The Historical Library of Diodorus the Sicilian/Book XIV/Chapter XI

Chapter XI

 * The acts of Thrasybulus, the Athenian general. The Carthaginians, under Mago, begin a new war in Sicily against Dionysius. A peace concluded. Rhodes falls off from the Athenians. Evagoras becomes king of Salamis, in Cyprus. Makes war against the Persians. The acts of Thimbron, the Lacedæmonian general, in Asia.

WHEN the year was ended, Philocles was made lord-chancellor of Athens, and six military tribunes, Publius Sectus, Publius Cornelius Crassus , Cæsio Fabius, Lucius Furius, Quintus Servilius, and Marcus Valerius, executed the office of consuls at Rome. At this time was celebrated the ninety-seventh Olympiad, in which Terites was victor. And then the Athenians ordered forth their general, Thrasybulus, with forty sail of men of war, who hastened to Ionia, and there being furnished with money from the confederates, he weighed anchor from thence, and arrived at Chersonesus, where he staid awhile, and procured Medicus and Scuthes, princes of Thrace, to become confederates. Presently after, he passed over to Lesbos, and anchored with his fleet, near to Eresus: but, by a violent storm, three-and-twenty of his ships were then lost. However, with those that were left, he endeavoured to reduce the cities of Lesbos to their obedience, for all had made a defection, except Mitylene; and first he sets upon Methymna, and fought with the citizens led by Therimacus, a Spartan, whom he killed, with many of the Methymnians, his followers, and drove the rest within their walls; and, after he had made great spoil and havoc in the country, Eresus and Antissa were surrendered to him: then (being furnished with shipping from Chios and Mitylene) he sailed to Rhodes.

And now the Carthaginians having (after the slaughter at Syracuse) at length recovered their strength, resolved to renew their attempts for the bettering their affairs in Sicily; and, because they determined to try their fortune by a battle on land, they passed over with but a few long ships, but raised soldiers out of Africa, Sardinia, and from among the barbarians in Italy, and armed them all completely at their own charge; and with these they landed in Sicily, to the number of fourscore thousand, under their general Mago, who, marching through the territories of the Sicilians, caused many cities to desert and fall off from Dionysius, and at length encamped at the river Chrysa, in the country of the Agyrinenses, near the road leading to Morgantium: but, when he could not bring over the Agyrinnses to join with him, either by fair means or foul, he made a halt, and especially because he heard an army was upon their march against him from Syracuse. For Dionysius, having intelligence of the motion of the Carthaginians through the heart of the country, without delay got together what forces he could, both Syracusans and mercenaries, and marched against the enemy with no fewer than twenty thousand men. And, when he came near to the enemy's camp, he sent ambassadors to Agyrus, prince of the Agyrinenses, who at that time was the greatest and most powerful prince of Sicily, next to Dionysius: for he had almost all the castles and strong-holds lying round about under his power and government, and the city of the Agyrinenses, which he commanded, was at that time very populous, having in it no less than twenty thousand citizens; besides, it was sufficiently provided with all sorts of victuals, and a vast treasure was laid up in the castle, which Agyrus had hoarded up from the confiscations of the richest of the citizens whom he had put to death. Dionysius, therefore, entering with a few into the city, gained Agyrus to join with him, promising to bestow on him a large territory next adjoining to him if he succeeded in the war.

Agyrus then freely and liberally furnished Dionysius's army with bread, and all other provision, and afterwards drew out his whole forces, and joined him in the war against the Carthaginians.

But Mago, being in an enemy's country, (and every day more and more pinched by the want of every thing that was necessary), was very uneasy: for the Agyrinenses, being well acquainted with all the ways and passes, often surprised his men, and intercepted his provisions. The Syracusans were for fighting with all speed, but Dionysius would not yield to that, affirming, that time and want would ruin the Carthaginians without fighting. Upon this delay the Syracusans were so enraged, that they deserted his camp; whereupon he was in a great fright, and forthwith made free all the slaves. Yet afterwards, the Carthaginians sending ambassadors to treat upon terms of peace, he made peace with them, and forthwith restored the servants and slaves to their masters.

The conditions were like the former, but something fuller in this, that the Sicilians should be subject to Dionysius, and that he should have Taurominium.

When the articles were signed and confirmed, Mago left Sicily, and Dionysius, after his taking possession of Taurominium, banished thence most of the Sicilians, and place in their room the choicest of his mercenaries. Thus stood the affairs of Sicily at this time; and in Italy, the Romans took Falerium, a city of the Falisci, by storm.

