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Book 7 - Chapter 2

1
<head lang="la">II. Res Siciliae</head><w lemma="%2A%28%2Foti">Ὅτι</w> <w lemma="meta%5C">μετὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29piboulh%5Cn">ἐπιβουλὴν</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="%2A%28ierwnu%2Fmou">Ἱερωνύμου</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="basile%2Fws">βασιλέως</w> <w lemma="%2Asurakosi%2Fwn">Συρακοσίων</w>, <w lemma="e%29kxwrh%2Fsantos">ἐκχωρήσαντος</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="%2Aqra%2Fswnos">Θράσωνος</w>, <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2Azw%2Fippon">Ζώιππον</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="%2A%29adrano%2Fdwron">Ἀδρανόδωρον</w> <w lemma="pei%2Fqousi">πείθουσι</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2A%28ierw%2Fnumon">Ἱερώνυμον</w> <w lemma="eu%29qe%2Fws">εὐθέως</w> <w lemma="presbeuta%5Cs">πρεσβευτὰς</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29anni%2Fban">Ἀννίβαν</w> <w lemma="pe%2Fmyai">πέμψαι</w>.
2
<w lemma="proxeirisa%2Fmenos">προχειρισάμενος</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="%2Apolu%2Fkleiton">Πολύκλειτον</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2Akurhnai%3Don">Κυρηναῖον</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Afilo%2Fdhmon">Φιλόδημον</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29argei%3Don">Ἀργεῖον</w>, <w lemma="tou%2Ftous">τούτους</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="%2A%29itali%2Fan">Ἰταλίαν</w> <w lemma="a%29pe%2Fsteile">ἀπέστειλε</w>, <w lemma="dou%5Cs">δοὺς</w> <w lemma="e%29ntola%5Cs">ἐντολὰς</w> <w lemma="lalei%3Dn">λαλεῖν</w> <w lemma="u%28pe%5Cr">ὑπὲρ</w> <w lemma="koinopragi%2Fas">κοινοπραγίας</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="%2Akarxhdoni%2Fois">Καρχηδονίοις</w>, <w lemma="a%28%2Fma">ἅμα</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="a%29delfou%5Cs">ἀδελφοὺς</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="%2A%29aleca%2Fndreian">Ἀλεξάνδρειαν</w> <w lemma="a%29pe%2Fpemyen">ἀπέπεμψεν</w>.
3
<w lemma="%2A%29anni%2Fbas">Ἀννίβας</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Apolu%2Fkleiton">Πολύκλειτον</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Afilo%2Fdhmon">Φιλόδημον</w> <w lemma="a%29podeca%2Fmenos">ἀποδεξάμενος</w> <w lemma="filanqrw%2Fpws">φιλανθρώπως</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="polla%5Cs">πολλὰς</w> <w lemma="e%29lpi%2Fdas">ἐλπίδας</w> <w lemma="u%28pogra%2Fyas">ὑπογράψας</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="meiraki%2Fw%7C">μειρακίῳ</w> [<w lemma="%2A%28ierwnu%2Fmw%7C">Ἱερωνύμῳ</w>], <w lemma="spoudh%3D%7C">σπουδῇ</w> <w lemma="pa%2Flin">πάλιν</w> <w lemma="a%29pe%2Fpemye">ἀπέπεμψε</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="pre%2Fsbeis">πρέσβεις</w>, <w lemma="su%5Cn">σὺν</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftois">τούτοις</w> <w lemma="%2A%29anni%2Fban">Ἀννίβαν</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2Akarxhdo%2Fnion">Καρχηδόνιον</w>, <w lemma="o%29%2Fnta">ὄντα</w> <w lemma="to%2Fte">τότε</w> <w lemma="trih%2Frarxon">τριήραρχον</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="%2Asurakosi%2Fous">Συρακοσίους</w> <w lemma="%2A%28ippokra%2Fthn">Ἱπποκράτην</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="a%29delfo%5Cn">ἀδελφὸν</w> <w lemma="au%29tou%3D">αὐτοῦ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="new%2Fteron">νεώτερον</w> <w lemma="%2A%29epiku%2Fdhn">Ἐπικύδην</w>.
