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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §20.39.1-20.39.6

Numidian Raid on the Camp and Massacre of Rebels

Passage 227 of 301 · Greek

Summary

Agathocles attacks the Carthaginian camp, but meanwhile the Numidians plunder the Greek camp. Later, captive Greek mercenaries who rebelled occupy a fortress, but Agathocles massacres them after inducing their surrender under a truce.

§20.39.1ὁ δʼ Ἀγαθοκλῆς ἀφεὶς τὸ διώκειν τούτους ὥρμησεν ἐπὶ τοὺς καταφυγόντας βαρβάρους εἰς τὴν παρεμβολὴν καὶ προσβιαζόμενος τόποις προσάντεσι καὶ δυσπροσίτοις οὐχ ἧττον ἔπασχεν ἢ διετίθει τοὺς Καρχηδονίους.
Agathocles, giving up the pursuit of these men, rushed against the barbarians who had fled into their camp; and as he forced his way through steep and difficult-to-access places, he suffered no less damage than he inflicted upon the Carthaginians.
οὐ μὴν ἔληγε τῆς τόλμης, ἀλλὰ τῇ νίκῃ μετεωριζόμενος ἐνέκειτο, διαλαμβάνων κατὰ κράτος αἱρήσειν τὴν στρατοπεδείαν.
He did not, however, cease from his daring attempt, but being elated by the victory, he pressed on, expecting to take the camp by storm.
§20.39.2ἐν τοσούτῳ δὲ τὸ τέλος τῆς μάχης καραδοκοῦντες οἱ Νομάδες ταῖς μὲν τῶν Καρχηδονίων ἀποσκευαῖς οὐχ οἷοί τε ἦσαν ἐπιθέσθαι διὰ τὸ τὰς δυνάμεις ἀμφοτέρας πλησίον τῆς παρεμβολῆς ἀγωνίζεσθαι, ἐπὶ δὲ τὴν τῶν Ἑλλήνων στρατοπεδείαν ὥρμησαν, εἰδότες τὸν Ἀγαθοκλέα μακρὰν ἀπεσπασμένον.
Meanwhile, the Numidians, who were waiting for the outcome of the battle, were unable to attack the baggage of the Carthaginians because both armies were fighting near the camp, but they rushed toward the camp of the Greeks, knowing that Agathocles was drawn far away.
ἐρήμου δʼ αὐτῆς οὔσης τῶν δυναμένων ἀμύνασθαι ῥᾳδίως ἐπιπεσόντες τοὺς μὲν ἀντιστάντας ὀλίγους ὄντας ἀπέκτειναν, αἰχμαλώτων δὲ πλήθους καὶ τῆς ἄλλης ὠφελείας ἐκυρίευσαν.
Finding it destitute of those who could defend it, they easily fell upon it, slew the few who resisted, and made themselves masters of a multitude of captives and of the rest of the booty.
§20.39.3ἃ δὴ πυθόμενος ὁ Ἀγαθοκλῆς ἦγε κατὰ τάχος τὴν δύναμιν καὶ τινὰ μὲν τῶν ἀφηρπασμένων ἀνέσωσε, τῶν δὲ πλείστων οἱ Νομάδες ἐκυρίευον καὶ νυκτὸς ἐπιγενομένης μακρὰν ἑαυτοὺς ἐξετόπισαν.
Hearing of this, Agathocles led his force back in haste and recovered some of the plundered property, but the Numidians retained possession of most of it and, when night came on, removed themselves far away.
§20.39.4ὁ δὲ δυνάστης στήσας τρόπαιον τὰ μὲν λάφυρα διείλετο τοῖς στρατιώταις, ὅπως μηδεὶς ἀγανακτήσῃ περὶ τῶν ἀπολωλότων, τοὺς δʼ αἰχμαλώτους Ἕλληνας τοὺς συστρατευσαμένους τοῖς Καρχηδονίοις εἴς τι φρούριον ἀπέθετο.
The ruler, having set up a trophy, distributed the booty among his soldiers so that no one might be resentful about what had been lost, and placed the captive Greeks who had campaigned with the Carthaginians in a certain fortress.
§20.39.5οὗτοι μὲν οὖν εὐλαβούμενοι τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ δυνάστου τιμωρίαν νυκτὸς ἐπέθεντο τοῖς ἐν τῷ φρουρίῳ καὶ τῇ μάχῃ κρατούμενοι κατελάβοντο τόπον ἐρυμνόν, ὄντες οὐκ ἐλάττους τῶν χιλίων, ὧν ἦσαν Συρακόσιοι πλείους τῶν πεντακοσίων·
These men, then, fearing punishment from the ruler, attacked those in the fortress by night and, gaining the upper hand in the fighting, occupied a strong position; they were no fewer than a thousand, of whom the Syracusans were more than five hundred.
§20.39.6Ἀγαθοκλῆς δὲ πυθόμενος τὸ πεπραγμένον ἧκε μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως καὶ καταβιβάσας ὑποσπόνδους τοὺς ἐπιθεμένους ἅπαντας ἀπέσφαξεν.
When Agathocles heard of what had been done, he came with his force, and having brought all the attackers down under a truce, he slaughtered them.

Notes

  1. §20.39.1οὐχ ἧττον ἔπασχεν ἢ διετίθει — The comparison with 'οὐχ ἧττον ... ἤ' means 'no less than' or 'as much as.' Here, it expresses that Agathocles suffered (ἔπασχεν) as much damage as he inflicted (διετίθει, with 'the Carthaginians' as the implied object) upon the enemy.
  2. §20.39.5τῇ μάχῃ κρατούμενοι — The passive participle 'κρατούμενοι' (usually 'being conquered') here functions in an active or middle sense meaning 'having gained the upper hand' or 'getting control' in the battle against the garrison.
  3. §20.39.6ὑποσπόνδους — The adjective 'ὑποσπόνδους' (under a truce/treaty) is used here as a predicative adjective agreeing with 'τοὺς ἐπιθεμένους' (the attackers). It indicates that Agathocles induced them to surrender by offering a promise of safety under a truce, which makes his subsequent slaughter of them an act of treachery.

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §20.39.1-20.39.6. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:20.39.1-20.39.6

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