After the end of the former, this year Nicoteles executed the office of chief magistrate at Athens, and three military tribunes, Marcus Furius, Caius Æmilius, and Catalus Berus, were vested with the consular dignity at Rome. At this time they of Rhodes that sides with the Lacedæmonians expelled all the citizens that favoured the Athenians; and, when they got together in arms to defend their interest, the Lacedæmonian confederates routed them with the slaughter of many, and proscribed all the rest that made their escape; and because they were afraid lest the citizens should be contriving upon some innovations, they sent for aid from Lacedæmon. Upon this, the Lacedæmonians setting out seven gallies, sent away Eudocimus, Philodicus, and Diphilas, to manage affairs there, who, arriving at Samos, caused the city to fall off from the Athenians; then, coming to Rhodes, they busied themselves in settling and composing matters there. And now the Lacedæmonians, seeing their affair to succeed and prosper, they resolved again to recover the dominion of the sea, and to that end prepared a fleet, and by degrees brought in more and more confederates to join with them; and, for the same purpose, they sailed to Samos, Rhodes, and Cnidus, and, getting together shipping from all parts, they listed from thence the best seamen they could get, and at length bravely equipped a fleet of twenty-seven gallies.

At that time, Agesilaus, king of Lacedæmon, hearing that the Argives lay encamped at the siege of Corinth, made an incursion into the territories of Argos with all the forces of Sparta except one regiment, and, having plundered and spoiled the people of their goods and cattle, and cutting down the trees all along through the country, he returned to Sparta.

In Cyprus, Evagoras of Salamis, a man of a noble family, (for he was descended from the founders of that city), who was then some time before expelled the city by a sedition, (but returned not long after), with a small number of men, his confederates, drove Abdemon the Tyrian, petit-prince of Salamis, (a friend and ally of the king of Persia), out of the city, the greatest and richest city of Cyprus, but in a short time after, growing rich, he raised an army, and purposed to bring the whole island under his dominion. To which end he gained some cities by force, and others he won by fair promises. But the Amathusians, Solians, and Citians, (resolving to stand it out), sent ambassadors to Artaxerxes for aid, and charged Evagoras with the killing of Agyrus, the Persian confederate, and promised to be assistant to the king in getting the island into his hands. The king therefore, both to clip the wings of Evagoras, that he might not grow too strong, and because he considered the commodious situation of the place for the supply and provisioning of shipping, whereby he might defend Asia, gave orders to send aid to the islanders.

Therefore, dismissing the ambassadors, he sent letters to all the sea-port towns and their governors, to build with all speed what ships they could, and to furnish them with tackle, and all things necessary for the use of the navy. He commanded, likewise, Hecatomnus, lord-lieutenant of Caria, to make war upon Evagoras, and he himself (going through the cities of the Upper Asia) sailed thence with a great army to Cyprus. And such were the affairs of Asia at this time.

In Italy, the Romans, after they had made peace with the Falisci, began the fourth war against the Equi; and took Sutrium by storm, but lost the town of Verrugo.

When this year was ended, Demostratus was chosen archon, or lord-chancellor of Athens, and Lucius Lucretius, and Servilius Cossus, were Roman consuls. At this time Artaxerxes declared Struthus his general, and sent him down with an army to the sea-coasts against the Lacedæmonians; and they, hearing of his march, sent Thimbron their general into Asia against him, who possessed himself of castle Jonda, and of the high and steep mountain Corossus, about forty stages distant from Ephesus. From thence he wasted and spoiled the king's provinces with eight thousand men that he had raised in Asia. But Struthus (who with a great body of horse, an five thousand heavy-armed men, and with above twenty-thousand light-armed, encamped near to the Lacedæmonians) at length, when Thrimbon was out with a party, and had loaded himself with plunder, and by surprise, fell upon him, and killed him, and took and killed many of his soldiers, and the rest (being but few) escaped to the castle Cnidinium.

At the same time, Thrasybulus the Athenian general, departing from Lesbos, arrived with his fleet at Aspendus, and anchored at the river Eurymedon, and, though he received contributions from them of Aspendus, yet some of his soldiers ravaged and plundered the country, which highly provoked the Aspendians, insomuch that in the night they set upon the Athenians, and killed many of them, together with Thrasybulus himself; which struck such a terror into the captains and officers of the fleet, that they forthwith returned to their ships, and sailed to Rhodes, where, finding that the city had deserted them, they joined with the exiles, who possessed themselves of a certain castle, and put themselves in array against the city. But as soon as the Athenians heard of the death of Thrasybulus, they dispatched Agyrius to be general in his room. Thus stood the affairs of Asia at that time.