Humanitext Reader

Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §3.11.1-3.11.4

Verification of Sources and Transition to Southern Gold Mines

Passage 172 of 406 · Greek

Summary

The author critiques other historians who wrote untruths or fabrications about Egypt and Ethiopia, explaining that his own account is based on personal interviews with priests and ambassadors in Egypt, cross-referenced with the most reliable written sources. He then transitions to discussing the southern regions and the gold-mining operations located there.

§3.11.1περὶ δὲ τῶν συγγραφέων ἡμῖν διοριστέον, ὅτι πολλοὶ συγγεγράφασι περί τε τῆς Αἰγύπτου καὶ τῆς Αἰθιοπίας, ὧν οἱ μὲν ψευδεῖ φήμῃ πεπιστευκότες, οἱ δὲ παρʼ ἑαυτῶν πολλὰ τῆς ψυχαγωγίας ἕνεκα πεπλακότες, δικαίως ἂν ἀπιστοῖντο.
But concerning the writers we must make a distinction, because many have written about both Egypt and Ethiopia, of whom some, having believed false rumor, and others, having fabricated many things from themselves for the sake of entertainment, would justly be disbelieved.
§3.11.2Ἀγαθαρχίδης μὲν γὰρ ὁ Κνίδιος ἐν τῇ δευτέρᾳ βίβλῳ τῶν περὶ τὴν Ἀσίαν, καὶ ὁ τὰς γεωγραφίας συνταξάμενος Ἀρτεμίδωρος ὁ Ἐφέσιος κατὰ τὴν ὀγδόην βίβλον, καὶ τινες ἕτεροι τῶν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ κατοικούντων, ἱστορηκότες τὰ πλεῖστα τῶν προειρημένων ἐν πᾶσι σχεδὸν ἐπιτυγχάνουσι.
For Agatharchides of Cnidus in the second book of his history *On Asia*, and Artemidorus of Ephesus, who compiled the *Geographies*, in his eighth book, and certain others of those dwelling in Egypt, having investigated most of the aforementioned matters, succeed in almost all points.
§3.11.3καὶ γὰρ ἡμεῖς καθʼ ὃν καιρὸν παρεβάλομεν εἰς Αἴγυπτον, πολλοῖς μὲν τῶν ἱερέων ἐνετύχομεν, οὐκ ὀλίγοις δὲ καὶ πρεσβευταῖς ἀπὸ τῆς Αἰθιοπίας παροῦσιν εἰς λόγους ἀφικόμεθα· παρʼ ὧν ἀκριβῶς ἕκαστα πυθόμενοι, καὶ τοὺς λόγους τῶν ἱστορικῶν ἐξελέγξαντες, τοῖς μάλιστα συμφωνοῦσιν ἀκόλουθον τὴν ἀναγραφὴν πεποιήμεθα.
For we too, at the time when we visited Egypt, met with many of the priests, and came into conversation with not a few ambassadors from Ethiopia who were present; and having inquired accurately about each detail from them, and having examined the accounts of the historians, we have made our record conformable to those which are in closest agreement.
§3.11.4περὶ μὲν οὖν Αἰθιόπων τῶν πρὸς τῇ δύσει κατοικούντων ἀρκεσθησόμεθα τοῖς ῥηθεῖσι, περὶ δὲ τῶν κατὰ τὴν μεσημβρίαν καὶ τὴν Ἐρυθρὰν θάλατταν κειμένων ἐν μέρει διέξιμεν.
Concerning, then, the Ethiopians who dwell towards the west, we shall be satisfied with what has been said, but concerning those situated towards the south and the Red Sea, we shall relate in detail in due course.
δοκεῖ δʼ ἡμῖν ἁρμόττειν προδιελθεῖν περὶ τῆς τοῦ χρυσοῦ κατασκευῆς τῆς ἐν τούτοις τοῖς τόποις γινομένης.
And it seems fitting to us to discuss first the preparation of gold that takes place in these regions.

Notes

  1. 3.11.1ἡμῖν διοριστέον — An impersonal construction with the verbal adjective `διοριστέον`, accompanied by the dative of agent `ἡμῖν`, meaning "we must make a distinction."
  2. 3.11.1ὧν οἱ μὲν ... οἱ δὲ ... — The relative pronoun `ὧν` (referring to `πολλοὶ`) acts as a partitive genitive, followed by the nominative subjects `οἱ μὲν ... οἱ δὲ ...` with the participles `πεπιστευκότες` and `πεπλακότες`, which differentiate the subjects within the relative clause and function as the semantic subjects of the main verb `ἀπιστοῖντο`.
  3. 3.11.2ἱστορηκότες — Nominative plural of the perfect active participle. It agrees with the compound subject consisting of singular nouns (`Agatharchides`, `Artemidorus`) and a plural pronoun (`tines`), representing them as a collective whole, and modifies the main verb `ἐπιτυγχάνουσι`.
  4. 3.11.3τοῖς μάλιστα συμφωνοῦσιν ἀκόλουθον — The adjective `ἀκόλουθον` is in the predicative position modifying `τὴν ἀναγραφὴν` ("making our record conformable to..."). `τοῖς μάλιστα συμφωνοῦσιν` (substantivized present participle, dative) is the dative complement governed by `ἀκόλουθον`.

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §3.11.1-3.11.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc5:3.11.1-3.11.4

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