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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §19.74.1-19.74.6

Telesphorus in the Peloponnese and the Death of Aeacides

Passage 151 of 301 · Greek

Summary

Antigonus dispatched Telesphorus to liberate Greek cities in the Peloponnese, while Cassander's general Philippus defeated and killed King Aeacides of Epirus, forcing the Aetolians to flee into the mountains.

§19.74.1ὁ δʼ Ἀντίγονος ἀποτυχὼν ταύτης τῆς ἐπιβολῆς ἐξέπεμψε Τελεσφόρον εἰς Πελοπόννησον, δοὺς αὐτῷ πεντήκοντα ναῦς καὶ στρατιώτας τοὺς ἱκανούς, καὶ τὰς πόλεις ἐλευθεροῦν ἐνετείλατο· τοῦτο γὰρ πράξας ἤλπιζε πίστιν κατασκευάζειν παρὰ τοῖς Ἕλλησιν ὅτι πρὸς ἀλήθειαν φροντίζει τῆς αὐτονομίας αὐτῶν, καὶ ἅμα γινώσκειν ὑπέλαβε τὰ Κασάνδρου πράγματα.
Antigonus, having failed in this attempt, dispatched Telesphorus to the Peloponnese, giving him fifty ships and sufficient soldiers, and ordered him to liberate the cities; for by doing this he hoped to establish trust among the Greeks that he truly cared for their autonomy, and at the same time he assumed he would keep watch on the affairs of Cassander.
§19.74.2ὁ δὲ Τελεσφόρος ἐπειδὴ τάχιστα κατέπλευσεν εἰς τὴν Πελοπόννησον, ἐπῆλθε τὰς ὑπʼ Ἀλεξάνδρου φρουρουμένας πόλεις καὶ πάσας ἠλευθέρωσε πλὴν Σικυῶνος καὶ Κορίνθου· ἐν ταύταις γὰρ Πολυπέρχων διέτριβεν δυνάμεις ἁδρὰς ἔχων καὶ πιστεύων ταύταις τε καὶ ταῖς τῶν τόπων ὀχυρότησιν.
As soon as Telesphorus sailed down into the Peloponnese, he visited the cities garrisoned by Alexander and liberated them all except Sicyon and Corinth; for in these Polyperchon was staying, having strong forces and trusting both in these and in the strength of the positions.
§19.74.3ἅμα δὲ τούτοις πραττομένοις Φίλιππος ὑπὸ Κασάνδρου πεμφθεὶς στρατηγὸς εἰς τὸν πρὸς Αἰτωλοὺς πόλεμον ὡς τάχισθʼ ἧκεν εἰς τὴν Ἀκαρνανίαν μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἐπεχείρει λεηλατεῖν τὴν Αἰτωλίαν, μετʼ ὀλίγον δὲ πυθόμενος Αἰακίδην τὸν Ἠπειρώτην εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν κατεληλυθότα καὶ δύναμιν ἁδρὰν συνηθροικότα ταχέως ὥρμησεν ἐπʼ αὐτόν· ἔσπευδε γὰρ κατʼ ἰδίαν διαγωνίσασθαι πρὶν ἢ συμμίξαι τὴν τῶν Αἰτωλῶν δύναμιν.
While these things were being done, Philippus, sent by Cassander as general for the war against the Aetolians, arrived as quickly as possible in Acarnania with his army, and at first attempted to plunder Aetolia, but shortly afterward, learning that Aeacides the Epirote had returned to his kingdom and had gathered a strong force, he quickly marched against him; for he was eager to decide the issue on his own before the force of the Aetolians should join him.
§19.74.4εὑρὼν δὲ τοὺς Ἠπειρώτας ἑτοίμους εἰς μάχην ἐξ ἐφόδου συνῆψεν εἰς χεῖρας καὶ πολλοὺς μὲν ἀνεῖλεν, οὐκ ὀλίγους δʼ ἐζώγρησεν, ἐν οἷς συνέβαινεν εἶναι καὶ τῶν αἰτίων τῆς τοῦ βασιλέως καθόδου περὶ πεντήκοντα τὸν ἀριθμόν, οὓς δήσας ἀπέστειλε πρὸς Κάσανδρον.
Finding the Epirotes ready for battle, he engaged them at once and slew many of them, and took not a few alive, among whom there happened to be about fifty of those responsible for the return of the king, whom he bound and sent to Cassander.
§19.74.5τῶν δὲ περὶ τὸν Αἰακίδην ἀθροισθέντων ἐκ τῆς φυγῆς καὶ τοῖς Αἰτωλοῖς συμμιξάντων πάλιν ἐπελθὼν ὁ Φίλιππος μάχῃ ἐκράτησεν καὶ πολλοὺς ἀνεῖλεν, ἐν οἷς ἦν καὶ Αἰακίδης ὁ βασιλεύς.
When those around Aeacides had assembled from their flight and joined the Aetolians, Philippus attacked again and won a victory in battle, slaying many of them, among whom was also Aeacides the king.
§19.74.6ἐν ὀλίγαις δʼ ἡμέραις τηλικαῦτα ποιήσας προτερήματα κατεπλήξατο πολλοὺς τῶν Αἰτωλῶν ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ὥστε τὰς ἀνοχύρους πόλεις ἐκλιπεῖν, εἰς δὲ τὰ δυσβατώτατα τῶν ὀρῶν συμφυγεῖν μετὰ τέκνων καὶ γυναικῶν.
Having achieved such great successes in a few days, he struck such terror into many of the Aetolians that they abandoned their unfortified cities and fled for refuge with their children and wives into the most impassable parts of the mountains.
καὶ τὰ μὲν περὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα πραχθέντα τοιοῦτον ἔσχε τὸ τέλος.
Thus the events that took place in Greece reached such an end.

Notes

  1. 19.74.1γινώσκειν — An infinitive serving as the object of the verb ὑπέλαβε (supposed, assumed). It is used here with the active sense of 'observing' or 'keeping watch on' the military situation of Cassander.
  2. 19.74.3πρὶν ἢ συμμίξαι — The conjunction πρὶν ἤ followed by the infinitive (συμμίξαι). Since the main clause is affirmative (ἔσπευδε), the infinitive is used to mean 'before'. Its subject accusative is the preceding noun phrase 'the force of the Aetolians (τὴν τῶν Αἰτωλῶν δύναμιν)', here used intransitively to mean 'joining' or 'uniting'.
  3. 19.74.5τῶν δὲ περὶ τὸν Αἰακίδην ἀθροισθέντων — A genitive absolute construction. It expresses the background condition involving a subject (those around Aeacides) different from the subject of the main clause, Philippus (ὁ Φίλιππος). The subsequent participle συμμιξάντων (having joined) also belongs to this construction.
  4. 19.74.6ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ὥστε — The neuter singular accusative phrase ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον (to such an extent) introduces a consecutive ὥστε clause with the indicative, emphasizing the actual result (abandoning cities and fleeing) brought about by the action of the main clause (striking terror).

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §19.74.1-19.74.6. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:19.74.1-19.74.6

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