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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §16.80.1-16.80.6

The Rout and Destruction of the Carthaginians in the Storm

Passage 588 of 723 · Greek

Summary

The Greek army led by Timoleon, aided by a sudden violent storm, overwhelmed the Carthaginian forces and drove the fleeing enemy into the turbulent Crimisus River, inflicting catastrophic damage.

§16.80.1καινοποιηθείσης δὲ τῆς μάχης καὶ τῶν Φοινίκων τῷ πλήθει περιχεομένων τοὺς Ἕλληνας ἄφνω πολὺς ἐκ τοῦ περιέχοντος ὄμβρος κατερράγη καὶ χαλάζης εὐμεγέθους πλῆθος, ἀστραπαί τε καὶ βρονταὶ μετὰ πνευμάτων μεγάλων κατέσκηπτον·
When the battle was renewed and the Phoenicians were pouring around the Greeks with their multitude, suddenly a heavy rain poured down from the surrounding atmosphere, along with a great quantity of huge hail, and lightnings and thunderbolts crashed down with great winds.
καὶ τούτων ἁπάντων θυελλοφορουμένων τοῖς μὲν Ἕλλησι κατὰ νώτου, τοῖς δὲ βαρβάροις κατὰ πρόσωπον οἱ μὲν περὶ τὸν Τιμολέοντα τὸ σύμπτωμα ῥᾳδίως ὑπέμενον, οἱ δὲ Φοίνικες τὸ μέγεθος τῆς περιστάσεως φέρειν ἀδυνατοῦντες, ἅμα δὲ καὶ τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἐπικειμένων, πρὸς φυγὴν ὥρμησαν.
While all this was carried by the storm against the backs of the Greeks but into the faces of the barbarians, Timoleon's men easily endured the accident, but the Phoenicians, unable to bear the greatness of the hardship, and at the same time as the Greeks were pressing upon them, rushed into flight.
§16.80.2πάντων δʼ ἐπὶ τὸν ποταμὸν τρεπομένων, ἀναμὶξ ἱππέων τε καὶ πεζῶν, καὶ τῶν ἁρμάτων ἅμα τούτοις φυρομένων οἱ μὲν ὑπʼ ἀλλήλων συμπατούμενοι καὶ τοῖς τῶν συμμάχων ξίφεσι καὶ λόγχαις περιπειρόμενοι τὴν συμφορὰν ἔσχον ἀβοήθητον, οἱ δʼ ὑπὸ τῶν παρὰ τοῖς πολεμίοις ἱππέων εἰς τὸ τοῦ ποταμοῦ ῥεῖθρον ἀγεληδὸν συνελαυνόμενοι καὶ κατὰ νώτου τὰς πληγὰς λαμβάνοντες ἀπέθνησκον.
As they all turned toward the river, cavalry and infantry mixed together, and the chariots confused along with them, some were trampled by one another and transfixed by the swords and spears of their own allies, meeting a helpless disaster, while others, driven in herds into the stream of the river by the enemy's cavalry and receiving blows on their backs, were killed.
§16.80.3πολλοὶ δὲ ἄνευ πολεμίας πληγῆς διεφθείροντο σωρευομένων τῶν σωμάτων διά τε τὸν φόβον καὶ τὸ πλῆθος καὶ διὰ τὰς ἐν τῷ ῥείθρῳ δυσχερείας.
And many perished without a hostile blow as the bodies piled up because of the panic, the multitude, and the difficulties in the stream.
τὸ δὲ μέγιστον, λάβρων γεγενημένων τῶν ὄμβρων ὁ ποταμὸς βιαιοτέρῳ τῷ ῥεύματι καταφερόμενος πολλοὺς ἐβάπτιζε καὶ μετὰ τῶν ὅπλων διανηχομένους διέφθειρε.
Most of all, because the rain had been violent, the river, sweeping down with a more vehement current, submerged many and destroyed those who were trying to swim across with their armor.
