Diodorus Siculus, Library

Contents of the Sixteenth Book of Diodorus

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XXXIV. While these things were going on, Artabazus, who had revolted from the Persian King, continued the war against the satraps who had been dispatched by the King to take part in the war against him. At first when Chares the Athenian general was fighting with him, Artabazus resisted the satraps courageously, but when Chares¹ had gone and he was left alone he induced the Thebans to send him an auxiliary force. Choosing Pammenes² as general and giving him five thousand soldiers, they dispatched him to Asia. [2] Pammenes, by the support he gave to Artabazus and by defeating the satraps in two great battles, won great glory for himself and the Boeotians. Now it seemed an amazing thing that the Boeotians, after the Thessalians had left them in the lurch, and when the war with the Phocians was threatening them with serious dangers, should be sending armies across the sea into Asia and for the most part proving successful in the battles.

[3] While these things were going on, war broke out between the Argives and the Lacedaemonians, and in a battle that took place near the city of Orneae³ the Lacedaemonians won, and after they had taken Orneae by siege, returned to Sparta. Chares the Athenian general sailed to the Hellespont, captured Sestus, slew its adult inhabitants, and enslaved the rest. [4] And when Cersobleptes,⁴ son of Cotys, because of his hostility to Philip and his alliance of friendship with the Athenians, had turned over to the Athenians the cities on the Chersonese except Cardia, the assembly sent out colonists⁵ to these cities. Philip, perceiving that the people of Methone were permitting their city to become a base of operations for his enemies, began a siege. [5] And although for a time the people of Methone held out, later, being overpowered, they were compelled to hand the city over to the king on the terms that the citizens should leave Methone with a single garment each. Philip then razed the city and distributed its territory among the Macedonians.⁶ In this siege it so happened that Philip was struck in the eye by an arrow and lost the sight of that eye.

¹ See chap. 22.1-2.

² For this campaign see Beloch, Griechische Geschichte (2), 3.1.250-251; Pickard-Cambridge, Cambridge Ancient History, 6.217-218; Glotz, Hist. gr. 3.268.

³ A city in Argolis. See chap. 39.4 for repetition of this event with greater detail of narrative. (Cp. Beloch, Griechische Geschichte (2), 3.2.272).

⁴ So spelled by Diodorus. Properly Kersebleptês (cp. Hoeck, Hermes, 26.100, note 3). King of Thrace, 360-341.

⁵ Cleruchs or holders of allotments of land. See IG, 2.795.

⁶ See Justin 7.6.13-16; Dem. 4.35; and chap. 31.6; also IG, 2(2). 1.130.

This text is based on the following book(s):
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.
OCLC: 24758311
ISBN: 0674994132, 0674994221, 0674994396, 0674994280, 0674994647

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