Diodorus Siculus, Book XX, Pages 255-333 Collection

Version: 18 (current) | Updated: 12/3/2025, 2:38:04 AM

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Description

Diodorus Siculus Book XX Excerpts (Pages 255‑333) Collection

Overview

This is a curated set of textual excerpts from Book XX of Diodorus Siculus’ Bibliotheca Historica, covering the page range 255‑333. The material is presented in the original Greek and is part of the Alexander Institute’s PINAX digital repository. The collection is not a complete copy of the book but a selection that focuses on events in the western Mediterranean during the late 4th century BCE.

Background

Diodorus of Sicily (c. 350‑c. 275 BCE) compiled a universal history that drew on earlier sources now lost. Book XX deals with the political and military upheavals of the Hellenistic world, particularly the campaigns of Agathocles of Syracuse and the conflicts surrounding Carthage. The Alexander Institute acquired the manuscript fragments in the early 21st century; their provenance is recorded in the PINAX catalog, though copyright status remains unknown.

Contents

The collection contains 79 pages of Greek text, organized by thematic sections. Key subjects include:
  • Military campaigns: Agathocles’ expedition in Libya, the siege of Carthage, naval battles near Salamis and Cyprus involving Demetrius and Ptolemy.
  • Political dynamics: Tyrannies in Carthage, the rise of the Ptolemaic dynasty, and the shifting alliances among Hellenistic monarchs.
  • Cultural descriptions: Accounts of local customs, the use of wine in political rhetoric, and the role of entertainment in civic life.
  • Geographical references: Detailed mentions of Libya, Carthage, Cyprus, Athens, Sicily, and surrounding islands.

A companion JSON file (File 2) encodes the same material as a network of entities and relationships, providing structured metadata for computational analysis.

Scope

The collection focuses on the period around 307 BCE, the height of the Hellenistic age, and covers the Mediterranean basin from the African coast to the Greek mainland. It includes political, military, and cultural narratives but excludes the broader cosmographical and mythological sections of Book XX. The material is valuable for scholars studying late Classical history, the rise of Carthaginian power, and the historiographical methods of Diodorus.

Entities

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Entity Relationships

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Raw Cheimarros Data

@file_pinax -> documents -> @book_xx:document {description: "Collection of excerpts from Book XX covering pages 255‑333"}

@pages_255_333:concept {range: "255-333"}

@book_xx:document -> covers -> @pages_255_333:concept

@file_pinax -> subjects -> [@agathocles, @demetrius, @ptolemy, @carthage, @libya, @cyprus, @athens, @syracuse, @sicily]

@agathocles_campaign_libya:event -> related to -> @agathocles_libya_campaign:event

@demetrius -> participated in -> @naval_battle_demetrius_ptolemy

@ptolemy -> participated in -> @naval_battle_demetrius_ptolemy

@demetrius -> participated in -> @naval_battle_near_salamis

@ptolemy -> participated in -> @naval_battle_near_salamis

@demetrius -> participated in -> @naval_battle_salamis

@ptolemy -> participated in -> @naval_battle_salamis

@demetrius -> assumed -> @diadem

@ptolemy -> assumed -> @diadem

@agathocles -> assumed -> @diadem

@antigonus -> assumed -> @diadem

@seleucus -> assumed -> @diadem

@lysimachus -> assumed -> @diadem

@cassander -> assumed -> @diadem

@carthaginians -> defended -> @siege_of_carthage:event

@carthaginians -> panicked at -> @ophellas_march:event

@carthaginians -> overthrew -> @bormilcar_tyranny:event

@carthaginians -> executed -> @bormilcar

@agathocles -> led -> @agathocles_libya_campaign:event

@agathocles -> performed -> @agathocles_sacrifice:event

@agathocles -> gave -> @agathocles_entertainments:event

@agathocles -> used -> @policy_goodwill:concept

@agathocles -> used -> @wine_truth_discovery:concept

@agathocles -> mocked -> @assembly:place {context: @agathocles_mocking:event}

@agathocles -> entered -> @assembly:place {with: @bodyguard_crowd, when: @date_307_BCE, context: @agathocles_mocking:event}

@agathocles -> compared to -> @dionysius:person {context: @agathocles_mocking:event}

@agathocles -> fled -> @gela:place {when: @date_307_BCE, context: @agathocles_flee_to_gela:event}

@agathocles -> invited -> @libyans:organization {to: "banquet", when: @date_307_BCE}

@agathocles -> slaughtered -> @libyans:organization {when: @date_307_BCE, context: @agathocles_libya_campaign:event}

