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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §1.73.1-1.73.9

Division of the Land among Priests, Kings, and Warriors

Passage 74 of 406 · Greek

Summary

This section explains the division of Egypt's land into three portions for the priests, the kings, and the warriors, detailing their respective national roles and the hereditary nature of their classes.

§1.73.1τῆς Αἰγύπτου δὲ πάσης εἰς πλείω μέρη διῃρημένης, ὧν ἕκαστον κατὰ τὴν Ἑλληνικὴν διάλεκτον ὀνομάζεται νομός, ἐφʼ ἑκάστῳ τέτακται νομάρχης ὁ τὴν ἁπάντων ἔχων ἐπιμέλειάν τε καὶ φροντίδα.
And as all Egypt is divided into several parts, each of which is called a "nome" in the Greek language, over each is appointed a "nomarch," who has the care and oversight of all matters.
§1.73.2τῆς δὲ χώρας ἁπάσης εἰς τρία μέρη διῃρημένης τὴν μὲν πρώτην ἔχει μερίδα τὸ σύστημα τῶν ἱερέων, μεγίστης ἐντροπῆς τυγχάνον παρὰ τοῖς ἐγχωρίοις διά τε τὴν εἰς τοὺς θεοὺς ἐπιμέλειαν καὶ διὰ τὸ πλείστην σύνεσιν τοὺς ἄνδρας τούτους ἐκ παιδείας εἰσφέρεσθαι.
And as the entire land is divided into three parts, the college of priests has the first portion, enjoying the greatest respect among the inhabitants both because of their care for the gods and because these men bring to their service the greatest intelligence from their education.
§1.73.3ἐκ δὲ τούτων τῶν προσόδων τάς τε θυσίας ἁπάσας τὰς κατʼ Αἴγυπτον συντελοῦσι καὶ τοὺς ὑπηρέτας τρέφουσι καὶ ταῖς ἰδίαις χρείαις χορηγοῦσιν· οὔτε γὰρ τὰς τῶν θεῶν τιμὰς ᾤοντο δεῖν ἀλλάττειν, ἀλλʼ ὑπό τε τῶν αὐτῶν ἀεὶ καὶ παραπλησίως συντελεῖσθαι, οὔτε τοὺς πάντων προβουλευομένους ἐνδεεῖς εἶναι τῶν ἀναγκαίων.
And from these revenues they perform all the sacrifices throughout Egypt, support their attendants, and supply their own needs; for they thought neither that the honors of the gods should be altered, but should always be performed by the same persons and in like manner, nor that those who deliberate beforehand for all should be in want of necessary things.
§1.73.4καθόλου γὰρ περὶ τῶν μεγίστων οὗτοι προβουλευόμενοι συνδιατρίβουσι τῷ βασιλεῖ, τῶν μὲν συνεργοί, τῶν δὲ εἰσηγηταὶ καὶ διδάσκαλοι γινόμενοι, καὶ διὰ μὲν τῆς ἀστρολογίας καὶ τῆς ἱεροσκοπίας τὰ μέλλοντα προσημαίνοντες, ἐκ δὲ τῶν ἐν ταῖς ἱεραῖς βίβλοις ἀναγεγραμμένων πράξεων τὰς ὠφελῆσαι δυναμένας παραναγινώσκοντες.
For in general, deliberating beforehand about the most important matters, they spend their time with the king, becoming cooperators in some things, and in others advisors and teachers, and through astrology and sacrificial inspection they foretell future events, and from the deeds recorded in the sacred books they read aloud those which are able to be of benefit.
§1.73.5οὐ γάρ, ὥσπερ παρὰ τοῖς Ἕλλησιν, εἷς ἀνὴρ ἢ μία γυνὴ τὴν ἱερωσύνην παρείληφεν, ἀλλὰ πολλοὶ περὶ τὰς τῶν θεῶν θυσίας καὶ τιμὰς διατρίβουσι, καὶ τοῖς ἐκγόνοις τὴν ὁμοίαν τοῦ βίου προαίρεσιν παραδιδόασιν.
For it is not as among the Greeks, where one man or one woman takes up the priesthood, but many are engaged in the sacrifices and honors of the gods, and they hand down the same choice of life to their descendants.
εἰσὶ δὲ οὗτοι πάντων τε ἀτελεῖς καὶ δευτερεύοντες μετὰ τὸν βασιλέα ταῖς τε δόξαις καὶ ταῖς ἐξουσίαις.
And these are exempt from all taxes, and are second after the king in both reputation and authority.
§1.73.6τὴν δὲ δευτέραν μοῖραν οἱ βασιλεῖς παρειλήφασιν εἰς προσόδους, ἀφʼ ὧν εἴς τε τοὺς πολέμους χορηγοῦσι καὶ τὴν περὶ αὑτοὺς λαμπρότητα διαφυλάττουσι, καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἀνδραγαθήσαντας δωρεαῖς κατὰ τὴν ἀξίαν τιμῶσι, τοὺς δʼ ἰδιώτας διὰ τὴν ἐκ τούτων εὐπορίαν οὐ βαπτίζουσι ταῖς εἰσφοραῖς.
And the kings have received the second portion for their revenues, from which they supply the expenses for wars and maintain the splendor around themselves, and they honor with gifts according to their merit those who have performed brave deeds, and they do not overwhelm the private citizens with taxes because of the abundance from these resources.
§1.73.7τὴν δὲ μερίδα τὴν τελευταίαν ἔχουσιν οἱ μάχιμοι καλούμενοι καὶ πρὸς τὰς λειτουργίας τὰς εἰς τὴν στρατείαν ὑπακούοντες, ἵνʼ οἱ κινδυνεύοντες εὐνούστατοι τῇ χώρᾳ διὰ τὴν κληρουχίαν ὄντες προθύμως ἐπιδέχωνται τὰ συμβαίνοντα κατὰ τοὺς πολέμους δεινά.
And the last portion is held by those called the "warriors" and those who submit to the duties for military service, so that those who face danger, being most well-disposed to the country because of their allotment of land, may eagerly accept the hardships that occur during wars.
§1.73.8ἄτοπον γὰρ ἦν τὴν μὲν τῶν ἁπάντων σωτηρίαν τούτοις ἐπιτρέπειν, ὑπὲρ οὗ δὲ ἀγωνιοῦνται μηδὲν αὐτοῖς ὑπάρχειν κατὰ τὴν χώραν σπουδῆς ἄξιον· τὸ δὲ μέγιστον, εὐπορουμένους αὐτοὺς ῥᾳδίως τεκνοποιήσειν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τὴν πολυανθρωπίαν κατασκευάσειν, ὥστε μὴ προσδεῖσθαι ξενικῆς δυνάμεως τὴν χώραν.
For it would be absurd to entrust the safety of all to these men, while they possessed nothing of value to themselves in the country for which they were to fight; and the greatest thing of all, that being well-to-do they would easily raise children, and through this produce a large population, so that the country would not stand in need of a mercenary force.
§1.73.9ὁμοίως δʼ οὗτοι τὴν τάξιν ταύτην ἐκ προγόνων διαδεχόμενοι ταῖς μὲν τῶν πατέρων ἀνδραγαθίαις προτρέπονται πρὸς τὴν ἀνδρείαν, ἐκ παίδων δὲ ζηλωταὶ γινόμενοι τῶν πολεμικῶν ἔργων ἀνίκητοι ταῖς τόλμαις καὶ ταῖς ἐμπειρίαις ἀποβαίνουσιν.
And likewise, inheriting this rank from their ancestors, they are spurred on to courage by the brave deeds of their fathers, and becoming from childhood zealots of military deeds, they turn out invincible in their daring and their experience.

