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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §5.53.1-5.53.4

Early Settlement and Succession of Rulers on Syme

Passage 375 of 406 · Greek

Summary

The colonization and historical transitions of the island of Syme by Triopas' group, Nireus, and the Carians are described, followed by the shared colonization by Nausos and Xouthos.

§5.53.1τὴν δὲ νῆσον τὴν Σύμην ὀνομαζομένην, τὸ παλαιὸν ἔρημον οὖσαν, πρῶτοι κατῴκησαν οἱ μετὰ Τρίοπος ἀφικόμενοι, ὧν ἡγεῖτο Χθόνιος ὁ Ποσειδῶνος καὶ Σύμης, ἀφʼ ἧς ἡ νῆσος ἔτυχε ταύτης τῆς προσηγορίας.
The island called Syme, which in ancient times was uninhabited, was first settled by those who arrived with Triopas; they were led by Chthonios, the son of Poseidon and Syme, from whom the island received this name.
§5.53.2ὕστερον δʼ αὐτῆς ἐβασίλευσε Νιρεὺς ὁ Χαρόπου καὶ Ἀγλαΐας, κάλλει διαφέρων, ὃς καὶ ἐπὶ Τροίαν μετʼ Ἀγαμέμνονος ἐστράτευσε, τῆς τε νήσου δυναστεύων καὶ τῆς Κνιδίας μέρους κυριεύων.
Later, Nireus, the son of Charopos and Aglaia, who was outstanding in beauty, ruled over it; he also campaigned against Troy with Agamemnon, ruling over the island and holding sway over a part of Knidia.
μετὰ δὲ τοὺς Τρωικοὺς χρόνους κατέσχον τὴν νῆσον Κᾶρες, καθʼ ὃν καιρὸν ἐθαλαττοκράτουν.
After the Trojan times, the Carians occupied the island during the period when they held the mastery of the sea.
ὕστερον δʼ αὐχμῶν γενομένων ἔφυγον ἐκ τῆς νήσου, καὶ κατῴκησαν τὸ καλούμενον Οὐράνιον.
Later, because droughts occurred, they fled from the island and settled in the place called Ouranion.
§5.53.3ἡ δὲ Σύμη διέμεινεν ἔρημος, ἕως ὁ στόλος ὁ Λακεδαιμονίων καὶ Ἀργείων παρέβαλεν εἰς τούτους τοὺς τόπους· ἔπειτα κατῳκίσθη πάλιν τόνδε τὸν τρόπον.
Syme remained uninhabited until the fleet of the Lacedaemonians and Argives put in at these places; then it was settled again in the following manner.
§5.53.4τῶν μετὰ Ἱππότου τις μετασχὼν τῆς ἀποικίας, ὄνομα Ναῦσος, ἀναλαβὼν τοὺς καθυστερήσαντας τῆς κληροδοσίας, ἔρημον οὖσαν τὴν Σύμην κατῴκησε καὶ τισιν ἑτέροις ὕστερον καταπλεύσασιν, ὧν ἦν Ξοῦθος ἡγεμών, μεταδοὺς τῆς πολιτείας καὶ χώρας κοινῇ τὴν νῆσον κατῴκησε.
One of those who had shared in the colony with Hippotes, Nausos by name, taking with him those who had arrived too late for the distribution of land, settled Syme, which was uninhabited; and later, having shared citizenship and land with certain others who sailed in, of whom Xouthos was the leader, he settled the island in common.
φασὶ δὲ τῆς ἀποικίας ταύτης μετασχεῖν τούς τε Κνιδίους καὶ Ῥοδίους.
And they say that both the Cnidians and the Rhodians shared in this colony.

Notes

  1. 5.53.1τὴν δὲ νῆσον ... πρῶτοι κατῴκησαν οἱ μετὰ Τρίοπος ἀφικόμενοι — Hyperbaton. The direct object accusative phrase τὴν δὲ νῆσον τὴν Σύμην ὀνομαζομένην is placed at the beginning of the sentence for emphasis, while the subject noun phrase οἱ μετὰ Τρίοπος ἀφικόμενοι is positioned after the verb κατῴκησαν.
  2. 5.53.4ὄνομα Ναῦσος — ὄνομα is an accusative of respect (or adverbial accusative) meaning "by name," followed by the proper name Ναῦσος in apposition.
  3. 5.53.4κατῴκησε ... κατῴκησε — The same verb κατῴκησε ("settled") is repeated twice in the sentence for the same subject (Nausos). The first describes his settling with those who were late for the land distribution, and the second describes his settling the island in common (κοινῇ ... κατῴκησε) after sharing the land with later arrivals, resulting in a redundant sentence structure.

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §5.53.1-5.53.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc5:5.53.1-5.53.4

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