§20.70.1τῆς δʼ Ἀγαθοκλέους στρατείας εἰς Λιβύην ἐπισημήναιτʼ ἄν τις τό τε παράδοξον καὶ τὴν εἰς τὰ τέκνα γενομένην τιμωρίαν οἷον τῇ θείᾳ προνοίᾳ.
Regarding the campaign of Agathocles to Libya, one might well remark upon both its paradoxical nature and the punishment brought upon his children, as if by divine providence.
ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τῆς Σικελίας ἡττηθεὶς καὶ τὴν πλείστην τῆς δυνάμεως ἀπολέσας ἐπὶ τῆς Λιβύης μικρῷ μέρει τοὺς προνενικηκότας κατεπολέμησεν.
For although he had been defeated in Sicily and had lost the greatest part of his force, in Libya, with only a small portion, he utterly defeated those who had previously conquered him.
§20.70.2καὶ τὰς μὲν ἐν τῇ Σικελίᾳ πόλεις ἁπάσας ἀποβαλὼν πρὸς Συρακούσσαις ἐπολιορκεῖτο, κατὰ δὲ τὴν Λιβύην πασῶν τῶν ἄλλων πόλεων ἐγκρατὴς γενόμενος εἰς πολιορκίαν κατέκλεισε τοὺς Καρχηδονίους, τῆς τύχης ὥσπερ ἐπίτηδες ἐπιδεικνυμένης τὴν ἰδίαν δύναμιν ἐπὶ τῶν ἀπηλπισμένων.
And while in Sicily he had lost all the cities and was besieged at Syracuse, in Libya he became master of all the other cities and shut up the Carthaginians in a siege, Fortune, as if on purpose, displaying her own power over those who were in despair.
§20.70.3εἰς τηλικαύτην δʼ ὑπεροχὴν ἐλθόντος αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸν Ὀφέλλαν φονεύσαντος, ὄντα φίλον καὶ ξένον, φανερῶς ἐπεσημήνατο τὸ δαιμόνιον ὡς διὰ τὴν εἰς τοῦτον παρανομίαν τῶν ὕστερον αὐτῷ γεγενημένων τὸ θεῖον ἐπιστήσαι· τοῦ γὰρ αὐτοῦ μηνὸς καὶ τῆς αὐτῆς ἡμέρας Ὀφέλλαν ἀνελὼν παρέλαβε τὴν δύναμιν καὶ πάλιν τοὺς υἱοὺς ἀπολέσας ἀπέβαλε τὸ στρατόπεδον.
But when he had risen to such a height of superiority and had murdered Ophellas, who was his friend and guest, the divinity clearly indicated that on account of his lawless act against this man, the deity superintended the things that afterwards happened to him; for in the same month and on the same day that he killed Ophellas and took over his army, he again, having lost his sons, lost his camp.
§20.70.4καὶ τὸ πάντων ἰδιώτατον, ὁ θεὸς ὥσπερ ἀγαθὸς νομοθέτης διπλῆν ἔλαβε παρʼ αὐτοῦ τὴν κόλασιν· ἕνα γὰρ φίλον ἀδίκως φονεύσας δυεῖν υἱῶν ἐστερήθη, τῶν μετʼ Ὀφέλλα παραγενομένων προσενεγκάντων τὰς χεῖρας τοῖς νεανίσκοις.
And what was most remarkable of all, God, like a good lawgiver, exacted a double punishment from him; for having unjustly murdered one friend, he was deprived of two sons, those who had come with Ophellas being the ones who laid hands upon the young men.
ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἡμῖν εἰρήσθω πρὸς τοὺς καταφρονοῦντας τῶν τοιούτων.
Let these things, then, be our answer to those who look down on such matters.