§16.80.4τέλος δὲ τῶν Καρχηδονίων οἱ μὲν τὸν ἱερὸν λόχον ἀναπληροῦντες καὶ τὸν μὲν ἀριθμὸν ὄντες δισχίλιοι καὶ πεντακόσιοι, ταῖς δʼ ἀρεταῖς καὶ δόξαις, ἔτι δὲ ταῖς οὐσίαις πρωτεύοντες ἅπαντες ἀγωνισάμενοι λαμπρῶς κατεκόπησαν.
Finally, of the Carthaginians, those who made up the Sacred Band—being twenty-five hundred in number, and foremost in bravery and reputation, as well as in wealth—all fell, after fighting brilliantly.
§16.80.5τῶν δʼ ἄλλων τῶν συστρατευομένων αὐτοῖς ἀπέθανον πλείους τῶν μυρίων, αἰχμάλωτοι δʼ ἐλήφθησαν οὐκ ἐλάττους τῶν μυρίων καὶ πεντακισχιλίων.
Of the others who campaigned with them, more than ten thousand died, and no fewer than fifteen thousand were taken prisoner.
τῶν δὲ ἁρμάτων τὰ μὲν πολλὰ συνετρίβη κατὰ τὸν ἀγῶνα, διακόσια δʼ ἥλω· τὰ δὲ σκευοφόρα καὶ τὰ ζεύγη καὶ τὰ πλήθη τῶν ἁμαξῶν ὑποχείρια τοῖς Ἕλλησιν ἐγένετο.
As for the chariots, most were shattered in the contest, but two hundred were captured; and the baggage animals, the yoke beasts, and the great quantity of wagons fell into the hands of the Greeks.
§16.80.6τῶν δʼ ὅπλων τὰ πολλὰ μὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ ποταμοῦ διεφθάρη, ἐπὶ δὲ τὴν τοῦ Τιμολέοντος σκηνὴν χίλιοι μὲν θώρακες, ἀσπίδες δὲ πλείους τῶν μυρίων ἀπηνέχθησαν.
Most of the arms were destroyed by the river, but one thousand breastplates and more than ten thousand shields were brought to Timoleon's tent.
τούτων δʼ ὕστερον τὰ μὲν ἐν τοῖς ἐν Συρακούσσαις ναοῖς ἀνετέθη, τὰ δὲ τοῖς συμμάχοις διεμερίσθη, τινὰ δʼ εἰς Κόρινθον Τιμολέων ἀπέστειλε, προστάξας εἰς τὸ τοῦ Ποσειδῶνος ἱερὸν ἀναθεῖναι.
Of these, later some were dedicated in the temples in Syracuse, others were distributed among the allies, and some Timoleon sent to Corinth, giving orders to dedicate them in the temple of Poseidon.

Notes

  1. 16.80.1ἐκ τοῦ περιέχοντος — The neuter singular present participle τὸ περιέχον is used substantively to mean 'the surrounding atmosphere' or 'the environment'. Here it indicates that the storm broke out from the surrounding air.
  2. 16.80.1τούτων ἁπάντων θυελλοφορουμένων — A genitive absolute construction where τούτων ἁπάντων (referring to the previously mentioned rain, hail, lightning, and wind) serves as the subject of the participle θυελλοφορουμένων (being carried in a storm). The subsequent datives denote the parties affected.
  3. 16.80.3διανηχομένους — The present participle διανηχομένους (swimming across), accompanied by μετὰ τῶν ὅπλων (with their armor), functions as the direct object (accusative) of the main verb διέφθειρε (destroyed).
  4. 16.80.4οἱ μὲν τὸν ἱερὸν λόχον ἀναπληροῦντες — The present participle of the verb ἀναπληρόω (to fill up, complete) is used substantively with the definite article to mean 'those who completed (constituted) the Sacred Band', referring to the elite citizen force of Carthage.

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §16.80.1-16.80.6. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:16.80.1-16.80.6

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