Textus Originalis
XXX ARGUMENTUM
Cap. 15. Dionysius relicta Herbitensium oppugnatione Catinam capit et Naxum. Etiam Leontini Syracusas migrare coacti sunt. 16. Halaesa nova urbs ab Archonide, Herbitensium principe, conditur. Romani bellum Veientibus inferunt; annuum stipendium militibus tum primum decretum. Ol. 94, 3 : 402 a. Chr. 17. In Graecia seditio inter cives Oropi orta a Thebanis sedatur. Lacedaemonii Eleis bellum inferunt eorumque agrum quamvis sacrum vastant. 18. In Sicilia Dionysius satis firmato imperio consilia agitabat de bello Carthaginiensibus inferendo. Quare Epipolas male munitas novo muro firmavit idque opus mira celeritate absolvit. Ol. 94, 4 : 401 a. Chr. 19. Cyrus maritimarum regionum satrapa aliam expeditionem simulans bellum in fratrem Artaxerxem instruit. Lacedaemonii Cyro naves et milites auxilio mittunt. Omnium copiarum numerus earumque duces. 20. Progressus usque ad Tarsum Cyrus cum Syennesi Ciliciae regulo init societatem; at is per filium clam missum Artaxerxem de bello certiorem facit. Divulgato per exercitum rumore de bello in regem suscepto tumultus fit, aegre sedatus. 21. Cyrus iter in Syriam continuat. Superatis pylis Syriae classem Ephesum remittit, ipse cum pedestri exercitu ad Babyloniae fines pervenit. 22. In Babyloniae campis Artaxerxes a Pharnabazo praemonitus obviam venit. Acies ab utraque parte instructa describitur.
Traduzione
English — scholarly
ARETHE Knowledge Engineering DivisionXXX ARGUMENT
Ch. 15. Dionysius, abandoning the siege of the Herbites, captures Catania and Naxos. The Leontines also were compelled to migrate to Syracuse. 16. Halaesa, a new city, is founded by Archonides, prince of the Herbites. The Romans make war on the Veientes; an annual stipend for soldiers was then decreed for the first time. Ol. 94, 3 : 402 BC 17. In Greece, a sedition arising among the citizens of Oropus is quelled by the Thebans. The Lacedaemonians make war on the Eleans and ravage their territory, although it was sacred. 18. In Sicily, Dionysius, having sufficiently strengthened his rule, began to form plans for making war on the Carthaginians. Wherefore he fortified the poorly defended Epipolae with a new wall and completed this work with remarkable speed. Ol. 94, 4 : 401 BC 19. Cyrus, satrap of the maritime regions, feigning another expedition, prepares war against his brother Artaxerxes. The Lacedaemonians send ships and soldiers to aid Cyrus. The number of all the forces and their commanders. 20. Advancing as far as Tarsus, Cyrus enters into alliance with Syennesis, prince of Cilicia; but the latter, through his son secretly sent, informs Artaxerxes of the war. When the rumor spread through the army that war was undertaken against the king, a tumult arises, which is with difficulty quelled. 21. Cyrus continues his march into Syria. Having passed the Syrian Gates, he sends the fleet back to Ephesus, and himself with the land army reaches the borders of Babylonia. 22. On the plains of Babylonia, Artaxerxes, forewarned by Pharnabazus, comes to meet him. The battle line drawn up on each side is described.
Commentario Arethe
Cyrus... bellum in fratrem Artaxerxem instruit... Graeci... reducti
The expedition of Cyrus the Younger and the March of the Ten Thousand (Anabasis, 401–399 BC), covered in XIV 19–31. While Xenophon's Anabasis is the canonical account (written by a participant), Diodorus' version — probably derived from Ephorus — offers an independent tradition with different details and numbers. The Ten Thousand's successful retreat through hostile territory became a template for Greek military self-confidence: if 10,000 Greeks could march through the heart of the Persian Empire, Greece itself was safe — or better, Persia was vulnerable. This lesson was not lost on Philip II and Alexander III of Macedon.
401–399 BC