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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §17.113.1-17.113.4

Embassies from Across the World and Their Audiences

Passage 718 of 723 · Greek

Summary

Following the dating by Athenian archonship and Roman consuls, the text describes the embassies arriving from all over the world to meet Alexander, and the order of priority he established for their audiences.

§17.113.1ἐπʼ ἄρχοντος δʼ Ἀθήνησιν Ἀγησίου Ῥωμαῖοι κατέστησαν ὑπάτους Γάιον Πόπλιον καὶ Παπίριον, Ὀλυμπιὰς δʼ ἤχθη τετάρτη πρὸς ταῖς ἑκατὸν καὶ δέκα, καθʼ ἣν ἐνίκα στάδιον Μικίνας Ῥόδιος.
When Agesias was archon at Athens, the Romans appointed Gaius Poplius and Papirius consuls, and the hundred and fourteenth Olympiad was celebrated, in which Micinas of Rhodes won the stadium race.
κατὰ δὲ τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον ἐξ ἁπάσης σχεδὸν τῆς οἰκουμένης ἧκον πρέσβεις, οἱ μὲν συγχαίροντες ἐπὶ τοῖς κατορθώμασιν, οἱ δὲ στεφανοῦντες, ἄλλοι δὲ φιλίας καὶ συμμαχίας τιθέμενοι, πολλοὶ δὲ δωρεὰς μεγαλοπρεπεῖς κομίζοντες, τινὲς δὲ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐγκαλουμένων ἀπολογούμενοι.
Around this time, ambassadors came from almost the whole inhabited world, some to congratulate him on his achievements, others to crown him, others to establish friendship and alliance, many bringing magnificent gifts, and some to defend themselves against accusations.
§17.113.2χωρὶς γὰρ τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς Ἀσίας ἐθνῶν καὶ πόλεων, ἔτι δὲ δυναστῶν πολλοὶ καὶ τῶν ἐκ τῆς Εὐρώπης καὶ Λιβύης κατήντησαν, ἐκ μὲν Λιβύης Καρχηδόνιοι καὶ Λιβυφοίνικες καὶ πάντες οἱ τὴν παράλιον οἰκοῦντες μέχρι τῶν Ἡρακλείων στηλῶν, ἐκ δὲ τῆς Εὐρώπης αἵ τε τῶν Ἑλλήνων πόλεις ἐξέπεμψαν καὶ Μακεδόνες, ἔτι δὲ Ἰλλυριοὶ καὶ τῶν περὶ τὸν Ἀδρίαν οἰκούντων οἱ πλείους, τά τε Θρᾴκια γένη καὶ τῶν πλησιοχώρων Γαλατῶν, ὧν τότε πρῶτον τὸ γένος ἐγνώσθη παρὰ τοῖς Ἕλλησιν.
For apart from the nations and cities of Asia, and furthermore the rulers, many also from Europe and Libya arrived: from Libya, the Carthaginians and Libyphoenicians and all those who inhabited the coast as far as the Pillars of Heracles; and from Europe, the cities of the Greeks sent [embassies], as well as the Macedonians, and furthermore the Illyrians and most of those who inhabited the region around the Adriatic, the Thracian tribes, and the neighboring Galatians, whose race then for the first time became known among the Greeks.
§17.113.3ὁ δὲ Ἀλέξανδρος ἀπογραφὴν λαβὼν τῶν πρέσβεων διέταξε τοῖς μὲν πρώτοις διδόναι τὰς ἀποκρίσεις καὶ τοῖς ἑξῆς ἅπασι.
Alexander, having received a list of the ambassadors, arranged to give the answers to the first and then to all the others in order.
καὶ πρώτοις μὲν ἐχρημάτισε τοῖς ὑπὲρ τῶν ἱερῶν παραγεγενημένοις, δευτέροις δὲ τοῖς περὶ τῶν δωρεῶν ἥκουσιν, ἑξῆς δὲ τοῖς ἀμφισβητήσεις ἔχουσι πρὸς τοὺς ὁμόρους, τετάρτοις δὲ τοῖς περὶ τῶν ἰδιωτικῶν ἥκουσι, πέμπτοις δὲ τοῖς ἀντιλέγουσι περὶ τῆς καθόδου τῶν φυγάδων.
And first indeed he transacted business with those who had come on behalf of sacred matters; secondly, with those who had come concerning gifts; next, with those who had disputes with their neighbors; fourthly, with those who had come concerning private matters; and fifthly, with those who opposed the return of the exiles.
§17.113.4τοῖς μὲν οὖν Ἠλείοις πρώτοις ἐχρημάτισεν, εἶτα Ἀμμωνιεῦσι καὶ Δελφοῖς καὶ Κορινθίοις, ἔτι δὲ Ἐπιδαυρίοις καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις, κατὰ τὴν δόξαν τῶν ἱερῶν προκρίνων τὰς ἐντεύξεις.
Thus he transacted business first with the Eleans, then with the Ammonians, the Delphians, and the Corinthians, and furthermore with the Epidaurians and the others, prioritizing the audiences according to the reputation of their sanctuaries.
πάσαις δὲ ταῖς πρεσβείαις φιλοτιμηθεὶς κεχαρισμένας δοῦναι τὰς ἀποκρίσεις εὐαρεστουμένας ἀπέλυσε κατὰ τὸ δυνατόν.
Having strived to give pleasing answers to all the embassies, he dismissed them, well-satisfied as far as possible.

Notes

  1. §17.113.1ἐπʼ ἄρχοντος δʼ Ἀθήνησιν Ἀγησίου — Genitive absolute construction used for dating by the Athenian archon. The preposition `ἐπί` with the genitive signifies 'in the archonship of.'
  2. §17.113.2αἵ τε τῶν Ἑλλήνων πόλεις ἐξέπεμψαν καὶ Μακεδόνες — While the verb `ἐξέπεμψαν` (sent) has `αἵ τε τῶν Ἑλλήνων πόλεις` as its subject, the subsequent nominatives such as `Μακεδόνες` and `Ἰλλυριοί` should be understood as subjects of the main verb of the section, `κατήντησαν` (arrived), rather than being connected to `ἐξέπεμψαν`.
  3. §17.113.3ἐχρημάτισε — The verb `χρηματίζω` is used here in its technical sense of transacting public business or 'granting an audience,' and governs the dative cases (such as `τοῖς... παραγεγενημένοις`).

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §17.113.1-17.113.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:17.113.1-17.113.4

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