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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §19.86.1-19.86.5

Ptolemy's Capture of Tyre and Aid Promised to Seleucus

Passage 163 of 301 · Greek

Summary

Ptolemy wins over Sidon and subdues Tyre. Out of his naturally generous character, he treats the captured garrison commander Andronicus with great kindness, and readily promises Seleucus military support for his return to Babylon.

§19.86.1Πτολεμαῖος δὲ κρατῶν τῶν ὑπαίθρων Σιδῶνα μὲν προσηγάγετο, τῆς δὲ Τύρου πλησίον στρατοπεδεύσας παρεκάλεσεν Ἀνδρόνικον τὸν φρούραρχον παραδοῦναι τὴν πόλιν καὶ δωρείας τε καὶ τιμὰς ἁδρὰς ἐπηγγείλατο δοῦναι.
Ptolemy, controlling the open country, won over Sidon; then, encamping near Tyre, he summoned Andronicus the garrison commander to surrender the city, promising to give him lavish gifts and honors.
§19.86.2ὁ δὲ φήσας μηδενὶ τρόπῳ προδώσειν τὴν δεδομένην ὑπʼ Ἀντιγόνου καὶ Δημητρίου πίστιν, ἐλοιδόρησε φορτικῶς τὸν Πτολεμαῖον.
But the latter, saying that he would in no way betray the pledge of loyalty entrusted to him by Antigonus and Demetrius, insultingly reviled Ptolemy.
ὕστερον δὲ στασιασάντων τῶν στρατιωτῶν ἐκπεσὼν ἐκ Τύρου καὶ γενόμενος ὑποχείριος προσεδόκα μὲν τιμωρίας τεύξεσθαι διά τε τὴν γενομένην λοιδορίαν καὶ διὰ τὸ μὴ βεβουλῆσθαι τὴν Τύρον παραδοῦναι·
Later, however, when the soldiers mutinied, he was cast out of Tyre and fell into his hands; he then expected that he would meet with punishment because of both the insult he had uttered and his refusal to surrender Tyre.
οὐ μὴν ὅ γε Πτολεμαῖος ἐμνησικάκησεν, ἀλλὰ τοὐναντίον δοὺς δωρεὰς εἶχε περὶ αὑτόν, ἕνα τῶν φίλων ποιησάμενος καὶ προάγων ἐντίμως.
Yet Ptolemy did not bear a grudge, but on the contrary, giving him gifts, he kept him in his own entourage, making him one of his friends and promoting him honorably.
§19.86.3ἦν γὰρ ὁ δυνάστης οὗτος καθʼ ὑπερβολὴν ἐπιεικὴς καὶ συγγνωμονικός, ἔτι δʼ εὐεργετικός.
For this ruler was exceedingly lenient and forgiving, and moreover, beneficent.
ὅπερ καὶ μάλιστʼ αὐτὸν ηὔξησε καὶ πολλοὺς ἐποίησεν ἐπιθυμεῖν κοινωνῆσαι τῆς φιλίας.
This was what especially increased his power and made many desire to share in his friendship.
§19.86.4καὶ γὰρ τὸν Σέλευκον ἐκ τῆς Βαβυλωνίας ἐκπεσόντα φιλοτίμως ὑπεδέξατο καὶ κοινὴν παρείχετο τούτῳ τε καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις φίλοις τὴν περὶ αὐτὸν εὐδαιμονίαν.
Indeed, he also received Seleucus, who had been driven out of Babylonia, with great kindness, and made his own prosperity common to both him and his other friends.
§19.86.5διὸ καὶ τότε παρακαλοῦντος αὐτὸν Σελεύκου δοῦναι στρατιώτας τοὺς ἀναβησομένους εἰς Βαβυλῶνα προθύμως ὡμολόγησε καὶ προσεπηγγείλατο πάντα συμπράξειν μέχρι ἀνακτήσαιτο τὴν προϋπάρχουσαν σατραπείαν.
Therefore, at that time also, when Seleucus requested him to give him soldiers to go up to Babylon, he readily agreed and further promised to cooperate in everything until he should recover his former satrapy.
καὶ τὰ μὲν κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν ἐν τούτοις ἦν.
And the affairs in Asia were in this state.

Notes

  1. §19.86.1τῶν ὑπαίθρων — The genitive object of the verb `κρατέω`, which governs the genitive. `τὰ ὕπαιθρα` (substantive neuter plural with article) means "the open country" or "the field", referring here to the countryside or open battlegrounds as opposed to the fortified cities.
  2. §19.86.2τὴν δεδομένην ὑπʼ Ἀντιγόνου καὶ Δημητρίου πίστιν — "The pledge (or trust) given by Antigonus and Demetrius". `πίστις` means "pledge", "loyalty", or "trust"; accompanied by the passive participle `δεδομένην` and the agent `ὑπό` with genitive, it refers to the trust or duty of loyalty entrusted to the commander by his sovereigns.
  3. §19.86.2εἶχε περὶ αὑτόν — The phrase `ἔχω` + `περί` + accusative (reflexive pronoun) is an idiomatic expression meaning "to keep someone around oneself" or "to retain someone in one's entourage".
  4. §19.86.4κοινὴν παρείχετο τούτῳ τε καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις φίλοις τὴν περὶ αὐτὸν εὐδαιμονίαν — A hyperbaton where the adjective `κοινήν` is placed in a predicate position modifying the articular noun phrase `τὴν περὶ αὐτὸν εὐδαιμονίαν` ("the prosperity around him"). It means "he made his own prosperity common (shared) to both him and his other friends."
  5. §19.86.5μέχρι ἀνακτήσαιτο — A temporal clause introduced by `μέχρι`, where the optative mood (aorist middle optative `ἀνακτήσαιτο`) is used to express an expected or intended future action viewed from the perspective of the past main verb (`προσεπηγγείλατο`).

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §19.86.1-19.86.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:19.86.1-19.86.5

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