§19.65.1ἡμεῖς δὲ διεληλυθότες τὰ πραχθέντα τῶν Ἑλλήνων τῆς Εὐρώπης περὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα καὶ Μακεδονίαν ἐν μέρει διέξιμεν περὶ τῶν πρὸς ἑσπέραν νευόντων μερῶν.
Having gone through the deeds of the Greeks of Europe around Greece and Macedonia, we shall now in turn relate those concerning the regions inclining toward the west.
Ἀγαθοκλῆς γὰρ ὁ τῶν Συρακοσίων δυνάστης κατέχων φρούριον τῶν Μεσσηνίων ἐπηγγείλατο λαβὼν παρʼ αὐτῶν τριάκοντα τάλαντα παραδώσειν τὸν τόπον.
For Agathocles, the ruler of the Syracusans, holding a fortress of the Messenians, promised that, upon receiving thirty talents from them, he would hand over the place.
§19.65.2δόντων δὲ τῶν Μεσσηνίων τἀργύριον οὐ μόνον διεψεύσατο τοὺς πιστεύσαντας τῆς ἐπαγγελίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν Μεσσήνην αὐτὴν ἐπεχείρησε καταλαβέσθαι.
But although the Messenians gave the money, he not only deceived those who had trusted his promise, but also attempted to seize Messene itself.
πυθόμενος γὰρ μέρος τι τοῦ τείχους ἐν αὐτῇ πεπτωκέναι πεζῇ μὲν τοὺς ἱππεῖς ἀπέστειλεν ἐκ Συρακουσσῶν, αὐτὸς δʼ ἀναλαβὼν ναῦς ἡμιολίας νυκτὸς κατέπλευσε πλησίον τῆς πόλεως.
For learning that a certain part of the wall in it had fallen down, he dispatched the cavalry by land from Syracuse, while he himself, having taken hemolia vessels, sailed by night to a place near the city.
§19.65.3προαισθομένων δὲ τῶν ἐπιβουλευομένων ταύτης μὲν τῆς ἐπιβολῆς ἀπέτυχεν, ἐπὶ δὲ τὰς Μύλας πλεύσας καὶ πολιορκήσας τὸ φρούριον διʼ ὁμολογίας παρέλαβε.
However, since those who were being plotted against perceived it beforehand, he failed in this attempt; but sailing to Mylae and besieging the fortress, he took it by agreement.
καὶ τότε μὲν εἰς Συρακούσσας ἐχωρίσθη, κατὰ δὲ τὰς τῶν καρπῶν συγκομιδὰς πάλιν ἐστράτευσεν ἐπὶ τὴν Μεσσήνην.
And at that time he departed to Syracuse, but during the harvesting of the crops, he again made an expedition against Messene.
§19.65.4πλησίον δὲ τῆς πόλεως στρατοπεδεύσας καὶ προσβολὰς συνεχεῖς ποιούμενος οὐδὲν ἀξιόλογον ἴσχυσε βλάψαι τοὺς πολεμίους· καὶ γὰρ τῶν ἐκ Συρακουσσῶν φυγάδων πολλοὶ συνεδεδραμήκεισαν εἰς τὴν πόλιν, οἳ καὶ διὰ τὴν ἰδίαν ἀσφάλειαν καὶ διὰ τὸ πρὸς τὸν τύραννον μίσος ἐκθύμως ἠγωνίζοντο.
Encamping near the city and making continuous assaults, he was unable to do any noteworthy damage to the enemy; for many of the exiles from Syracuse had run together into the city, who, both for their own safety and because of their hatred toward the tyrant, fought eagerly.
§19.65.5καθʼ ὃν δὴ χρόνον ἧκον ἐκ Καρχηδόνος πρέσβεις, οἳ τῷ μὲν Ἀγαθοκλεῖ περὶ τῶν πραχθέντων ἐπετίμησαν ὡς παραβαίνοντι τὰς συνθήκας, τοῖς δὲ Μεσσηνίοις εἰρήνην παρεσκεύασαν καὶ τὸ φρούριον ἀναγκάσαντες ἀποκαταστῆσαι τὸν τύραννον ἀπέπλευσαν εἰς τὴν Λιβύην.
At this very time, ambassadors arrived from Carthage, who on the one hand censured Agathocles for his deeds as violating the treaty, and on the other hand procured peace for the Messenians, and having compelled the tyrant to restore the fortress, they sailed back to Libya.
§19.65.6ὁ δʼ Ἀγαθοκλῆς παρελθὼν εἰς Ἀβάκαινον πόλιν σύμμαχον, τοὺς δοκοῦντας ἀλλοτρίως ἔχειν τὰ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀπέσφαξεν, ὄντας πλείους τῶν τεσσαράκοντα.
But Agathocles, having gone to the allied city of Abacaenum, slaughtered those who seemed to be hostilely disposed toward him, who were more than forty in number.
§19.65.7ἅμα δὲ τούτοις πραττομένοις Ῥωμαῖοι μὲν διαπολεμοῦντες Σαμνίταις Φερέντην, πόλιν τῆς Ἀπουλίας, κατὰ κράτος εἷλον.
While these things were being transacted, the Romans, carrying on the war against the Samnites to the end, took Ferentum, a city of Apulia, by storm.
οἱ δὲ τὴν Νουκερίαν τὴν Ἀλφατέρναν καλουμένην οἰκοῦντες πεισθέντες ὑπό τινων τῆς μὲν Ῥωμαίων φιλίας ἀπέστησαν, πρὸς δὲ τοὺς Σαμνίατας συμμαχίαν ἐποιήσαντο.
And those who inhabited Nuceria, called Alfaterna, being persuaded by certain persons, defected from the friendship of the Romans and made an alliance with the Samnites.