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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §16.70.1-16.70.6

Exile of Dionysius and Timoleon's Reforms at Syracuse

Passage 578 of 723 · Greek

Summary

Timoleon compels the tyrant Dionysius to surrender and withdraw to the Peloponnese. He then demolishes the Syracusan fortresses, establishes democratic laws, and institutes the annual office of the priesthood of Olympian Zeus (amphipolia).

§16.70.1ἐπʼ ἄρχοντος δʼ Ἀθήνησι Πυθοδότου Ῥωμαῖοι κατέστησαν ὑπάτους Γάιον Πλαύτιον καὶ Τίτον Μάλλιον.
When Pythodotus was archon in Athens, the Romans elected Gaius Plautius and Titus Manlius as consuls.
ἐπὶ δὲ τούτων Τιμολέων καταπληξάμενος Διονύσιον τὸν τύραννον ἔπεισεν αὐτὸν παραδοῦναι τὴν ἀκρόπολιν καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀποθέμενον ἀπελθεῖν εἰς Πελοπόννησον ὑπόσπονδον, ἔχοντα τὰ ἴδια χρήματα.
In their time, Timoleon, having terrified the tyrant Dionysius, persuaded him to surrender the acropolis, abdicate his rule, and depart under truce to the Peloponnese, keeping his personal property.
§16.70.2οὗτος μὲν οὖν διʼ ἀνανδρίαν καὶ ταπεινότητα ψυχῆς τήν τε περιβόητον τυραννίδα καὶ δεδεμένην, ὡς ἔφασαν, ἀδάμαντι τὸν εἰρημένον τρόπον ἀπέλιπε καὶ κατεβίωσεν ἀπορούμενος ἐν Κορίνθῳ, τὸν δʼ ἴδιον βίον καὶ τὴν μεταβολὴν ἔσχε παράδειγμα τοῖς καυχωμένοις ἀφρόνως ἐπὶ ταῖς εὐτυχίαις·
This man, therefore, because of his cowardice and meanness of spirit, abandoned in the manner described that celebrated tyranny which had been, as men said, "bound with adamant," and finished his life in poverty at Corinth, holding up his own life and its reversal as an example to those who foolishly boast of their good fortune.
§16.70.3ὁ γὰρ ἔχων τετρακοσίας τριήρεις μετʼ ὀλίγον ἐν μικρῷ στρογγύλῳ πλοίῳ κατέπλευσεν εἰς τὴν Κόρινθον, περίβλεπτον ἔχων τὴν τῆς μεταβολῆς ὑπερβολήν.
For he who once possessed four hundred triremes, a short time later sailed into Corinth in a small merchant vessel, having the extremity of his reversal open to the gaze of all.
§16.70.4Τιμολέων δὲ παραλαβὼν τὴν Νῆσον καὶ φρούρια τὰ τῷ Διονυσίῳ πρότερον ὑπακούοντα τὰς μὲν κατὰ τὴν Νῆσον ἀκροπόλεις καὶ τὰ τυραννεῖα κατέσκαψε, τοῖς δὲ φρουρίοις ἀπέδωκε τὴν ἐλευθερίαν.
Timoleon, having taken over the Island and the outposts that previously obeyed Dionysius, demolished the acropolises on the Island and the palaces of the tyrants, and restored freedom to the outposts.
§16.70.5εὐθὺς δὲ καὶ νομογραφεῖν ἤρξατο, τιθεὶς δημοκρατικοὺς νόμους καὶ τὰ περὶ τῶν ἰδιωτικῶν συμβολαίων δίκαια καὶ τἄλλα πάντα ἀκριβῶς διέταξε, πλείστην φροντίδα τῆς ἰσότητος ποιούμενος.
And immediately he also began to draw up laws, establishing democratic laws, and precisely regulated the justice concerning private contracts and all other matters, taking the greatest care for equality.
§16.70.6κατέστησε δὲ καὶ τὴν κατʼ ἐνιαυτὸν ἐντιμοτάτην ἀρχήν, ἣν ἀμφιπολίαν Διὸς Ὀλυμπίου καλοῦσιν Συρακόσιοι·
He also established the most honorable annual office, which the Syracusans call the amphipolia of Olympian Zeus.
καὶ ᾑρέθη πρῶτος ἀμφίπολος Διὸς Ὀλυμπίου Καλλιμένης Ἀλκάδα καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν διετέλεσαν οἱ Συρακόσιοι τοὺς ἐνιαυτοὺς ἐπιγράφοντες τούτοις τοῖς ἄρχουσι μέχρι τῶνδε τῶν ἱστοριῶν γραφομένων καὶ τῆς κατὰ τὴν πολιτείαν ἀλλαγῆς· τῶν γὰρ Ῥωμαίων μεταδόντων τοῖς Σικελιώταις τῆς πολιτείας ἡ τῶν ἀμφιπόλων ἀρχὴ ἐταπεινώθη, διαμείνασα ἔτη πλείω τῶν τριακοσίων.
And Callimenes, the son of Alcadas, was chosen as the first amphipolos of Olympian Zeus, and for the rest of the time the Syracusans continued to date their years by these officials until the writing of this history and the change in their constitution; for when the Romans shared their citizenship with the Siceliots, the office of the amphipoloi was diminished, having endured for more than three hundred years.
καὶ τὰ μὲν κατὰ τὴν Σικελίαν ἐν τούτοις ἦν.
And such was the state of affairs in Sicily.

Notes

  1. 16.70.1ὑπόσπονδον — The masculine singular accusative of the adjective `ὑπόσπονδος` ('under treaty/truce'). Here used predicatively referring to Dionysius, indicating the state of having concluded a treaty that guaranteed his safe departure.
  2. 16.70.2δεδεμένην, ὡς ἔφασαν, ἀδάμαντι — Meaning 'bound with adamant.' A perfect passive participle modifying `τυραννίδα` ('tyranny'). It refers to the historical anecdote (found in Aelian and Plutarch) where Dionysius I boasted that his tyranny was bound by chains of adamant (meaning it was absolutely secure).
  3. 16.70.3περίβλεπτον ἔχων τὴν τῆς μεταβολῆς ὑπερβολήν — `περίβλεπτον` is a predicative adjective modifying `τὴν τῆς μεταβολῆς ὑπερβολήν` ('the extremity of the change'). Literally, 'having the extremity of his change open to gaze from all sides,' meaning his dramatic downfall became the center of public attention.
  4. 16.70.6μέχρι τῶνδε τῶν ἱστοριῶν γραφομένων — A genitive construction following the preposition `μέχρι`. The noun `τῶν ἱστοριῶν` ('the history/narrative') is accompanied by the present passive participle `γραφομένων`, indicating the endpoint of time: 'until the writing of this history (at the present day).'

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §16.70.1-16.70.6. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:16.70.1-16.70.6

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