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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §16.87.1-16.87.3

Rebuke of Demades and Philip's Release of Captives

Passage 595 of 723 · Greek

Summary

During his victory revels, Philip insulted the captives but repented after being candidly rebuked by Demades, an Athenian orator among the prisoners. Philip then released all captives without ransom and concluded a peace treaty with Athens.

§16.87.1λέγουσι δέ τινες ὅτι καὶ παρὰ τὸν πότον πολὺν ἐμφορησάμενος ἄκρατον καὶ μετὰ τῶν φίλων τὸν ἐπινίκιον ἄγων κῶμον διὰ μέσων τῶν αἰχμαλώτων ἐβάδιζεν ὑβρίζων διὰ λόγων τὰς τῶν ἀκληρούντων δυστυχίας. Δημάδην δὲ τὸν ῥήτορα κατʼ ἐκεῖνον τὸν καιρὸν ἐν τοῖς αἰχμαλώτοις ὄντα χρήσασθαι παρρησίᾳ καὶ λόγον ἀποφθέγξασθαι δυνάμενον ἀναστεῖλαι τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως ἀσέλγειαν.
But some say that, having also consumed much unmixed wine at the drinking party and leading the victory revel with his friends, he walked through the midst of the captives, insulting with words the misfortunes of the unlucky. They say, however, that Demades the orator, who was at that time among the captives, used freedom of speech and uttered a speech capable of checking the king's insolence. But some say that, having also consumed much unmixed wine at the drinking party and leading the victory revel with his friends, he walked through the midst of the captives, insulting with words the misfortunes of the unlucky. They say, however, that Demades the orator, who was at that time among the captives, used freedom of speech and uttered a speech capable of checking the king's insolence.
§16.87.2φασὶ γὰρ εἰπεῖν αὐτόν, βασιλεῦ, τῆς τύχης σοι περιθείσης πρόσωπον Ἀγαμέμνονος αὐτὸς οὐκ αἰσχύνῃ πράττων ἔργα Θερσίτου; τὸν δὲ Φίλιππον τῇ τῆς ἐπιπλήξεως εὐστοχίᾳ κινηθέντα τοσοῦτο μεταβαλεῖν τὴν ὅλην διάθεσιν ὥστε τοὺς μὲν στεφάνους ἀπορρῖψαι, τὰ δὲ συνακολουθοῦντα κατὰ τὸν κῶμον σύμβολα τῆς ὕβρεως ἀποτρίψασθαι, τὸν δʼ ἄνδρα τὸν χρησάμενον τῇ παρρησίᾳ θαυμάσαι καὶ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας ἀπολύσαντα πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἀναλαβεῖν ἐντίμως.
For they say that he said, "O King, since Fortune has placed upon you the persona of Agamemnon, are you not ashamed yourself to do the deeds of Thersites?" And they say that Philip, moved by the aptness of the rebuke, changed his entire disposition so much that he threw away his wreaths, cast off the symbols of insolence that accompanied the revel, admired the man who had used freedom of speech, and, having released him from captivity, received him honorably to himself. For they say that he said, "O King, since Fortune has placed upon you the persona of Agamemnon, are you not ashamed yourself to do the deeds of Thersites?" And they say that Philip, moved by the aptness of the rebuke, changed his entire disposition so much that he threw away his wreaths, cast off the symbols of insolence that accompanied the revel, admired the man who had used freedom of speech, and, having released him from captivity, received him honorably to himself.
§16.87.3τέλος δʼ ὑπὸ τοῦ Δημάδου καθομιληθέντα ταῖς Ἀττικαῖς χάρισι πάντας ἀπολῦσαι τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους ἄνευ λύτρων, καθόλου δʼ ἀποθέμενον τὴν ἐκ τῆς νίκης ὑπερηφανίαν πρέσβεις ἀποστεῖλαι πρὸς τὸν δῆμον τῶν Ἀθηναίων καὶ συνθέσθαι πρὸς αὐτοὺς φιλίαν τε καὶ συμμαχίαν, εἰς δὲ τὰς Θήβας φρουρὰν ἐγκαταστήσαντα συγχωρῆσαι τὴν εἰρήνην τοῖς Βοιωτοῖς.
And finally, having been won over by Demades with Attic graces, he released all the captives without ransom, and overall, having put aside the arrogance arising from the victory, he dispatched ambassadors to the demos of the Athenians and concluded friendship and alliance with them, while establishing a garrison in Thebes, he granted peace to the Boeotians. And finally, having been won over by Demades with Attic graces, he released all the captives without ransom, and overall, having put aside the arrogance arising from the victory, he dispatched ambassadors to the demos of the Athenians and concluded friendship and alliance with them, while establishing a garrison in Thebes, he granted peace to the Boeotians.

Notes

  1. 16.87.1Δημάδην δὲ τὸν ῥήτορα ... χρήσασθαι ... καὶ λόγον ἀποφθέγξασθαι — This clause depends on the main verb λέγουσι (they say) at the beginning of the section, forming an accusative-and-infinitive construction (indirect discourse) where the accusative subject is Δημάδην ... ὄντα and the infinitives are χρήσασθαι and ἀποφθέγξασθαι.
  2. 16.87.2τῆς τύχης σοι περιθείσης πρόσωπον Ἀγαμέμνονος — A genitive absolute construction consisting of the noun τῆς τύχης and the aorist active participle περιθείσης. It functions here to express cause or concession ('since/although Fortune has placed'). σοι is a dative indirect object of the verb περιτίθημι (to place upon).
  3. 16.87.2τὸν δὲ Φίλιππον ... μεταβαλεῖν ... ὥστε τοὺς μὲν στεφάνους ἀπορρῖψαι — The phrase τὸν δὲ Φίλιππον ... μεταβαλεῖν is an accusative-and-infinitive construction dependent on φασί (they say) at the beginning of 16.87.2. Within the subsequent ὥστε (consecutive conjunction) clause, the infinitives (ἀπορρῖψαι, ἀποτρίψασθαι) are used to express result ('with the result that he threw away...').
  4. 16.87.3καθομιληθέντα ... ἀπολῦσαι ... ἀποθέμενον ... ἀποστεῖλαι — The entire sentence continues the indirect discourse from the previous section, with the omitted subject (Philip) in the accusative. The passive participle καθομιληθέντα and the active participle ἀποθέμενον agree with this omitted accusative subject, while the main actions are expressed by the sequence of infinitives: ἀπολῦσαι, ἀποστεῖλαι, συνθέσθαι, and συγχωρῆσαι.

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §16.87.1-16.87.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:16.87.1-16.87.3

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