§18.19.1ἡμεῖς δʼ ἐπεὶ τὰς κατὰ τὸν Λαμιακὸν πόλεμον ἐπιτελεσθείσας πράξεις διήλθομεν, μεταβησόμεθα πρὸς τὸν ἐν τῇ Κυρήνῃ γενόμενον πόλεμον, ἵνα μὴ μακρὰν τοῖς χρόνοις ἀποπλανῶμεν τὸ σύνεχὲς τῆς ἱστορίας.
Since we have gone through the deeds accomplished during the Lamian War, we shall pass on to the war that took place in Cyrene, lest we wander far in chronology from the continuity of our history.
ἀναγκαῖον δʼ ἐστὶ βραχὺ τοῖς χρόνοις προσαναδραμεῖν, ὅπως σαφεστέρας ποιήσωμεν τὰς κατὰ μέρος πράξεις.
But it is necessary to run back a little in time in order to make the details of the events clearer.
§18.19.2Ἁρπάλου γὰρ τὸν ἐκ τῆς Ἀσίας δρασμὸν ποιησαμένου καὶ καταπλεύσαντος εἰς Κρήτην μετὰ τῶν μισθοφόρων, καθάπερ ἐν τῇ πρὸ ταύτης βύβλῳ δεδηλώκαμεν, Θίβρων, εἷς τῶν φίλων νομιζόμενος, δολοφονήσας τὸν Ἅρπαλον κύριος ἐγένετο τῶν τε χρημάτων καὶ τῶν στρατιωτῶν, §18.19.3ὄντων ἑπτακισχιλίων.
For when Harpalus made his escape from Asia and sailed down to Crete with his mercenaries, as we have shown in the preceding book, Thibron, who was considered one of his friends, assassinated Harpalus and became master of both the money and the soldiers, who numbered seven thousand.
ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τῶν νεῶν ἐγκρατὴς γενόμενος καὶ τοὺς στρατιώτας εἰς ταύτας θέμενος κατέπλευσεν εἰς τὴν χώραν τῶν Κυρηναίων.
Likewise, having also got possession of the ships and having put the soldiers on them, he sailed down to the territory of the Cyrenaeans.
ἀνειληφὼς δὲ μεθʼ αὑτοῦ τοὺς ἐκ τῆς Κυρήνης φυγάδας καὶ τούτους ἔχων καθηγουμένους τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς διὰ τὴν τῶν τόπων ἐμπειρίαν, ἀπαντησάντων τῶν Κυρηναίων καὶ μάχης γενομένης ὁ Θίβρων νικήσας πολλοὺς μὲν ἀπέκτεινεν, οὐκ ὀλίγους δʼ ἐζώγρησε.
Having taken along with him the exiles from Cyrene, and having them lead the enterprise because of their familiarity with the region, when the Cyrenaeans met them and a battle ensued, Thibron was victorious, killing many and capturing not a few alive.
§18.19.4κυριεύσας δὲ τοῦ λιμένος καὶ πολιορκήσας καὶ καταπληξάμενος τοὺς Κυρηναίους ἠνάγκασεν ὁμολογίας ποιήσασθαι ὥστε αὐτοὺς δοῦναι ἀργυρίου τάλαντα πεντακόσια, τῶν δὲ ἁρμάτων τά ἡμίση πρὸς τὰς στρατείας συνεκπέμπειν.
Having mastered the harbor, besieged the city, and terrified the Cyrenaeans, he forced them to make an agreement on terms that they should pay talents of silver five hundred and send out half of their chariots to join his campaigns.
§18.19.5διεπρεσβεύσατο δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὰς ἄλλας πόλεις, ἀξιῶν συμμαχεῖν ὡς μέλλοντος αὐτοῦ τὴν πλησιόχωρον Λιβύην καταστρέφεσθαι.
He also sent embassies to the other cities, asking them to be allies on the ground that he was about to conquer the neighboring Libya.
διήρπασε δὲ καὶ τῶν ἐμπόρων τὰ καταληφθέντα χρήματα ἐν τῷ λιμένι καὶ τοῖς στρατιώταις εἰς διαρπαγὴν ἔδωκεν, ἐκκαλούμενος αὐτῶν τὰς προθυμίας εἰς τὸν πόλεμον.
He also plundered the goods of the merchants that had been seized in the harbor and gave them to the soldiers for plunder, thereby summoning up their enthusiasm for the war.