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Contents of the Thirteenth Book of Diodorus
chapter 1chapter 2chapter 3chapter 4chapter 5chapter 6chapter 7chapter 8chapter 9chapter 10chapter 11chapter 12chapter 13chapter 14chapter 15chapter 16chapter 17chapter 18chapter 19chapter 20chapter 21chapter 22chapter 23chapter 24chapter 25chapter 26chapter 27chapter 28chapter 29chapter 30chapter 31chapter 32chapter 33chapter 34chapter 35chapter 36chapter 37chapter 38chapter 39chapter 40chapter 41chapter 42chapter 43chapter 44chapter 45chapter 46chapter 47chapter 48chapter 49chapter 50chapter 51chapter 52chapter 53chapter 54chapter 55chapter 56chapter 57chapter 58chapter 59chapter 60chapter 61chapter 62chapter 63chapter 64chapter 65chapter 66chapter 67chapter 68chapter 69chapter 70chapter 71chapter 72chapter 73chapter 74chapter 75chapter 76chapter 77chapter 78chapter 79chapter 80chapter 81chapter 82chapter 83chapter 84chapter 85chapter 86chapter 87chapter 88chapter 89chapter 90chapter 91chapter 92chapter 93chapter 94chapter 95chapter 96chapter 97chapter 98chapter 99chapter 100chapter 101chapter 102chapter 103chapter 104chapter 105chapter 106chapter 107chapter 108chapter 109chapter 110chapter 111chapter 112chapter 113chapter 114
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The Peloponnesians were not a whit outdone by the emulation displayed by the
Athenians. Advancing with their ships in mass formation and with their best soldiers lined up
on the decks they made the sea-battle also a fight between infantry; for as they pressed upon
their opponents' ships they boldly boarded their prows, in the belief that men who had once
been defeated would not stand up to the terror of battle.
[2]
But
the Athenians and Mitylenaeans, seeing that the single hope of safety left to them lay in their
victory, were resolved to die nobly rather than leave their station. And so, since an
unsurpassable emulation pervaded both forces, a great slaughter ensued, all the participants
exposing their bodies, without regard of risk, to the perils of battle.
[3]
The soldiers on the decks were wounded by the multitude of missiles
which flew at them, and some of them, who were mortally struck, fell into the sea, while some,
so long as their wounds were fresh, fought on without feeling them; but very many fell victims
to the stones that were hurled by the stone-carrying yardarms, since the Athenians kept up a
shower of huge stones from these commanding positions.
[4]
The
fighting had continued, none the less, for a long while and many had met death on both sides,
when Callicratidas, wishing to give his soldiers a breathing-spell, sounded the recall.
[5]
After some time he again manned his ships and continued the
struggle over a long period, and with great effort, by means of the superior number of his
ships and the strength of the marines, he thrust out the Athenians. And when the Athenians fled
for refuge to the harbour within the city, he sailed through the barriers and brought his ships
to anchor near the city of the Mitylenaeans.
[6]
It may be
explained that the entrance for whose control they had fought had a good harbour, which,
however, lies outside the city. For the ancient city is a small island, and the later city,
which was founded near it, is opposite it on the island of Lesbos; and between the two cities is a narrow strait which also adds strength to
the city.
[7]
Callicratidas now, disembarking his troops, invested
the city and launched assaults upon it from every side.Such was
the state of affairs at Mitylene.
[8]
In Sicily1 the Syracusans, sending ambassadors to Carthage, not only censured them for the war but required that for the future
they cease from hostilities. To them the Carthaginians gave ambiguous answers and set about
assembling great armaments in Libya, since their
desire was fixed on enslaving all the cities of the island; but before sending their forces
across to Sicily they picked out volunteers from their
citizens and the other inhabitants of Libya and
founded in Sicily right at the warm
(therma) springs a city which they named Therma.2
1 The narrative is resumed from the end of chap. 62.
2 It was near Himera (Cic. In Verr. 2.35); the springs are mentioned in Book 4.23.
Diodorus Siculus. Diodorus of Sicily in Twelve Volumes with an English Translation by C. H. Oldfather. Vol. 4-8. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1989.
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References (7 total)
- Cross-references to this page
(3):
- Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), HI´MERA
- Smith's Bio, Callicra'tidas
- Smith's Bio, Conon
- Cross-references in notes from this page
(1):
- Cicero, Against Verres, 2.2.86
- Cross-references in general dictionaries to this page
(3):
- LSJ, παραρρίπτω
- LSJ, προησσάω
- LSJ, προσοικ-ίζω
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