Humanitext Reader

Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §18.75.1-18.75.3

Cassander's Murder of Nicanor and Conclusion of Book XVIII

Passage 76 of 301 · Greek

Summary

Cassander assassinates Nicanor, who had become arrogant, subdues Macedonia, and gains the support of the Greek cities. The author concludes Book 18 and announces that the next book will begin with the tyranny of Agathocles.

§18.75.1μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα Νικάνορος καταπλεύσαντος εἰς τὸν Πειραιᾶ κεκοσμημένῳ τῷ στόλῳ τοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς νίκης ἀκροστολίοις τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἀποδοχῆς αὐτὸν ἠξίωσε μεγάλης ὁ Κάσανδρος διὰ τὰς εὐημερίας, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ὁρῶν αὐτὸν ὄγκου πλήρη καὶ πεφρονηματισμένον, ἔτι δὲ τὴν Μουνυχίαν διὰ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ στρατιωτῶν φρουροῦντα, κρίνας αὐτὸν ἀλλότρια φρονεῖν ἐδολοφόνησεν.
After these events, when Nicanor sailed into Piraeus with his fleet adorned with the figureheads from his victory, Cassander at first deemed him worthy of a great reception because of his successes; but afterwards, seeing him full of self-importance and puffed up with pride, and furthermore guarding Munychia with his own soldiers, he judged that he was harboring hostile intentions and assassinated him.
ἐστράτευσε δὲ καὶ εἰς Μακεδονίαν καὶ πολλοὺς ἔσχε τῶν ἐγχωρίων ἀφισταμένους πρὸς αὐτόν.
He also campaigned into Macedonia and had many of the inhabitants revolt to his side.
§18.75.2ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ εἰς τὰς Ἑλληνίδας πόλεις ἐνέπεσέν τις ὁρμὴ τῆς Ἀντιπάτρου συμμαχίας.
Similarly, a certain impulse for alliance with Antipater fell upon the Greek cities.
ὁ μὲν γὰρ Πολυπέρχων ἀργῶς ἐδόκει καὶ ἀφρόνως προστατεῖν τῆς τε βασιλείας καὶ τῶν συμμάχων, ὁ δὲ Κάσανδρος ἐπιεικῶς προσφερόμενος πᾶσι καὶ κατὰ τὰς πράξεις ἐνεργὸς ὢν πολλοὺς εἶχεν αἱρετιστὰς τῆς αὑτοῦ δυναστείας.
For Polyperchon was thought to direct both the kingship and the allies sluggishly and foolishly, whereas Cassander, behaving moderately toward all and being energetic in his actions, had many supporters for his own rule.
§18.75.3ἐπεὶ δὲ κατὰ τὸν ἑπόμενον ἐνιαυτὸν Ἀγαθοκλῆς ἐγένετο τύραννος τῶν Συρακοσίων, ταύτην μὲν τὴν βύβλον αὐτοῦ περιγράψομεν κατὰ τὴν ἐν ἀρχῇ πρόθεσιν, τῆς δʼ ἐχομένης τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀπὸ τῆς Ἀγαθοκλέους τυραννίδος ποιησάμενοι διέξιμεν τὰς οἰκείας τῇ γραφῇ πράξεις.
And since in the following year Agathocles became tyrant of the Syracusans, we shall close this book at this point, according to our original plan, and making the beginning of the next book from the tyranny of Agathocles, we shall relate the events appropriate to this history.

Notes

  1. §18.75.1διὰ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ στρατιωτῶν — The reflexive pronoun ἑαυτοῦ refers not to the subject of the main clause (Cassander), but to Nicanor, the grammatical subject of the participle φρουροῦντα. The fact that Nicanor kept guarding the fortress with "his own soldiers" rather than Cassander's led Cassander to suspect him of treason.
  2. §18.75.1πολλοὺς ἔσχε τῶν ἐγχωρίων ἀφισταμένους πρὸς αὐτόν — The verb ἔσχε (aorist of ἔχω) is used here with the participle ἀφισταμένους in a predicative sense, expressing a causative or accomplished result: "he succeeded in having many of the inhabitants revolt to his side." The pronoun αὐτόν refers to the main subject, Cassander.
  3. §18.75.2τῆς Ἀντιπάτρου συμμαχίας — The genitive phrase τῆς Ἀντιπάτρου συμμαχίας functions as an objective genitive dependent on the noun ὁρμή (impulse, desire), meaning "the eager desire for an alliance with Antipater (or his house)."
  4. §18.75.3αὐτοῦ — Used adverbially to mean "here" or "at this point." It represents the author's metanarrative statement indicating that he is ending the writing of this book (Book 18) at this specific point in the historical account.
  5. §18.75.3τῆς δʼ ἐχομένης τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀπὸ τῆς Ἀγαθοκλέους τυραννίδος ποιησάμενοι — The genitive construction τῆς ἐχομένης has the feminine noun βύβλου (book) understood, where the participle ἐχομένη means "the following" or "the next." τὴν ἀρχὴν is the direct object of the participle ποιησάμενοι, forming the structure "making the beginning of the next book from the tyranny of Agathocles."

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §18.75.1-18.75.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:18.75.1-18.75.3

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.