4
<w lemma="sune%2Fbaine">συνέβαινε</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftous">τούτους</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fndras">ἄνδρας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="plei%2Fw">πλείω</w> <w lemma="xro%2Fnon">χρόνον</w> <w lemma="h%29%2Fdh">ἤδη</w> <w lemma="strateu%2Fesqai">στρατεύεσθαι</w> <w lemma="met%27">μετ᾽</w> <w lemma="%2A%29anni%2Fbou">Ἀννίβου</w>, <w lemma="politeuome%2Fnous">πολιτευομένους</w> <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="%2Akarxhdoni%2Fois">Καρχηδονίοις</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="feu%2Fgein">φεύγειν</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3Dn">αὐτῶν</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fppon">πάππον</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="%2Asurakousw%3Dn">Συρακουσῶν</w> <w lemma="do%2Fcanta">δόξαντα</w> <w lemma="prosenhnoxe%2Fnai">προσενηνοχέναι</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="xei%3Dras">χεῖρας</w> <w lemma="e%28ni%5C">ἑνὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29agaqokle%2Fous">Ἀγαθοκλέους</w> <w lemma="ui%28w%3Dn">υἱῶν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29agaqa%2Frxw%7C">Ἀγαθάρχῳ</w>.
5
<w lemma="paragenome%2Fnwn">παραγενομένων</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftwn">τούτων</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="%2Asurakou%2Fsas">Συρακούσας</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Apolu%2Fkleiton">Πολύκλειτον</w> <w lemma="a%29popresbeusa%2Fntwn">ἀποπρεσβευσάντων</w>, <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="%2Akarxhdoni%2Fou">Καρχηδονίου</w> <w lemma="dialexqe%2Fntos">διαλεχθέντος</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="u%28p%27">ὑπ᾽</w> <w lemma="%2A%29anni%2Fbou">Ἀννίβου</w> <w lemma="dedome%2Fnas">δεδομένας</w> <w lemma="e%29ntola%2Fs">ἐντολάς</w>, <w lemma="eu%29qe%2Fws">εὐθέως</w> <w lemma="e%28%2Ftoimos">ἕτοιμος</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w> <w lemma="koinwnei%3Dn">κοινωνεῖν</w> <w lemma="%2Akarxhdoni%2Fois">Καρχηδονίοις</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="pragma%2Ftwn:">πραγμάτων·</w>
6
<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%2Fn">τόν</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="paragegono%2Fta">παραγεγονότα</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="au%28to%5Cn">αὑτὸν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29anni%2Fban">Ἀννίβαν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Ffh">ἔφη</w> <w lemma="dei%3Dn">δεῖν</w> <w lemma="poreu%2Fesqai">πορεύεσθαι</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="ta%2Fxos">τάχος</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2Akarxhdo%2Fna">Καρχηδόνα</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="par%27">παρ᾽</w> <w lemma="au%28tou%3D">αὑτοῦ</w> <w lemma="sumpe%2Fmpein">συμπέμπειν</w> <w lemma="e%29phggei%2Flato">ἐπηγγείλατο</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="dialexqhsome%2Fnous">διαλεχθησομένους</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="%2Akarxhdoni%2Fois">Καρχηδονίοις</w>.
<head>II. Affairs of Sicily</head><head>Hieronymus of Syracuse</head>After the plot against King Hieronymus of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Syracuse&groupId=994&placeId=1753">Syracuse</a>, Thraso having withdrawn, Zoïppus and Adranodorus persuaded Hieronymus to send an embassy at once to Hannibal.
Appointing Polycleitus of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Cyrene&groupId=521&placeId=985">Cyrene</a> and Philodemus of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Argos&groupId=361&placeId=689">Argos</a> he dispatched them to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Italy&groupId=656&placeId=1199">Italy</a> with orders to discuss a joint plan of action with the Carthaginians. At the same time he sent his brothers to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Alexandria&groupId=1063&placeId=1868">Alexandria</a>.
Hannibal gave a courteous reception to Polycleitus and Philodemus, held out many hopes to the youthful king, and sent the ambassadors back without delay accompanied by the Carthaginian Hannibal, who was then commander of the triremes, and the Syracusans, Hippocrates and his brother the younger Epicydes.
