Humanitext Reader

Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §16.77.1-16.77.5

Philip's Peace and Timoleon's Preparations

Passage 585 of 723 · Greek

Summary

In the archonship of Theophrastus in Athens, Philip, alarmed by the joint forces of the Greeks, lifted the sieges and made peace. Meanwhile in Sicily, Timoleon strengthened his forces by reconciling with Hicetas to confront a massive Carthaginian army.

§16.77.1ἐπʼ ἄρχοντος δʼ Ἀθήνησι Θεοφράστου Ῥωμαῖοι μὲν ὑπάτους κατέστησαν Μάρκον Οὐαλέριον καὶ Αὖλον Κορνήλιον, Ὀλυμπιὰς δʼ ἤχθη δεκάτη πρὸς ταῖς ἑκατόν, καθʼ ἣν ἐνίκα στάδιον Ἀντικλῆς Ἀθηναῖος.
When Theophrastus was archon in Athens, the Romans established Marcus Valerius and Aulus Cornelius as consuls, and the hundred and tenth Olympiad was celebrated, in which Anticles the Athenian won the stade race.
§16.77.2ἐπὶ δὲ τούτων Φιλίππου Βυζάντιον πολιορκοῦντος Ἀθηναῖοι μὲν ἔκριναν τὸν Φίλιππον λελυκέναι τὴν πρὸς αὐτοὺς συντεθεῖσαν εἰρήνην· εὐθὺς δὲ καὶ δύναμιν ναυτικὴν ἀξιόλογον ἐξέπεμψαν βοηθήσουσαν τοῖς Βυζαντίοις.
During their term of office, while Philip was besieging Byzantium, the Athenians judged that Philip had broken the peace concluded with them; and they immediately sent out a noteworthy naval force to assist the Byzantines.
ὁμοίως δὲ τούτοις Χῖοι καὶ Κῷοι καὶ Ῥόδιοι καί τινες ἕτεροι τῶν Ἑλλήνων συμμαχίαν ἐξέπεμψαν τοῖς Βυζαντίοις.
In like manner with them, the Chians, Coans, Rhodians, and some others of the Greeks sent out an alliance to the Byzantines.
§16.77.3διόπερ ὁ Φίλιππος καταπλαγεὶς τῇ συνδρομῇ τῶν Ἑλλήνων τήν τε πολιορκίαν τῶν πόλεων ἔλυσε καὶ πρὸς Ἀθηναίους καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους Ἕλληνας τοὺς ἐναντιουμένους συνέθετο τὴν εἰρήνην.
Therefore Philip, struck with dismay by the convergence of the Greeks, raised the siege of the cities and concluded peace with the Athenians and the other Greeks who were opposing him.
§16.77.4κατὰ δὲ τὴν Σικελίαν Καρχηδόνιοι μὲν μεγάλας παρασκευὰς εἰς τὸν πόλεμον πεποιημένοι διεβίβασαν τὰς δυνάμεις εἰς τὴν Σικελίαν.
In Sicily, the Carthaginians, having made great preparations for the war, transported their forces to Sicily.
εἶχον δὲ τοὺς πάντας σὺν τοῖς προϋπάρχουσιν ἐν τῇ νήσῳ πεζοὺς μὲν πλείους τῶν ἑπτακισμυρίων, ἱππεῖς δὲ καὶ ἅρματα καὶ συνωρίδας οὐκ ἐλάττους τῶν μυρίων, ναῦς δὲ μακρὰς μὲν διακοσίας, φορτηγοὺς δὲ τὰς τοὺς ἵππους τε καὶ βέλη καὶ σῖτον καὶ τἄλλα κομιζούσας πλείους τῶν χιλίων.
In all, including those already present on the island, they had more than seventy thousand infantry, and no fewer than ten thousand cavalry, chariots, and two-horse carts; of warships they had two hundred, and of merchant vessels carrying horses, missiles, grain, and other things, more than a thousand.
§16.77.5Τιμολέων δὲ πυθόμενος τὸ μέγεθος τῆς τῶν πολεμίων δυνάμεως οὐ κατεπλάγη τοὺς βαρβάρους, καίπερ εἰς ὀλίγους στρατιώτας συνεσταλμένος.
Timoleon, although he had been reduced to a small number of soldiers, was not dismayed by the barbarians upon learning the size of the enemy's forces.
ἔχων δὲ πόλεμον πρὸς Ἱκέταν διελύσατο πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ προσλαβόμενος τοὺς μετὰ τούτου στρατιώτας οὐ μετρίως ηὔξησε τὴν ἰδίαν δύναμιν.
He brought to an end the war he had against Hicetas, and by taking to himself the soldiers who were with him, he increased his own force in no small measure.

Notes

  1. §16.77.2ἔκριναν τὸν Φίλιππον λελυκέναι — An accusative with infinitive construction acting as the object of the verb `ἔκριναν` (judged). The accusative `τὸν Φίλιππον` serves as the subject of the perfect infinitive `λελυκέναι` (to have broken).
  2. §16.77.4τοὺς πάντας — The expression `τοὺς πάντας` with the definite article, when accompanying numbers, functions adverbially to mean "in all" or "all told" to indicate the total sum.
  3. §16.77.5καίπερ εἰς ὀλίγους στρατιώτας συνεσταλμένος — The combination of the concessive particle `καίπερ` and the perfect passive participle `συνεσταλμένος` (from `συστέλλω`, meaning to reduce or contract). It translates literally to "although having been reduced to a few soldiers," indicating that his personal forces had diminished.

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §16.77.1-16.77.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:16.77.1-16.77.5

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.