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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §19.35.1-19.35.7

Cassander's March North and Olympias's Siege at Pydna

Passage 112 of 301 · Greek

Summary

Cassander, upon hearing of the worsening situation in Macedonia, lifts the siege of Tegea and advances northward, crossing into Thessaly by sea. Olympias appoints a general to counter Cassander and shuts herself up in Pydna with a large crowd of non-combatants.

§19.35.1κατὰ δὲ τὴν Εὐρώπην Κάσανδρος μὲν ἐν Πελοποννήσῳ Τεγέαν πολιορκῶν καὶ πυθόμενος τήν τε Ὀλυμπιάδος κάθοδον εἰς Μακεδονίαν καὶ τὴν Εὐρυδίκης καὶ Φιλίππου τοῦ βασιλέως ἀναίρεσιν, ἔτι δὲ τὰ περὶ τὸν Ἰόλλα τἀδελφοῦ τάφον συμβεβηκότα πρὸς μὲν τοὺς Τεγεάτας διελύσατο, τὴν δὲ δύναμιν ἀναλαβὼν προῆγεν ἐπὶ Μακεδονίαν, καταλιπὼν τοὺς συμμάχους ἐν πολλῇ ταραχῇ· ἐφήδρευε γὰρ ταῖς ἐν Πελοποννήσῳ πόλεσιν Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ Πολυπέρχοντος ἔχων στρατόπεδον.
In Europe, Cassander, who was besieging Tegea in the Peloponnese and had learned of the return of Olympias to Macedonia and the murder of Eurydice and King Philip, and furthermore of the events that had occurred around the tomb of his brother Iollas, made terms with the Tegeans, and having taken up his forces, advanced toward Macedonia, leaving his allies in great confusion; for Alexander, the son of Polyperchon, was lying in wait for the cities in the Peloponnese, having an army.
§19.35.2Αἰτωλοὶ δὲ χαρίζεσθαι βουλόμενοι τῇ τε Ὀλυμπιάδι καὶ Πολυπέρχοντι τὰ περὶ τὰς Πύλας στενὰ κατελάβοντο καὶ τῆς παρόδου τὸν Κάσανδρον ἀπέκλεισαν.
But the Aetolians, wishing to gratify Olympias and Polyperchon, occupied the passes of Pylae and shut Cassander out from passage.
ὁ δὲ βιάζεσθαι μὲν πρὸς τόπους δυσεμβόλους ἀπέγνω, παρασκευασάμενος δὲ πλοῖα καὶ σχεδίας ἔκ τε τῆς Εὐβοίας καὶ τῆς Λοκρίδος ἐπεραίωσε τὴν δύναμιν εἰς τὴν Θετταλίαν.
He, however, despaired of forcing his way through places difficult of access, and having prepared ships and rafts from Euboea and Locris, transported his forces to Thessaly.
§19.35.3ἀκούων δὲ περὶ τὴν Περραιβίαν προκαθῆσθαι Πολυπέρχοντα μετὰ στρατοπέδου Κάλλαν μὲν ἀπέστειλε στρατηγὸν μετὰ δυνάμεως, προστάξας διαπολεμεῖν τοῖς μετὰ Πολυπέρχοντος.
And hearing that Polyperchon was stationed before Perrhaebia with an army, he sent Callas as general with a force, ordering him to wage war to the end against the men with Polyperchon.
Δεινίας δὲ τὰ στενὰ προκαταληψόμενος, ἀπαντήσας τοῖς ὑπʼ Ὀλυμπιάδος ἐξαποσταλεῖσι στρατιώταις ἔφθασε τῶν παρόδων κυριεύσας.
But Deinias, intending to occupy the passes beforehand, having met the soldiers sent out by Olympias, anticipated them in taking possession of the passes.
