἀθήνησι Θεέλλου Ῥωμαῖοι κατέστησαν ὑπάτους Μάρκον Φάβιον καὶ Τίτον Κοΐντιον.
When Theellus was archon in Athens, the Romans appointed Marcus Fabius and Titus Quinctius as consuls.
ἐπὶ δὲ τούτων Θηβαῖοι κάμνοντες τῷ πρὸς Φωκεῖς πολέμῳ καὶ χρημάτων ἀπορούμενοι πρέσβεις ἐξέπεμψαν πρὸς τὸν τῶν Περσῶν βασιλέα, παρακαλοῦντες εἰσευπορῆσαι τῇ πόλει χρήματα·
In their term, the Thebans, being exhausted by the war against the Phocians and lacking funds, dispatched envoys to the king of the Persians, entreating him to supply funds to their city.
§16.40.2ὁ δʼ Ἀρταξέρξης προθύμως ὑπακούσας ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς δωρεὰν ἀργυρίου τάλαντα τριακόσια.
Artaxerxes readily complied and gave them a gift of three hundred talents of silver.
τοῖς δὲ Βοιωτοῖς καὶ τοῖς Φωκεῦσιν ἀκροβολισμοὶ μὲν καὶ χώρας καταδρομαὶ συνέστησαν, πράξεις δὲ κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν ἐνιαυτὸν ἄξιαι μνήμης οὐ συνετελέσθησαν.
Now, between the Boeotians and the Phocians, skirmishes and incursions into each other's territory took place, but no deeds worthy of mention were accomplished during this year.
§16.40.3κατὰ δὲ τὴν Ἀσίαν ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Περσῶν ἐν μὲν τοῖς ἐπάνω χρόνοις στρατεύσας ἐπʼ Αἴγυπτον πολλοῖς πλήθεσι στρατιωτῶν ἀπέτυχε, κατὰ δὲ τοὺς ὑποκειμένους καιροὺς πάλιν ἐπολέμησε τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις καὶ πράξεις ἀξιολόγους κατεργασάμενος διὰ τῆς ἰδίας ἐνεργείας τὴν Αἴγυπτον ἀνεκτήσατο καὶ Φοινίκην καὶ Κύπρον.
In Asia, the king of the Persians, having in former times marched against Egypt with large forces of soldiers, had failed; but in the period under consideration, he made war on the Egyptians again, and having achieved noteworthy deeds through his own personal energy, he recovered Egypt, Phoenicia, and Cyprus.
§16.40.4ἵνα δὲ σαφῆ τὴν περὶ τούτων ἱστορίαν ποιήσωμεν, τὰς αἰτίας τοῦ πολέμου προεκθησόμεθα μικρὸν ἀναλαβόντες τοὺς οἰκείους χρόνους.
In order to make the history of these matters clear, we shall set forth the causes of the war, going back a little to the proper times.
τῶν γὰρ Αἰγυπτίων ἀπὸ Περσῶν ἀποστάντων κατὰ τοὺς ἀνωτέρω χρόνους Ἀρταξέρξης ὁ ἐπικληθεὶς Ὦχος αὐτὸς μὲν οὐκ ὢν φιλοπόλεμος ἐφʼ ἡσυχίας ἔμενεν, ἀποστέλλων δὲ δυνάμεις καὶ στρατηγοὺς πολλάκις ἀπετύγχανε διὰ τὴν κακίαν καὶ ἀπειρίαν τῶν ἡγεμόνων.
For when the Egyptians revolted from the Persians in former times, Artaxerxes, surnamed Ochus, being himself not fond of war, remained quiet; although he repeatedly sent forces and generals, he failed owing to the cowardice and inexperience of the commanders.
§16.40.5διὸ καὶ καταφρονηθεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων ἠναγκάζετο καρτερεῖν διά τε τὴν ἀργίαν καὶ τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς εἰρηνικόν.
For this reason, being held in contempt by the Egyptians, he was forced to endure it because of his inactivity and the peacefulness of his soul.
κατὰ δὲ τοὺς ὑποκειμένους καιροὺς τῶν Φοινίκων καὶ τῶν ἐν Κύπρῳ βασιλέων μιμησαμένων τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους καὶ διὰ τὴν καταφρόνησιν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀπόστασιν ὁρμησάντων παροξυνθεὶς ἔκρινε πολεμεῖν τοὺς ἀφεστηκότας.
But in the period under consideration, when the Phoenicians and the kings in Cyprus imitated the Egyptians and, out of contempt, rushed into revolt, he was provoked and decided to make war on the rebels.
§16.40.6τὸ μὲν οὖν στρατηγοὺς ἐκπέμπειν ἀπεδοκίμασε, διʼ ἑαυτοῦ δὲ τοὺς ὑπὲρ τῆς βασιλείας ἀγῶνας ποιήσασθαι διέγνω.
Therefore, he rejected the sending of generals and resolved to conduct the struggles on behalf of his kingdom by himself.
διόπερ ὅπλων καὶ βελῶν καὶ σίτου καὶ δυνάμεων μεγάλας παρασκευὰς ποιησάμενος ἤθροισε πεζῶν μὲν τριάκοντα μυριάδας, ἱππέων δὲ τρεῖς, τριήρεις δὲ τριακοσίας, φορτηγοὺς δὲ καὶ τὰς ἄλλας τὰς τὴν ἀγορὰν κομιζούσας πεντακοσίας.
Consequently, having made great preparations of weapons, missiles, grain, and forces, he assembled thirty ten-thousands of infantry, three of cavalry, three hundred triremes, and five hundred merchantmen and other ships carrying supplies.

Notes

  1. 16.40.1ἐπὶ δὲ τούτων — Meaning 'in the time of these [magistrates]'. It refers to the Roman consuls just mentioned, or possibly including the Athenian archon as well.
  2. 16.40.3κατὰ δὲ τοὺς ὑποκειμένους καιροὺς — 'During the period under consideration', referring to the current year under discussion in the narrative (c. 350/349 BC).
  3. 16.40.5τῶν Φοινίκων καὶ τῶν ἐν Κύπρῳ βασιλέων μιμησαμένων — A genitive absolute construction, which, together with the following participle ὁρμησάντων, expresses the cause or time: 'when the Phoenicians and the kings in Cyprus imitated... and rushed...'
  4. 16.40.6ἱππέων δὲ τρεῖς — τρεῖς (three) here implies 'three ten-thousands' (thirty thousand), with the noun μυριάδας (ten-thousands) omitted by ellipsis from the preceding phrase τριάκοντα μυριάδας.

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §16.40.1-16.40.6. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:16.40.1-16.40.6

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