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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §20.90.1-20.90.4

Submission of Deinocrates and Roman Victories

Passage 278 of 301 · Greek

Summary

Agathocles reconciled with Deinocrates and appointed him general, while Deinocrates betrayed his allies and handed over the cities. Meanwhile in Italy, the Romans defeated the Paeligni and Samnites, recovering several captured allied cities.

§20.90.1τὴν δὲ ἀντιτεταγμένην δύναμιν οὕτω διαφθείρας προσεδέξατο τοὺς ὑπολελειμμένους τῶν φυγάδων καὶ πρὸς Δεινοκράτην διαλυθεὶς στρατηγὸν αὐτὸν μέρους τῆς δυνάμεως ἀπέδειξε καὶ διετέλεσε πιστεύων τὰ μέγιστα.
Having thus destroyed the opposing force, he received the remaining exiles and, having come to terms with Deinocrates, appointed him general of a part of his army and continued to trust him in the most important matters.
θαυμάσειε δʼ ἄν τις ἐν τούτοις τὸν Ἀγαθοκλέα, πῶς πρὸς ἅπαντας ὑπόπτως ἔχων καὶ μηδέποτε μηδενὶ βεβαίως πιστεύσας πρὸς μόνον Δεινοκράτην διετήρησε τὴν φιλίαν μέχρι τελευτῆς.
In this, one might wonder at Agathocles, how, though he was suspicious of everyone and never trusted anyone securely, he maintained his friendship with Deinocrates alone until the end.
§20.90.2ὁ δὲ Δεινοκράτην προδοὺς τοὺς συμμάχους τὸν μὲν Πασίφιλον ἐν τῇ Γέλᾳ συναρπάσας ἀπέκτεινεν, τὰ δὲ φρούρια καὶ τὰς πόλεις ἐνεχείρισεν Ἀγαθοκλεῖ, διετῆ χρόνον ἀναλώσας εἰς τὴν τῶν πολεμίων παράθεσιν.
But Deinocrates, having betrayed his allies, seized Pasiphilus in Gela and put him to death, and handed over the fortresses and the cities to Agathocles, having spent a period of two years in opposition to the enemy.
§20.90.3κατὰ δὲ τὴν Ἰταλίαν Ῥωμαῖοι μὲν Παλιγνοὺς καταπολεμήσαντες τὴν χώραν ἀφείλοντο καί τισι τῶν δοξάντων τὰ Ῥωμαίων πεφρονηκέναι μετέδωκαν τῆς πολιτείας.
In Italy, the Romans, having subdued the Paligni, deprived them of their territory and shared citizenship with some of those who were deemed to have favored the Roman cause.
μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα Σαμνιτῶν τὴν Φαλερνῖτιν πορθούντων ἀνέζευξαν ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς οἱ ὕπατοι καὶ γενομένης παρατάξεως προετέρησαν οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι.
After this, when the Samnites were plundering the Falernian territory, the consuls set out against them, and when a battle took place, the Romans had the upper hand.
§20.90.4σημείας μὲν οὖν εἷλον εἴκοσι, στρατιώτας δʼ ἐζώγρησαν ὑπὲρ τοὺς δισχιλίους.
So they captured twenty standards and took more than two thousand soldiers alive.
τῶν δʼ ὑπάτων εὐθὺς ἑλόντων πόλιν Βῶλαν Γέλλιος Γάιος ὁ τῶν Σαμνιτῶν ἡγεμὼν ἐφάνη μετὰ στρατιωτῶν ἑξακισχιλίων.
Immediately after the consuls had captured the city of Bola, Gellius Gaius, the general of the Samnites, appeared with six thousand soldiers.
γενομένης δὲ μάχης ἰσχυρᾶς αὐτός τε ὁ Γέλλιος ἑάλω καὶ τῶν ἄλλων Σαμνιτῶν οἱ πλεῖστοι μὲν κατεκόπησαν, τινὲς δὲ καὶ ζῶντες συνελήφθησαν.
When a fierce battle ensued, Gellius himself was captured, and of the rest of the Samnites, most were cut down, and some were also taken alive.
οἱ δʼ ὕπατοι τοιούτοις προτερήμασι χρησάμενοι τῶν συμμαχίδων πόλεων τὰς ἁλούσας ἀνεκτήσαντο, Σώραν, Ἁρπίναν καὶ Σερεννίαν.
The consuls, having gained such successes, recovered those of the allied cities which had been captured, namely Sora, Arpina, and Serennia.

Notes

  1. 20.90.1θαυμάσειε δʼ ἄν τις — The optative θαυμάσειε with the particle ἄν forms a potential optative, meaning 'one might wonder' or 'anyone would admire.'
  2. 20.90.2Δεινοκράτην — While the manuscripts read the accusative Δεινοκράτην, this must be understood as the nominative subject Δεινοκράτης in agreement with the participle προδοὺς and following ὁ δέ. Otherwise, the syntax would make him the object, but contextually it is Deinocrates who betrayed his allies (τοὺς συμμάχους) and handed over the strongholds.
  3. 20.90.3τὰ Ῥωμαίων πεφρονηκέναι — The infinitive πεφρονηκέναι (from φρονέω) combined with the neuter plural accusative τὰ Ῥωμαίων (the affairs of the Romans) is an idiomatic expression meaning 'to side with the Romans' or 'to favor the Roman cause.'

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §20.90.1-20.90.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:20.90.1-20.90.4

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