§20.43.1ἐν δὲ τῇ Καρχηδόνι Βορμίλκας πάλαι διανενοημένος ἐπιθέσθαι τυραννίδι καιρὸν ἐπεζήτει ταῖς ἰδίαις ἐπιβολαῖς οἰκεῖον.
In Carthage, Bormilcas, who had long intended to set upon a tyranny, was seeking a suitable opportunity for his own designs.
πολλάκις δὲ διδόντος τοῦ καιροῦ τὰς ἀφορμὰς τοῦ πράττειν τὸ βεβουλευμένον ἀεί τις αἰτία μικρὰ παρεμπίπτουσα διεκώλυεν· δεισιδαίμονες γὰρ οἱ μέλλοντες ἐγχειρεῖν ταῖς παρανόμοις καὶ μεγάλαις πράξεσι καὶ τὸ μέλλειν ἀεὶ τοῦ πράττειν καὶ τὴν ὑπέρθεσιν τῆς συντελείας προκρίνουσιν.
But though opportunity often provided the occasions for carrying out his plans, some small obstacle always intervened and prevented him; for those who are about to attempt unlawful and great deeds are superstitious, and always prefer delaying to acting, and the postponement of completion.
ὃ καὶ τότε συνέβαινεν καὶ περὶ ἐκεῖνον·
This was indeed what was happening to him at that time.
§20.43.2ἐξέπεμψε μὲν γὰρ τοὺς ἐπιφανεστάτους τῶν πολιτῶν εἰς τὴν ἐπὶ τοὺς Νομάδας στρατείαν, ἵνα μηδένα τῶν ἀξιολόγων ἔχῃ τὸν ἀντιστησόμενον, οὐκ ἐτόλμα δὲ ἀποκαλύψασθαι πρὸς τὴν τυραννίδα, μετακαλούμενος ὑπὸ τῆς εὐλαβείας.
For he sent out the most illustrious of the citizens on the expedition against the Numidians, in order that he might have no person of consequence to oppose him, yet he did not dare to reveal his designs for the tyranny, being held back by his caution.
§20.43.3καθʼ ὃν δὲ καιρὸν Ἀγαθοκλῆς ἐπέθετο τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ὀφέλλαν, ὁρμῆσαι καὶ τοῦτον συνέβη πρὸς τὴν δυναστείαν, ἀγνοούντων ἀμφοτέρων τὰ παρὰ τοῖς πολεμίοις πραττόμενα.
At the very time when Agathocles set upon Ophellas and his men, it happened that this man also made his bid for power, both of them being ignorant of what was being done among their enemies.
§20.43.4οὔτε γὰρ Ἀγαθοκλῆς ἔγνω τὴν ἐπίθεσιν τῆς τυραννίδος καὶ τὴν ἐν τῇ πόλει ταραχήν, ἐπεὶ ῥᾳδίως ἂν ἐκράτησε τῆς Καρχηδόνος· εἵλετο γὰρ ἂν Βορμίλκας ἐπʼ αὐτοφώρῳ γενόμενος συνεργεῖν Ἀγαθοκλεῖ μᾶλλον ἢ τοῖς πολίταις δοῦναι τὴν ἐκ τοῦ σώματος τιμωρίαν· οὔτε πάλιν οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι τὴν ἐπίθεσιν τὴν Ἀγαθοκλέους ἐπύθοντο· ῥᾳδίως γὰρ ἂν αὐτὸν ἐχειρώσαντο προσλαβόμενοι τὴν μετʼ Ὀφέλλα δύναμιν.
For neither did Agathocles know of the attempt on the tyranny and the confusion in the city, since he would easily have made himself master of Carthage; for Bormilcas, if caught in the act, would have preferred to cooperate with Agathocles rather than pay the penalty of bodily punishment to the citizens; nor, on the other hand, did the Carthaginians learn of the attack of Agathocles; for they would easily have subdued him by taking over the force that was with Ophellas.
§20.43.5ἀλλʼ, οἶμαι, παρʼ ἀμφοτέροις οὐκ ἀλογίστως συνέβη γενέσθαι ταύτην τὴν ἄγνοιαν, καίπερ μεγάλων μὲν οὐσῶν τῶν πράξεων, ἐγγὺς δʼ ἀλλήλων ἐπικεχειρηκότων τοῖς τηλικούτοις τολμήμασιν·
But, I think, it happened not without reason that this ignorance arose on both sides, even though their actions were great and they had embarked upon such daring enterprises so close to one another.
§20.43.6ὅ τε γὰρ Ἀγαθοκλῆς ἄνδρα φίλον μέλλων ἀναιρεῖν πρὸς οὐδὲν ἐπέβαλλε τὴν διάνοιαν τῶν παρὰ τοῖς πολεμίοις συντελουμένων, ὅ τε Βορμίλκας τὴν τῆς πατρίδος ἐλευθερίαν ἀφαιρούμενος οὐδὲν ὅλως ἐπολυπραγμόνει τῶν παρὰ τοῖς ἀντιστρατοπεδεύουσιν, ὡς ἂν ἔχων προκείμενον ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ τὸ μὴ τοὺς πολεμίους ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος, ἀλλὰ τοὺς πολίτας καταπολεμῆσαι.
For Agathocles, intending to make away with a friendly man, directed his mind to none of the things that were being accomplished among the enemy, and Bormilcas, taking away the freedom of his fatherland, busied himself not at all with the affairs of those encamped against them, inasmuch as he had it set before his soul to conquer not the enemy for the present, but his own citizens.
§20.43.7ταύτῃ δʼ ἄν τις καὶ τὴν ἱστορίαν καταμέμψαιτο, θεωρῶν ἐπὶ μὲν τοῦ βίου πολλὰς καὶ διαφόρους πράξεις συντελουμένας κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν καιρόν, τοῖς δʼ ἀναγράφουσιν ἀναγκαῖον ὑπάρχον τὸ μεσολαβεῖν τὴν διήγησιν καὶ τοῖς ἅμα συντελουμένοις μερίζειν τοὺς χρόνους παρὰ φύσιν, ὥστε τὴν μὲν ἀλήθειαν τῶν πεπραγμένων τὸ πάθος ἔχειν, τὴν δʼ ἀναγραφὴν ἐστερημένην τῆς ὁμοίας ἐξουσίας μιμεῖσθαι μὲν τὰ γεγενημένα, πολὺ δὲ λείπεσθαι τῆς ἀληθοῦς διαθέσεως.
On this account, one might also find fault with history, seeing that in life many diverse actions are performed at the same time, but for those who write them down it is necessary to interrupt the narrative and divide the times for events happening simultaneously, contrary to nature, with the result that the reality of the events has the vivid experience, while the written record, deprived of similar power, imitates indeed what happened, but falls far short of the true arrangement.