§19.35.4Ὀλυμπιὰς δὲ πυθομένη Κάσανδρον μετὰ μεγάλης δυνάμεως πλησίον εἶναι τῆς Μακεδονίας, Ἀριστόνουν μὲν ἀπέδειξε στρατηγόν, κελεύσασα δικπολεμεῖν τοῖς περὶ Κάσανδρον, §19.35.5αὐτὴ δὲ παρῆλθεν εἰς Πύδναν ἔχουσα τὸν υἱὸν τὸν Ἀλεξάνδρου καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ Ῥωξάνην καὶ Θετταλονίκην τὴν Φιλίππου τοῦ Ἀμύντου θυγατέρα, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις Δηιδάμειάν τε τὴν Αἰακίδου θυγατέρα τοῦ βασιλέως τῶν Ἠπειρωτῶν, Πύρρου δὲ τοῦ πρὸς Ῥωμαίους ὕστερον πολεμήσαντος ἀδελφήν, καὶ τὰς Ἀττάλου θυγατέρας, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν ἀξιολογωτάτων φίλων τοὺς συγγενεῖς, ὥστʼ ἀθροισθῆναι περὶ αὐτὴν πλῆθος μὲν πολὺ σωμάτων, ἀχρείων δʼ εἰς πόλεμον τῶν πλείστων· οὐδὲ γὰρ τροφῆς ἱκανὸν ἦν πλῆθος τοῖς μέλλουσι πολιορκίαν ὑπομένειν πολυχρόνιον.
Olympias, having learned that Cassander was near Macedonia with a large force, appointed Aristonous as general, ordering him to wage war to the end against those with Cassander, while she herself withdrew into Pydna, having the son of Alexander and his mother Roxane, and Thessalonice, the daughter of Philip the son of Amyntas, and in addition to these Deidameia, the daughter of Aeacides the king of the Epeirots and sister of Pyrrhus who later fought against the Romans, and the daughters of Attalus, and likewise the relatives of the other most noteworthy friends, so that a great multitude of persons gathered about her, of whom the majority were useless for war; for there was not even a sufficient quantity of food for those who were to endure a long-lasting siege.
§19.35.6ὧν ἁπάντων πρόδηλον ἐχόντων τὸν κίνδυνον οὐδὲν ἧττον ἐνταῦθα διέγνω μένειν, ἐλπίζουσα αὐτῇ βοηθήσειν κατὰ θάλασσαν Ἑλλήνων τε καὶ Μακεδόνων πολλούς.
Although all these things presented obvious danger, she nevertheless decided to remain there, hoping that many of the Greeks and Macedonians would come to her aid by sea.
§19.35.7συνῆσαν δʼ αὐτῇ τῶν τʼ ἐξ Ἀμβρακίας ἱππέων τινὲς καὶ τῶν περὶ τὴν αὐλὴν εἰωθότων διατρίβειν στρατιωτῶν οἱ πλείους, ἔτι δὲ τῶν μετὰ Πολυπέρχοντος ἐλεφάντων οἱ καταλειφθέντες· τῶν μὲν γὰρ ἄλλων θηρίων κατὰ τὴν προτέραν ἐμβολὴν εἰς Μακεδονίαν Κάσανδρος ἐκεκυριεύκει.
And there were with her some of the horsemen from Ambracia and most of the soldiers who were accustomed to spend time about the court, and furthermore those left of the elephants with Polyperchon; for of the other beasts, Cassander had already taken possession during his former invasion of Macedonia.

Notes

  1. §19.35.3ἔφθασε τῶν παρόδων κυριεύσας — The verb φθάνω takes a supplementary participle (here κυριεύσας) to mean 'to do something before others' or 'to anticipate someone in doing something.' The genitive τῶν παρόδων is the object of the participle κυριεύσας, which governs the genitive.
  2. §19.35.6ὧν ἁπάντων πρόδηλον ἐχόντων τὸν κίνδυνον — This is a genitive absolute construction containing the relative pronoun ὧν ἁπάντων (referring to the whole content of the preceding clause), functioning here with a concessive force ('although all of these things presented obvious danger').

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §19.35.1-19.35.7. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:19.35.1-19.35.7

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