@agathocles -> slaughtered -> @mercenaries:organization {when: @date_307_BCE, context: @agathocles_libya_campaign:event}

@agathocles -> sailed -> @syracuse:place {when: @date_307_BCE, after: @agathocles_libya_campaign:event}

@agathocles -> arrived -> @libya:place {when: @date_307_BCE, after: @agathocles_libya_campaign:event}

@agathocles -> found -> @army:organization {status: "discouraged", location: @libya:place}

@agathocles -> decided -> @campaign_decision:concept

@agathocles -> held out -> @agathocles_battle_barbarians:event

@agathocles -> withdrew -> @agathocles_withdrawal:event

@agathocles -> paid -> @carthaginians {amount: "300 talents", when: @date_307_BCE, context: "peace terms"}

@carthaginians -> received -> @agathocles {payment: "300 talents", when: @date_307_BCE}

@libyans -> deserted -> @agathocles {reason: "after defeat"}

@archagathus -> commanded -> @siege_of_carthage:event

@archagathus -> ordered -> @archagathus:person {action: "sent three armies from Carthage"} {when: @date_307_BCE}

@archagathus -> sent -> @army_coast:entity {size: "30,000 soldiers", destination: @carthage_coast:place}

@archagathus -> sent -> @army_midland:entity {size: "30,000 soldiers", destination: @carthage_midland:place}

@archagathus -> sent -> @army_interior:entity {size: "30,000 soldiers", destination: @carthage_interior:place}

@archagathus -> reported -> @siege_of_carthage:event {outcome: "relief of siege, food scarcity alleviated"}

@archagathus -> suffered -> @battle_eumachus:event {outcome: "defeat"}

@archagathus -> returned -> @tunis:place {after: @siege_of_carthage:event}

@archagathus -> sent -> @messenger:entity {destination: @sicily, content: "report to father"} {when: @date_307_BCE}

@archagathus -> plotted_against -> @agathocles {description: "suspected conspiracy"}

@heracleides -> escorted -> @agathocles {description: "accompanied Agathocles on secret departure"}

@ophellas -> murdered_by -> @agathocles

@night_fire_incident -> caused by -> @wind:concept

@night_fire_incident -> burned -> @sacred_hut:place

@night_fire_incident -> burned -> @altar:place

@agathocles_expedition_libya:event -> participants -> [@agathocles, @libyans, @carthaginians]

@agathocles_expedition_libya:event -> same as -> @agathocles_libya_campaign:event

@agathocles_capture:event -> result -> "bound with chains"

@agathocles_execution:event -> result -> "death by soldiers"

@agathocles_torture_of_citizens:event -> methods -> ["wheel", "catapult", "iron pincers", "breast cutting", "foetus expulsion"]

Metadata

Version History (10 versions)

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Additional Components

reorganization-description.txt
# Reorganization Summary

The files have been grouped into sequential sets of five pages each, maintaining the continuous narrative flow of Diodorus Siculus' Book XX. Each group covers a distinct segment of the historical account, focusing on either Agathocles' campaigns in Libya and Sicily or Demetrius' military actions in Greece and Cyprus. This organization preserves the chronological and thematic coherence of the original text.

## Groups Created

- **Diodorus_Siculus_Book_XX_Pages_255-263**: These pages contain continuous narrative from Diodorus Siculus' Book XX, covering events in Libya and Sicily involving Agathocles and Carthage.
- **Diodorus_Siculus_Book_XX_Pages_265-273**: These pages continue the narrative from Book XX, focusing on Demetrius' campaigns in Cyprus and the naval battles against Ptolemy.
- **Diodorus_Siculus_Book_XX_Pages_275-283**: These pages contain the continuation of Demetrius' naval campaigns and the political developments in Greece.
- **Diodorus_Siculus_Book_XX_Pages_285-293**: These pages focus on Agathocles' campaigns in Libya and Sicily, including his brutal tactics and political maneuvers.
- **Diodorus_Siculus_Book_XX_Pages_295-303**: These pages continue Agathocles' Libyan campaign, including battles against Carthage and descriptions of Libyan tribes.
- **Diodorus_Siculus_Book_XX_Pages_305-313**: These pages cover the military campaigns in Libya, including Agathocles' strategies and the Carthaginian response.
- **Diodorus_Siculus_Book_XX_Pages_315-323**: These pages focus on Agathocles' political maneuvers, his return to Sicily, and the brutal treatment of Segesta.
- **Diodorus_Siculus_Book_XX_Pages_325-333**: These pages conclude the narrative of Agathocles' Libyan campaign and his brutal actions in Sicily.

Parent

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