Notes

  1. 1.73.2διὰ τὸ πλείστην σύνεσιν τοὺς ἄνδρας τούτους ἐκ παιδείας εἰσφέρεσθαι — This is an articular infinitive construction introduced by the preposition διά. The subject accusative of the infinitive εἰσφέρεσθαι is τοὺς ἄνδρας τούτους, while πλείστην σύνεσιν serves as its direct object. The verb is used here in an active/middle sense of 'bringing into' or 'contributing.'
  2. 1.73.3ᾤοντο δεῖν ἀλλάττειν, ἀλλʼ ὑπό τε τῶν αὐτῶν ἀεὶ καὶ παραπλησίως συντελεῖσθαι — Under the main verb ᾤοντο, there is an accusative-with-infinitive construction of the impersonal verb δεῖν. Under δεῖν, the active infinitive ἀλλάττειν (to alter) and the passive infinitive συντελεῖσθαι (to be performed) are contrasted. The agent of the passive infinitive is expressed by ὑπό ... τῶν αὐτῶν (by the same persons).
  3. 1.73.6οὐ βαπτίζουσι ταῖς εἰσφοραῖς — The verb βαπτίζω, literally 'to dip' or 'to submerge,' is used here metaphorically to mean 'to overwhelm' or 'to ruin' (the citizens) with heavy taxes. The dative ταῖς εἰσφοραῖς indicates the instrument or cause.
  4. 1.73.8τὸ δὲ μέγιστον, εὐπορουμένους αὐτοὺς ῥᾳδίως τεκνοποιήσειν — The phrase τὸ δὲ μέγιστον is an adverbial accusative of parenthesis ('and what is greatest'). The following future infinitives τεκνοποιήσειν and κατασκευάσειν describe the expected result, either depending logically on the preceding structure of ἄτοπον ἦν or standing as a clause in apposition to the parenthetical expression.

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §1.73.1-1.73.9. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc5:1.73.1-1.73.9

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