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Polybius · The Histories §15.26a.1-15.26a.2

Execution of Deinon by Agathocles

Passage 836 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

This passage describes Agathocles' execution of Deinon, the son of Deinon, noting how Deinon met a fitting end after previously aiding in Arsinoe's murder and later indiscreetly airing his regrets.

§15.26a.1ὅτι Δείνωνα τὸν Δείνωνος ἐπανείλετο Ἀγαθοκλῆς, καὶ τοῦτο ἔπραξε τῶν ἀδίκων ἔργων, ὡς ἡ παροιμία φησί, δικαιότατον·
That Agathocles put to death Deinon, the son of Deinon, and in doing so performed, as the proverb says, the most just of his unjust deeds.
καθʼ ὃν μὲν γὰρ καιρόν, τῶν γραμμάτων αὐτῷ προσπεσόντων ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀναιρέσεως τῆς Ἀρσινόης, ἐξουσίαν ἔσχε μηνῦσαι τὴν πρᾶξιν καὶ σῶσαι τὰ κατὰ τὴν βασιλείαν, τότε δὴ συνεργήσας τοῖς περὶ τὸν Φιλάμμωνα, πάντων ἐγένετο τῶν ἐπιγενομένων κακῶν αἴτιος,
For at the time when, the letter concerning the murder of Arsinoe having reached him, he had the opportunity to reveal the plot and save the state, he then instead co-operated with Philammon's party and became the cause of all the evils that followed.
§15.26a.2μετὰ δὲ τὸ συντελεσθῆναι τὸν φόνον ἀνανεούμενος καὶ πρὸς πολλοὺς οἰκτιζόμενος καὶ μεταμελόμενος ἐπὶ τῷ τοιοῦτον καιρὸν παραλιπεῖν δῆλος ἐγένετο τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ἀγαθοκλέα· διὸ καὶ παραυτίκα τυχὼν τῆς ἁρμοζούσης τιμωρίας μετήλλαξε τὸν βίον. —
But after the murder had been committed, by reviving the matter, lamenting before many people, and regretting that he had let slip such an opportunity, he made his feelings manifest to Agathocles and his faction; wherefore, immediately receiving his fitting punishment, he departed this life.

Notes

  1. §15.26a.1ὅτι — A formulaic conjunction used in the excerpted manuscripts (Excerpta) to introduce a summary of events, meaning "That...".
  2. §15.26a.1τῶν ἀδίκων ἔργων ... δικαιότατον — The phrase τῶν ἀδίκων ἔργων is a partitive genitive qualifying the superlative adjective δικαιότατον (used here substantively or in apposition to τοῦτο), meaning "the most just of [his] unjust deeds."
  3. §15.26a.2δῆλος ἐγένετο τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ἀγαθοκλέα — The personal construction of "δῆλός εἰμι + participle" combined with the participles ἀνανεούμενος, οἰκτιζόμενος, and μεταμελόμενος, meaning "he made it obvious [to them] that he was reviving, lamenting, and regretting...". The dative τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ἀγαθοκλέα indicates the persons to whom this became clear.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §15.26a.1-15.26a.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:15.26a.1-15.26a.2

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