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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §18.49.1-18.49.4

Cassander's Plots and the Recall of Olympias

Passage 50 of 301 · Greek

Summary

Dissatisfied with the transfer of power to Polyperchon, Cassander plots to secure alliances with his friends, Ptolemy, and various cities, while Polyperchon requests the return of Olympias, Alexander's mother.

§18.49.1οὐ μὴν ὁ Κάσανδρός γε τῇ τάξει συνευδοκήθη, δεινὸν ἡγούμενος εἰ τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς ἡγεμονίαν ὁ μὴ προσήκων κατὰ γένος διαδέξεται καὶ ταῦθʼ υἱοῦ γʼ ὄντος τοῦ δυναμένου πραγμάτων ἡγεῖσθαι καὶ δεδωκότος ἤδη πεῖραν ἱκανὴν ἀρετῆς τε καὶ ἀνδρείας.
However, Cassander was by no means pleased with this arrangement, considering it a terrible thing if one who had no claim by birth should succeed to his father's hegemony, and that too when there was a son capable of leading state affairs who had already given sufficient proof of both virtue and courage.
§18.49.2τὸ μὲν οὖν πρῶτον εἰς ἀγρὸν βαδίσας μετὰ τῶν φίλων τούτοις διελέγετο πολλὴν ἔχων εὐκαιρίαν καὶ σχολὴν περὶ τῆς τῶν ὅλων ἡγεμονίας· ἕκαστον δʼ αὐτῶν ἐκλαμβάνων κατʼ ἰδίαν προετρέπετο συγκατασκευάζειν αὐτῷ τὴν δυναστείαν καὶ μεγάλαις ἐπαγγελίαις πείσας ἑτοίμους ἐποιήσατο πρὸς τὴν κοινοπραγίαν.
First, then, going into the country with his friends, he discussed the supreme power with them, having plenty of opportunity and leisure; and taking each of them aside privately, he urged them to help him establish his dominion, and having persuaded them with great promises, he made them ready for joint action.
§18.49.3ἐξαπέστειλε δὲ καὶ πρὸς Πτολεμαῖον λάθρᾳ πρεσβευτάς, τήν τε φιλίαν ἀνανεούμενος καὶ παρακαλῶν συμμαχεῖν αὐτῷ καὶ ναυτικὴν δύναμιν πέμψαι τὴν ταχίστην ἐκ τῆς Φοινίκης ἐπὶ τὸν Ἑλλήσποντον.
He also sent envoys secretly to Ptolemy, renewing their friendship and urging him to make an alliance with him and to send a naval force as quickly as possible from Phoenicia to the Hellespont.
ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἄλλους ἡγεμόνας καὶ πόλεις ἐξέπεμψε τοὺς προτρεψομένους ἑαυτῷ συμμαχεῖν.
In like manner, he also dispatched to the other commanders and cities those who would urge them to ally with him.
αὐτὸς δὲ κυνηγίαν ἐπὶ πολλὰς ἡμέρας συστησάμενος ἀνύποπτον ἑαυτὸν ἐποίει τῆς ἀποστάσεως.
He himself, by organizing a hunt for many days, made himself unsuspected of revolt.
§18.49.4Πολυπέρχων δὲ παραλαβὼν τὴν τῶν βασιλέων ἐπιμέλειαν καὶ συνεδρεύσας μετὰ τῶν φίλων Ὀλυμπιάδα μὲν σὺν τῇ τῶν συνέδρων γνώμῃ μετεπέμπετο, παρακαλῶν τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν τοῦ Ἀλεξάνδρου υἱοῦ παιδὸς ὄντος παραλαβεῖν καὶ διατρίβειν ἐν Μακεδονίᾳ τὴν βασιλικὴν ἔχουσαν προστασίαν· ἡ δʼ Ὀλυμπιὰς ἐν τοῖς ἐπάνω χρόνοις ἐτύγχανεν εἰς Ἤπειρον πεφευγυῖα διὰ τὴν πρὸς Ἀντίπατρον ἀλλοτριότητα.
But Polyperchon, having assumed the guardianship of the kings and held a council with his friends, recalled Olympias with the approval of the councilors, urging her to assume the care of Alexander's son, who was a child, and to reside in Macedonia, holding the royal dignity; for Olympias happened to have fled to Epirus in former times because of her estrangement from Antipater.
καὶ τὰ μὲν κατὰ τὴν Μακεδονίαν ἐν τούτοις ἦν.
And such was the state of affairs in Macedonia.

Notes

  1. 18.49.1συνευδοκήθη — A passive aorist third-person singular meaning "was pleased with" or "acquiesced in," used here with Cassander as the subject in a middle/deponent sense, indicating he did not accept the arrangement.
  2. 18.49.1καὶ ταῦθʼ υἱοῦ γʼ ὄντος — The conjunction phrase καὶ ταῦτα ("and that too") is combined with a genitive absolute (υἱοῦ ὄντος) to express strong concession or contrast ("even though there was a son").
  3. 18.49.3ἀνύποπτον ἑαυτὸν ἐποίει τῆς ἀποστάσεως — The adjective ἀνύποπτος ("unsuspected") governs the genitive of cause or separation τῆς ἀποστάσεως ("revolt"), meaning "rendered himself free from suspicion of revolt."

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §18.49.1-18.49.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:18.49.1-18.49.4

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