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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §17.6.1-17.6.3

Darius's Rise through Bravery and Rivalry with Alexander

Passage 611 of 723 · Greek

Summary

This passage explains how Darius was chosen for the Persian throne due to his past bravery in single combat against a Cadusian, setting him up as a formidable rival to Alexander.

§17.6.1ἠξιώθη δὲ τῆς βασιλείας ὁ Δαρεῖος δοκῶν πολὺ προέχειν ἀνδρείᾳ Περσῶν·
Darius was deemed worthy of the kingdom because he was thought to excel by far in courage among the Persians.
Ἀρταξέρξου γάρ ποτε τοῦ βασιλέως πολεμοῦντος πρὸς Καδουσίους καί τινος τῶν Καδουσίων ἐπʼ ἀλκῇ καὶ ἀνδρείᾳ διαβεβοημένου προκαλεσαμένου τὸν βουλόμενον Περσῶν μονομαχῆσαι ἄλλος μὲν οὐδεὶς ἐτόλμησεν ὑπακοῦσαι, μόνος δὲ Δαρεῖος ὑποστὰς τὸν κίνδυνον τὸν προκαλεσάμενον ἀπέκτεινεν καὶ ὑπὸ μὲν τοῦ βασιλέως μεγάλαις ἐτιμήθη δωρεαῖς, παρὰ δὲ τοῖς Πέρσαις τὸ πρωτεῖον τῆς ἀνδρείας ἀπηνέγκατο.
For once when Artaxerxes the king was waging war against the Cadusians, and one of the Cadusians, who was famous for his strength and courage, challenged whoever of the Persians wished to fight in single combat, no one else dared to respond, but Darius alone, having undertaken the danger, killed the challenger. He was honored by the king with great gifts and carried off the first prize of courage among the Persians.
§17.6.2διὰ ταύτην δὴ τὴν ἀνδραγαθίαν ἄξιος τῆς βασιλείας νομισθεὶς παρέλαβε τὴν ἀρχὴν περὶ τούτους τοὺς χρόνους, ἐν οἷς Φιλίππου τελευτήσαντος διεδέξατο τὴν βασιλείαν Ἀλέξανδρος.
Because of this very bravery, having been deemed worthy of the kingdom, he assumed the rule around those times when, Philip having died, Alexander succeeded to the kingdom.
§17.6.3τοιοῦτον δʼ ἄνδρα τῆς τύχης παραδούσης ἀντίπαλον τῇ κατʼ Ἀλέξανδρον ἀρετῇ συνέβη πολλοὺς καὶ μεγάλους ἀγῶνας συστῆναι περὶ τοῦ πρωτείου.
Since fortune had provided such a man as a rival to the excellence of Alexander, it happened that many and great contests arose concerning the supremacy.
ἀλλὰ περὶ μὲν τούτων αἱ κατὰ μέρος πράξεις ἕκαστα δηλώσουσιν· ἡμεῖς δʼ ἐπὶ τὸ συνεχὲς τῆς ἱστορίας τρεψόμεθα.
But concerning these things, the detailed deeds will make each clear, and we shall turn to the continuation of the history.

Notes

  1. §17.6.1Περσῶν — The genitive "Περσῶν" can be construed either as a genitive of comparison dependent on the verb "προέχειν" ("to excel the Persians") or as a partitive genitive dependent on "πολύ" ("by far among the Persians"). The translation emphasizes the latter partitive aspect ("among the Persians") to highlight his standing within his own people.
  2. §17.6.3τοιοῦτον δʼ ἄνδρα τῆς τύχης παραδούσης ἀντίπαλον — A hyperbaton construction. The accusative "τοιοῦτον ἄνδρα" (along with its predicative modifier "ἀντίπαλον") is placed at the very beginning of the sentence for emphasis, serving as the direct object of the participle "παραδούσης" within the genitive absolute clause "τῆς τύχης παραδούσης". It is not the accusative subject of the impersonal verb "συνέβη" in the main clause.

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §17.6.1-17.6.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:17.6.1-17.6.3

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