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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §1.42.1-1.42.2

Review of the First Part and Preview of Egyptian Kings

Passage 43 of 406 · Greek

Summary

Diodorus reviews the major topics treated in the first part of Book 1 and previews that this second part will cover a summary of the most ancient Egyptian customs and the history of the kings from the earliest times down to King Amasis.

§1.42.1τῆς πρώτης τῶν Διοδώρου βίβλων διὰ τὸ μέγεθος εἰς δύο βίβλους διῃρημένης ἡ πρώτη μὲν περιέχει προοίμιον περὶ ὅλης τῆς πραγματείας καὶ τὰ λεγόμενα παρʼ Αἰγυπτίοις περὶ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου γενέσεως καὶ τῆς τῶν ὅλων ἐξ ἀρχῆς συστάσεως, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις περὶ τῶν θεῶν, ὅσοι πόλεις ἔκτισαν κατʼ Αἴγυπτον ἐπωνύμους ἑαυτῶν ποιήσαντες, περί τε τῶν πρώτων γενομένων ἀνθρώπων καὶ τοῦ παλαιοτάτου βίου, τῆς τε τῶν ἀθανάτων τιμῆς καὶ τῆς τῶν ναῶν κατασκευῆς, ἑξῆς δὲ περὶ τῆς τοποθεσίας τῆς κατʼ Αἴγυπτον χώρας καὶ τῶν περὶ τὸν Νεῖλον ποταμὸν παραδοξολογουμένων, τῆς τε τούτου πληρώσεως τὰς αἰτίας καὶ τῶν ἱστορικῶν καὶ φιλοσόφων ἀποφάσεις, ἔτι δὲ τὰς πρὸς ἕκαστον τῶν συγγραφέων ἀντιρρήσεις·
Since the first of the books of Diodorus has been divided into two books because of its size, the first contains the introduction concerning the whole work, and the things said among the Egyptians about the generation of the universe and the original constitution of all things, and in addition to these, concerning the gods, as many as founded cities in Egypt making them eponymous of themselves, and concerning the first men who arose and the most ancient way of life, and the honor of the immortals and the construction of temples, and next, concerning the topography of the land of Egypt and the marvels told about the river Nile, and the causes of its filling and the assertions of the historians and philosophers, and furthermore, the refutations against each of the writers.
§1.42.2ἐν ταύτῃ δὲ τῇ βίβλῳ τὰ συνεχῆ τοῖς προειρημένοις διέξιμεν.
And in this book we shall go through the things continuous with those already mentioned.
ἀρχόμεθα δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν γενομένων πρώτων κατʼ Αἴγυπτον βασιλέων, καὶ τὰς κατὰ μέρος αὐτῶν πράξεις ἐκθησόμεθα μέχρι Ἀμάσιδος τοῦ βασιλέως, προεκθέμενοι κεφαλαιωδῶς τὴν ἀρχαιοτάτην ἀγωγὴν τῶν κατʼ Αἴγυπτον.
And we begin with the first kings who arose in Egypt, and we shall set forth their individual deeds down to King Amasis, having first set forth in summary the most ancient way of life of those in Egypt.

Notes

  1. §1.42.1τῆς πρώτης τῶν Διοδώρου βίβλων διὰ τὸ μέγεθος εἰς δύο βίβλους διῃρημένης — Genitive absolute construction, explaining the circumstance or reason that the first book of Diodorus was divided into two books due to its size, leading to the main subject of the clause, "the first [part]" (ἡ πρώτη).
  2. §1.42.2ἐν ταύτῃ δὲ τῇ βίβλῳ — "In this book" refers to the second part (the second volume of the divided Book 1) which the reader is currently entering. It contrasts with "the first [part]" (ἡ πρώτη) in 1.42.1 by the particle δέ.
  3. §1.42.2τὴν ἀρχαιοτάτην ἀγωγὴν τῶν κατʼ Αἴγυπτον — Here ἀγωγή denotes "way of life," "customs," or "institutions." It corresponds to the "most ancient way of life" (παλαιότατος βίος) mentioned in 1.41.10, referring to the summary of Egypt's ancient social conditions and customs.

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §1.42.1-1.42.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc5:1.42.1-1.42.2

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