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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §20.94.1-20.94.5

Thwarting Demetrius's Mines and Athenagoras's Ruse

Passage 282 of 301 · Greek

Summary

The Rhodians thwart Demetrius's mining operation by digging a counter-trench. Furthermore, the guard commander Athenagoras, approached by the enemy with a bribe, uses this opportunity to trap the enemy's scout, leading to his capture by the Rhodians and receiving a great reward.

§20.94.1Δημητρίου δὲ διὰ τῶν μεταλλέων ὑπορύξαντος τὸ τεῖχος τῶν αὐτομόλων τις ἐμήνυσε τοῖς πολιορκουμένοις ὡς οἱ ταῖς ὑπονομαῖς χρώμενοι σχεδὸν ἐντός εἰσι τοῦ τείχους.
When Demetrius dug under the wall by means of his miners, one of the deserters reported to the besieged that those who were using the mines were almost inside the wall.
§20.94.2διόπερ οἱ Ῥόδιοι τάφρον ὀρύξαντες βαθεῖαν, παράλληλον τῷ δοκοῦντι πεσεῖσθαι τείχει, ταχὺ καὶ αὐτοὶ ταῖς μεταλλείαις χρώμενοι συνῆψαν ὑπὸ γῆν τοῖς ἐναντίοις καὶ διεκώλυσαν τῆς εἰς τοὔμπροσθεν πορείας.
Therefore, the Rhodians dug a deep trench, parallel to the wall which seemed likely to fall, and quickly using mining themselves, they connected with the enemy underground and prevented their further advance.
§20.94.3τῶν δὲ διορυγμάτων παρʼ ἀμφοτέροις τηρουμένων ἐπεχείρησάν τινες τῶν παρὰ τοῦ Δημητρίου διαφθείρειν χρήμασι τὸν τεταγμένον ἐπὶ τῆς φυλακῆς ὑπὸ τῶν Ῥοδίων Ἀθηναγόραν· οὗτος δʼ ἦν Μιλήσιος μὲν τὸ γένος, ὑπὸ Πτολεμαίου δʼ ἐξαπεσταλμένος ἡγεμὼν τῶν μισθοφόρων.
While the tunnels were being watched by both sides, some of Demetrius’s men attempted to corrupt with money Athenagoras, who had been appointed by the Rhodians to command the guard; he was a Milesian by birth, but had been sent out by Ptolemy as commander of the mercenaries.
§20.94.4ἐπαγγειλάμενος δὲ προδώσειν συνετάξαθʼ ἡμέραν καθʼ ἣν ἔδει παρὰ Δημητρίου πεμφθῆναί τινα τῶν ἀξιολόγων ἡγεμόνων τὸν νυκτὸς ἀναβησόμενον διὰ τοῦ ὀρύγματος εἰς τὴν πόλιν, ὅπως κατασκέψηται τὸν τόπον τὸν μέλλοντα δέξασθαι τοὺς στρατιώτας.
He promised to betray the city and agreed upon a day on which one of the notable commanders was to be sent from Demetrius to ascend by night through the tunnel into the city, in order to reconnoitre the place which was to receive the soldiers.
§20.94.5εἰς ἐλπίδας δὲ μεγάλας ἀγαγὼν τοὺς περὶ Δημήτριον ἐμήνυσε τῇ βουλῇ· καὶ πέμψαντος τοῦ βασιλέως τῶν περὶ αὑτὸν φίλων Ἀλέξανδρον τὸν Μακεδόνα τοῦτον μὲν ἀναβάντα διὰ τῆς διώρυχος συνέλαβον οἱ Ῥόδιοι, τὸν δʼ Ἀθηναγόραν ἐστεφάνωσαν χρυσῷ στεφάνῳ καὶ δωρεὰν ἔδωκαν ἀργυρίου τάλαντα πέντε, σπεύδοντες καὶ τῶν ἄλλων μισθοφόρων καὶ ξένων ἐκκαλεῖσθαι τὴν πρὸς τὸν δῆμον εὔνοιαν.
Having led Demetrius and his associates to harbor great hopes, he reported the matter to the council; and when the king sent Alexander the Macedonian, one of the friends about him, the Rhodians seized him as he came up through the tunnel, but they crowned Athenagoras with a golden crown and gave him a gift of five silver talents, being eager to call forth the goodwill toward the people of the other mercenaries and foreigners as well.

Notes

  1. 20.94.2τῷ δοκοῦντι πεσεῖσθαι τείχει — Dative case depending on the adjective παράλληλον ("parallel to"). The participle δοκοῦντι combined with the infinitive πεσεῖσθαι means "the wall that seemed likely to fall".
  2. 20.94.5τῶν περὶ αὑτὸν φίλων Ἀλέξανδρον τὸν Μακεδόνα — The genitive phrase τῶν περὶ αὑτὸν φίλων ("of the friends around him") functions as a partitive genitive qualifying Ἀλέξανδρον τὸν Μακεδόνα ("Alexander the Macedonian"), which is the direct object of the participle πέμψαντος.

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §20.94.1-20.94.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:20.94.1-20.94.5

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