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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §20.53.1-20.53.4

Assumption of the Royal Title by Antigonus and the Diadochi

Passage 241 of 301 · Greek

Summary

After Ptolemy abandons Cyprus and withdraws to Egypt, Antigonus and Demetrius assume the title of king. In response, Ptolemy and the other Diadochi also declare themselves kings.

§20.53.1μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα Πτολεμαῖος ἀπογνοὺς τὰ κατὰ τὴν Κύπρον ἀπῆρεν εἰς Αἴγυπτον.
After this, Ptolemy, giving up hope for the affairs in Cyprus, sailed away to Egypt.
Δημήτριος δὲ πάσας τὰς ἐν τῇ νήσῳ πόλεις παραλαβὼν καὶ τοὺς φρουροῦντας στρατιώτας, τούτους μὲν εἰς τάξεις κατεχώρισεν, ὄντας πεζοὺς μὲν μυρίους ἑξακισχιλίους συντεταγμένους, ἱππεῖς δὲ περὶ ἑξακοσίους, πρὸς δὲ τὸν πατέρα ταχέως ἐμβιβάσας εἰς τὴν μεγίστην ναῦν τοὺς δηλώσοντας περὶ τῶν κατορθωθέντων ἐξαπέστειλεν.
Demetrius, having taken over all the cities on the island and the soldiers who were garrisoning them, enrolled these into his ranks, they being sixteen thousand organized infantry, and about six hundred cavalry; and having quickly embarked on the largest ship those who would report concerning his successes, he sent them to his father.
§20.53.2ὁ δʼ Ἀντίγονος πυθόμενος τὴν γεγενημένην νίκην καὶ μετεωρισθεὶς ἐπὶ τῷ μεγέθει τοῦ προτερήματος διάδημα περιέθετο καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν ἐχρημάτιζε βασιλεύς, συγχωρήσας καὶ τῷ Δημητρίῳ τῆς αὐτῆς τυγχάνειν προσηγορίας καὶ τιμῆς.
And Antigonus, having learned of the victory that had occurred and being elated by the greatness of the success, assumed a diadem and henceforth styled himself king, permitting Demetrius also to obtain the same title and honor.
§20.53.3ὁ δὲ Πτολεμαῖος οὐδὲν τῇ ψυχῇ ταπεινωθεὶς διὰ τὴν ἧτταν καὶ αὐτὸς ὁμοίως ἀνέλαβε τὸ διάδημα καὶ πρὸς ἅπαντας ἀνέγραφεν ἑαυτὸν βασιλέα.
But Ptolemy, in no way humbled in spirit by the defeat, himself likewise assumed the diadem and in his letters to everyone styled himself king.
§20.53.4παραπλησίως δὲ τούτοις καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ δυνάσται ζηλοτυπήσαντες ἀνηγόρευον ἑαυτοὺς βασιλεῖς, Σέλευκος μὲν προσφάτως τὰς ἄνω σατραπείας προσκεκτημένος, Λυσίμαχος δὲ καὶ Κάσανδρος τὰς ἐξ ἀρχῆς δοθείσας μερίδας διατηροῦντες.
In like manner to these, the remaining rulers also, out of rivalry, proclaimed themselves kings—Seleucus, on the one hand, having recently acquired the upper satrapies, and Lysimachus and Cassander, on the other hand, maintaining the portions given to them from the beginning.
ἡμεῖς δὲ περὶ τούτων ἱκανῶς εἰρηκότες ἐν μέρει διέξιμεν περὶ τῶν κατὰ Λιβύην καὶ Σικελίαν πραχθέντων.
And we, having spoken sufficiently about these things, will recount in turn the events that took place in Libya and Sicily.

Notes

  1. §20.53.1ἀπογνοὺς τὰ κατὰ τὴν Κύπρον — The aorist active participle ἀπογνούς of the verb ἀπογιγνώσκω (to give up hope, despair of) is in the nominative case, agreeing with the main subject Ptolemaios. It functions transitively, taking the accusative object τὰ κατὰ τὴν Κύπρον (the affairs in Cyprus).
  2. §20.53.1τοὺς δηλώσοντας — The future active participle δηλώσοντας with the article τούς functions substantively without an antecedent ('those who would report'). It expresses the purpose of the main verb ἐξαπέστειλεν ('sent forth to report').
  3. §20.53.2τῆς αὐτῆς τυγχάνειν προσηγορίας καὶ τιμῆς — The infinitive τυγχάνειν serves as a complementary infinitive to the participle συγχωρήσας (permitting). Since the verb τυγχάνω (to obtain) governs the genitive case, its object τῆς αὐτῆς ... προσηγορίας καὶ τιμῆς is in the genitive.
  4. §20.53.3οὐδὲν τῇ ψυχῇ ταπεινωθείς — οὐδέν functions adverbially as an accusative of specification or degree ('in no way'). τῇ ψυχῇ is a dative of respect ('in spirit' or 'in mind'), both modifying the passive participle ταπεινωθείς (humbled, cast down).

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §20.53.1-20.53.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:20.53.1-20.53.4

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