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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §5.82.1-5.82.4

Prosperity of the Blessed Islands and Rule of Macareus

Passage 404 of 406 · Greek

Summary

This section contrasts the mainland opposite the islands, which suffered from famine and pestilence after the flood, with the islands that prospered due to their mild climate and abundant crops and were thus called 'Islands of the Blessed', while also noting the laws established by Macareus on Lesbos.

§5.82.1τὴν δʼ ἀντιπέρας τῶν νήσων κατʼ ἐκείνους τοὺς καιροὺς συνέβη διὰ τὸν κατακλυσμὸν μεγάλας καὶ δεινὰς κατασχεῖν ἀτυχίας· διὰ μὲν γὰρ τὰς ἐπομβρίας ἐπὶ πολλοὺς χρόνους ἐφθαρμένων τῶν καρπῶν σπάνις τε τῶν ἐπιτηδείων ὑπῆρχε καὶ λοιμικὴ κατάστασις ἐπεῖχε τὰς πόλεις διὰ τὴν τοῦ ἀέρος φθοράν.
On the other hand, in the region opposite the islands, it happened at those times because of the flood that great and terrible misfortunes overtook the land; for because of the heavy rains, the crops having been ruined for many years, there was both a scarcity of provisions and a pestilential condition prevailed over the cities because of the corruption of the air.
§5.82.2αἱ δὲ νῆσοι διαπνεόμεναι καὶ τὸν ἀέρα παρεχόμεναι τοῖς ἐνοικοῦσιν ὑγιεινόν, ἔτι δὲ τοῖς καρποῖς ἐπιτυγχάνουσαι, ἀεὶ μᾶλλον εὐπορίας ἔγεμον, καὶ ταχὺ τοὺς κατοικοῦντας αὐτὰς μακαρίους ἐποίησαν.
But the islands, being well-ventilated and providing a healthy air for their inhabitants, and furthermore being successful with their crops, were always increasingly full of abundance, and quickly made those who inhabited them prosperous.
διὸ καὶ μακάρων ὠνομάσθησαν νῆσοι, τῆς εὐπορίας τῶν ἀγαθῶν αἰτίας γενομένης τῆς προσηγορίας.
Wherefore they were also named the Islands of the Blessed, the abundance of good things having become the cause of the appellation.
§5.82.3ἔνιοι δέ φασιν αὐτὰς μακάρων νήσους ὠνομάσθαι ἀπὸ Μακαρέως ὑπὸ τῶν παίδων τούτων δυναστευσάντων.
But some say that they were named the Islands of Macar after Macareus by these children of his who ruled over them.
καθόλου δʼ αἱ προειρημέναι νῆσοι διήνεγκαν εὐδαιμονίᾳ μάλιστα τῶν σύνεγγυς κειμένων οὐ μόνον κατὰ τοὺς ἀρχαίους χρόνους, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν ἡλικίαν· §5.82.4ἀρετῇ γὰρ χώρας καὶ τόπων εὐκαιρίαις, ἔτι δʼ ἀέρων κράσει, καλλιστεύουσαι κατὰ λόγον καλοῦνται καὶ πρὸς ἀλήθειαν εἰσὶν εὐδαίμονες.
In general, the aforementioned islands surpassed in prosperity most of those lying near them, not only in ancient times but also in our own age; for excelling in the excellence of their soil, the convenience of their locations, and furthermore the mildness of their climates, they are called prosperous with good reason and are so in truth.
αὐτὸς δʼ ὁ Μακαρεὺς ἐν τῇ Λέσβῳ βασιλεύων νόμον ἔγραψε πολλὰ τῶν κοινῇ συμφερόντων περιέχοντα, ὠνόμασε δʼ αὐτὸν λέοντα, ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ ζῴου δυνάμεως καὶ ἀλκῆς θέμενος τὴν προσηγορίαν.
And Macareus himself, ruling in Lesbos, wrote a law containing many things of common benefit, and named it 'Lion', giving it this appellation from the strength and might of that animal.

Notes

  1. 5.82.1τὴν δʼ ἀντιπέρας — Refers to "the land opposite". The feminine singular accusative article τὴν combined with the adverb ἀντιπέρας (opposite) implies the omission of γῆν (land) or χώραν (region). This phrase functions as the object of the infinitive κατασχεῖν (to overtake) in the following clause.
  2. 5.82.1μεγάλας καὶ δεινὰς κατασχεῖν ἀτυχίας — An accusative-with-infinitive (AcI) construction functioning as the subject of the impersonal verb συνέβη (it happened). The grammatical subject of the infinitive κατασχεῖν (aorist of κατέχω) is the accusative plural μεγάλας καὶ δεινὰς ἀτυχίας (great and terrible misfortunes), and its object is τὴν δʼ ἀντιπέρας at the beginning. Due to the word order, the initial accusative might be misread as the subject, but ἀτυχίας (acc. pl.) is the subject and τὴν ἀντιπέρας (acc. sg.) is the object.
  3. 5.82.3ὑπὸ τῶν παίδων τούτων δυναστευσάντων — A prepositional phrase with ὑπό + genitive expressing the agent of the passive infinitive ὠνομάσθαι (to be named). The participle δυναστευσάντων modifies τῶν παίδων τούτων as an attributive participle, meaning "by these children of his who held power".

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §5.82.1-5.82.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc5:5.82.1-5.82.4

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