Humanitext Reader

Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §16.44.1-16.44.6

Greek Reinforcements for Persia and Defense of Sidon

Passage 552 of 723 · Greek

Summary

It is recorded that the Persian king requested military aid from Greek cities for his Egyptian campaign, to which Thebes and Argos complied, and that the Sidonians strengthened their defenses in preparation for the Persian attack.

§16.44.1ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἐν μεγάλῳ τιθέμενος τὸ κρατῆσαι τῆς Αἰγύπτου διὰ τὸ πρότερον ἐλάττωμα πρεσβευτὰς ἀπέστειλε πρὸς τὰς μεγίστας τῶν κατὰ τὴν Ἑλλάδα πόλεων, ἀξιῶν συστρατεῦσαι τοῖς Πέρσαις ἐπʼ Αἰγυπτίους.
The king, considering it of great importance to conquer Egypt because of his previous setback, sent ambassadors to the greatest of the cities throughout Greece, requesting them to join the campaign with the Persians against the Egyptians.
Ἀθηναῖοι μὲν οὖν καὶ Λακεδαιμόνιοι τὴν φιλίαν ἔφασαν τὴν πρὸς Πέρσας τηρεῖν, συμμαχίαν δὲ ἀποστέλλειν ἀντεῖπαν.
Now, the Athenians and the Lacedaemonians said they maintained their friendship with the Persians, but they refused to send an allied force.
§16.44.2Θηβαῖοι δὲ στρατηγὸν ἑλόμενοι Λακράτην ἐξαπέστειλαν μετὰ χιλίων ὁπλιτῶν.
But the Thebans, choosing Lacrates as general, dispatched him with a thousand hoplites.
Ἀργεῖοι δὲ τρισχιλίους στρατιώτας ἐξέπεμψαν, στρατηγὸν δὲ αὐτοὶ μὲν οὐχ εἵλαντο, τοῦ δὲ βασιλέως κατʼ ὄνομα τὸν Νικόστρατον στρατηγὸν αἰτησαμένου συνεχώρησαν.
And the Argives sent out three thousand soldiers; as for a general, they themselves did not choose one, but when the king requested Nicostratus by name to be general, they agreed.
§16.44.3ἦν γὰρ ὁ ἀνὴρ οὗτος ἀγαθὸς καὶ πρᾶξαι καὶ βουλεύσασθαι, μεμιγμένην δʼ ἔχων τῇ φρονήσει μανίαν· τῇ γὰρ τοῦ σώματος ῥώμῃ διαφέρων ἐμιμεῖτο τὸν Ἡρακλέα κατὰ τὰς στρατείας καὶ λεοντῆν ἐφόρει καὶ ῥόπαλον ἐν ταῖς μάχαις.
For this man was capable both in action and in counsel, but he had a madness mixed with his prudence; for, outstanding in bodily strength, he imitated Heracles on his campaigns, and wore a lion's skin and carried a club in battles.
§16.44.4ὁμοίως δὲ τούτοις οἱ τὴν παραθαλάττιον τῆς Ἀσίας οἰκοῦντες Ἕλληνες ἀπέστειλαν στρατιώτας ἑξακισχιλίους, ὥστε τοὺς πάντας Ἕλληνας γενέσθαι συμμάχους μυρίους.
Similarly to these, the Greeks inhabiting the coastal region of Asia sent six thousand soldiers, so that the total of all Greek allies became ten thousand.
πρὸ δὲ τῆς τούτων παρουσίας ὁ μὲν βασιλεὺς διεληλυθὼς τὴν Συρίαν καὶ παραγενόμενος εἰς τὴν Φοινίκην ἐστρατοπέδευσεν οὐ μακρὰν τῆς Σιδῶνος.
But before the arrival of these, the king, having passed through Syria and arrived in Phoenicia, encamped not far from Sidon.
§16.44.5οἱ δὲ Σιδώνιοι κεχρονικότος τοῦ βασιλέως περὶ τὰς παρασκευὰς σίτου τε καὶ ὅπλων καὶ βελῶν πολλὴν ἐπιμέλειαν ἐποιήσαντο.
And the Sidonians, since the king had taken much time over his preparations, made great provision of food, armor, and missiles.
ὁμοίως οὖν τὴν πόλιν τάφροις τριπλαῖς μεγάλαις καὶ τειχῶν ὑψηλῶν κατασκευαῖς περιειλήφεισαν.
Accordingly, they had surrounded the city with triple, large trenches and with constructions of high walls.
§16.44.6εἶχον δὲ καὶ στρατιωτῶν ἱκανὸν πλῆθος πολιτικῶν ἐν γυμνασίαις καὶ πόνοις ἐνηθληκὸς καὶ ταῖς τῶν σωμάτων εὐεξίαις καὶ ῥώμαις διαφέρον.
And they also had a sufficient number of citizen soldiers, trained in gymnastic exercises and hardships, and outstanding in physical fitness and strength.
πλούτῳ δὲ καὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις χορηγίαις ἡ πόλις πολὺ προεῖχε τῶν κατὰ τὴν Φοινίκην πόλεων, τὸ δὲ μέγιστον τριήρεις καὶ πεντήρεις εἶχε πλείους τῶν ἑκατόν.
In wealth and other resources, the city far surpassed the cities in Phoenicia, and what was most important, it had more than a hundred triremes and quinqueremes.

Notes

  1. §16.44.1ἐν μεγάλῳ τιθέμενος τὸ κρατῆσαι — The idiom ἐν μεγάλῳ τίθεσθαι ('to consider of great importance') is used here with the articular infinitive τὸ κρατῆσαι acting as its direct object. Literally, it translates to 'placing the conquering of Egypt among great things.'
  2. §16.44.3ἀγαθὸς καὶ πρᾶξαι καὶ βουλεύσασθαι — The adjective ἀγαθός ('good,' 'capable') is qualified by the parallel epexegetical (explanatory) infinitives πρᾶξαι and βουλεύσασθαι, indicating the specific areas in which he excelled ('both in action and in counsel').
  3. §16.44.5κεχρονικότος τοῦ βασιλέως — A genitive absolute construction expressing time or cause ('since the king had lingered/delayed'). The perfect participle of the intransitive verb χρονίζω ('to take time,' 'to linger') is used.
  4. §16.44.6τὸ δὲ μέγιστον — An accusative of apposition to the sentence (sentence apposition) or used adverbially, meaning 'and, what was most important.'

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §16.44.1-16.44.6. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:16.44.1-16.44.6

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.