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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §19.63.1-19.63.5

Suppression of Argos and Cassander's Peloponnesian Campaign

Passage 140 of 301 · Greek

Summary

The general Apollonides suppresses a rebellion in Argos on behalf of Cassander, while Cassander himself advances into the Peloponnese, securing various cities and handing over his opponents in Orchomenos to be executed.

§19.63.1ἡμεῖς δʼ ἐπεὶ τὰ κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν πραχθέντα διήλθομεν, ἐν μέρει πάλιν τὰ κατὰ τὴν Εὐρώπην διέξιμεν.
But we, since we have related the events in Asia, will in turn go through those in Europe.
Ἀπολλωνίδης γὰρ ὁ ταχθεὶς ὑπὸ Κασάνδρου στρατηγὸς ἐπὶ τῆς Ἀργείων πόλεως ἐξοδεύσας εἰς Ἀρκαδίαν νυκτὸς ἐκυρίευσε τῆς τῶν Στυμφαλίων πόλεως·
For Apollonides, the general appointed by Cassander over the city of the Argives, having marched out into Arcadia, took possession of the city of the Stymphalians by night.
§19.63.2περὶ ταῦτα δʼ αὐτοῦ διατρίβοντος τῶν Ἀργείων οἱ πρὸς Κάσανδρον ἀλλοτρίως ἔχοντες ἐπεκαλέσαντο τὸν Πολυπέρχοντος Ἀλέξανδρον, ἐπαγγελλόμενοι παραδώσειν τὴν πόλιν.
While he was occupied with these matters, those of the Argives who were hostilely disposed toward Cassander called in Alexander the son of Polyperchon, promising to hand over the city.
τοῦ δʼ Ἀλεξάνδρου βραδύνοντος Ἀπολλωνίδης φθάσας κατήντησεν εἰς Ἄργος.
But as Alexander delayed, Apollonides forestalled him and arrived at Argos.
§19.63.3τῶν δʼ ἐναντιουμένων καταλαβὼν εἰς πεντακοσίους συνηδρευκότας ἐν τῷ πρυτανείῳ τούτους μὲν ἀποκλείσας τῆς ἐξόδου ζῶντας κατέκαυσε, τῶν δʼ ἄλλων τοὺς μὲν πλείους ἐφυγάδευσεν, ὀλίγους δὲ συλλαβὼν ἀπέκτεινε.
And having found about five hundred of his opponents assembled in the prytaneum, he shut them off from exit and burned them alive, and of the rest, he banished the majority, and having seized a few, he put them to death.
Κάσανδρος δὲ πυθόμενος τὸν Ἀριστοδήμου κατάπλουν εἰς Πελοπόννησον καὶ τὸ συνηθροισμένον πλῆθος τῶν ξένων τὸ μὲν πρῶτων ἐπεχείρησεν ἀφιστάναι τὸν Πολυπέρχοντα τῆς Ἀντιγόνου φιλίας· οὐχ ὑπακουόντων δʼ αὐτῶν συναγαγὼν δύναμιν ἧκε διὰ τῆς Θετταλίας εἰς Βοιωτίαν.
Cassander, having learned of the landing of Aristodemus in the Peloponnese and the gathered multitude of mercenaries, at first attempted to detach Polyperchon from his friendship with Antigonus; but since they did not comply, he gathered a force and came through Thessaly into Boeotia.
§19.63.4ἐνταῦθα δὲ συνεπιλαβόμενος τοῖς Θηβαίοις τῆς τῶν τειχῶν οἰκοδομίας παρῆλθεν εἰς Πελοπόννησον· καὶ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον Κεγχρεὰς ἐκπολιορκήσας ἐδῄωσε τὴν χώραν τῶν Κορινθίων, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα δύο φρούρια κατὰ κράτος ἑλὼν τοὺς ὑπʼ Ἀλεξάνδρου καθεσταμένους φρουροὺς ὑποσπόνδους ἀφῆκεν.
There, having assisted the Thebans in the building of their walls, he passed into the Peloponnese; and at first, having captured Cenchreae by siege, he ravaged the territory of the Corinthians, and after this, having taken two fortresses by storm, he dismissed under treaty the garrisons stationed there by Alexander.
§19.63.5ἑξῆς δὲ τῇ τῶν Ὀρχομενίων πόλει προσβολὰς ποιησάμενος καὶ παρεισαχθεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν ἀλλοτρίως ἐχόντων πρὸς Ἀλέξανδρον τῆς μὲν πόλεως φυλακὴν ἀπέλιπε, τῶν δὲ φίλων τῶν Ἀλεξάνδρου καταφυγόντων εἰς τὸ τῆς Ἀρτέμιδος ἱερὸν ἔδωκε τὴν ἐξουσίαν τοῖς πολίταις ὃ βούλοιντο πρᾶξαι.
Next, having made assaults on the city of the Orchomenians and having been admitted by those who were hostilely disposed toward Alexander, he left a garrison for the city, but concerning the friends of Alexander who had fled for refuge to the temple of Artemis, he gave the citizens authority to do as they wished.
οἱ μὲν οὖν Ὀρχομένιοι τοὺς ἱκέτας βιαίως ἀναστήσαντες ἅπαντας ἀνεῖλον παρὰ τὰ κοινὰ τῶν Ἑλλήνων νόμιμα.
Accordingly, the Orchomenians violently removed the suppliants and slew them all, contrary to the common customs of the Greeks.

Notes

  1. §19.63.1ἐπὶ τῆς Ἀργείων πόλεως — The preposition ἐπί with the genitive case expresses the sphere of charge, authority, or command ("in charge of," "over"). Here, it indicates that Apollonides had been appointed to command or govern the city of Argos.
  2. §19.63.2αὐτοῦ διατρίβοντος — Genitive absolute construction. The subject αὐτοῦ (referring to Apollonides) is distinct from the main clause's subject (οἱ πρὸς Κάσανδρον ἀλλοτρίως ἔχοντες), expressing temporal circumstance ("while he was occupied").
  3. §19.63.3τῶν δʼ ἐναντιουμένων ... εἰς πεντακοσίους — The genitive τῶν ἐναντιουμένων functions as a partitive genitive qualifying the numerical expression εἰς πεντακοσίους ("about five hundred"). The direct object of the participle καταλαβών ("having found") is the entire group thus designated.
  4. §19.63.5ὃ βούλοιντο πρᾶξαι — The optative (βούλοιντο) in the relative clause is due to the past sequence introduced by the main verb ἔδωκε (oblique optative or generalizing optative in past sequence), indicating any arbitrary action that the citizens might wish to perform.
  5. §19.63.5βιαίως ἀναστήσαντες — The participle of ἀνίστημι ("to make rise up," "to remove"). In this context, it specifically refers to "forcibly removing" suppliants who were seated in sanctuary under divine protection, violating the sacred inviolability of the temple.

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §19.63.1-19.63.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:19.63.1-19.63.5

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