These two brothers had been serving for some time under Hannibal, having adopted <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Carthage&groupId=441&placeId=820">Carthage</a> as their country, since their grandfather had been exiled because he was thought to have assassinated Agatharchus, one of the sons of Agathocles.
On their arrival at <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Syracuse&groupId=994&placeId=1753">Syracuse</a> Polycletus and his colleague having presented their report, and the Carthaginian having spoken as Hannibal had directed, the king at once showed a disposition to side with the Carthaginians.
He said that this Hannibal who had come to him must proceed at once to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Carthage&groupId=441&placeId=820">Carthage</a>, and he promised to send envoys himself to discuss matters with the Carthaginians.

Walbank Commentary

Overview
7.1.0 - 7.5.0
<p rend="Plain Text">The defection of Hieronymus of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Syracuse&groupId=994&placeId=1753">Syracuse</a></p> <p rend="Plain Text">The scope of this section can be seen from Livy, xxiv. 4. 1–7. 9, from P. (Klotz, Livius, 113, 159), which covers in a single narrative the events of 215/14 down to Hieronymus' death. This arrangement probably derives from P., who will have included only one set of res Siciliae in vii (see above, p. 2). Livy, xxiv. 4–5, describes events from a little before Hiero's death to the removal of Thraso (cf. 2. 2 n.); his account is much compressed, but there is no need to assume contamination with a non-Polybian source (so Jacoby, on FGH 268 F 4; below, 7. 1 n.).</p>
Specifics
7.2.1 - 7.2.1
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν τὴν κατὰ Ἱερωνύμου</w>:</emph> cf. Livy, xxiv. 5. 9 ff. Hieronymus was the son of Gelo, who predeceased his father Hiero II in the second half of 216 (Livy, xxiii. 30. 10–12); his mother was Nereis of Epirus (4. 5), and on his accession in 215 he was only 15 (Livy, xxiv. 4. 6). His growing arrogance and tyrannical conduct provoked a conspiracy against his life. This was revealed by one Callo, who denounced Theodotus, one of its members (Livy, xxiv. 5. 9 ff.); and he, under torture, falsely alleged that the man behind the plot was Thraso, Hieronymus' only counsellor to favour the Roman alliance, and also named others of the tyrant's following, in order to preserve his fellow-conspirators (Livy, xxiv. 5. 10–14; Val. Max. iii. 3 ext. 5). For a different account of Thraso's character and end see below, 7. 1 n. </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ἐκχωρήσαντος τοῦ Θράσωνος</w>:</emph> Livy, xxiv. 6. 1, Thrasone sublato e medio; for this sense of <w lang="el-GR">ἐκχωρεῖν</w> cf. ii. 21. 2, xxii. 18. 10. Paton wrongly translates 'Thraso having withdrawn'. </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">Ζώιππον καὶ Ἀδρανόδωρον</w>:</emph> Hiero's sons-in-law (Livy, xxiv. 5. 7, 25. 11, 26. 1), and chief of the fifteen guardians whom he appointed for Hieronymus (Livy, xxiv. 4. 3, 5). By cancelling the guardianship Adranodorus had diverted power into his own hands (Livy, xxiv. 4. 9) <milestone unit="page" n="31">[31]</milestone> and he maintained it by means of the mercenaries. Soon only he, Thraso and Zoippus had access to the king. </p>
7.2.2 - 7.2.2
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">Πολύκλειτον . . . καὶ Φιλόδημον</w>:</emph> both later defend <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Syracuse&groupId=994&placeId=1753">Syracuse</a> against the Romans; see Livy, xxv. 28. 5, for Polycleitus' murder, and Livy, xxv. 25. 3 f., for Philodemus' command at Euryalus. </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς εἰς Ἀλεξάνδρειαν</w>:</emph> their names and number are unknown; since Hieronymus succeeded to the throne, they were either younger than he or illegitimate. Zoippus, the husband of Hiero's daughter Heracleia, was in charge of the mission to Ptolemy (Livy, xxiv. 26. 1). Its aim was probably to secure the support of Ptolemy IV for the anti-Roman policy (De Sanctis, iii. 2. 268), and Lenschau (RE, 'Hieronymus (8)', col. 1538) even suggests a plan for a triple alliance of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Carthage&groupId=441&placeId=820">Carthage</a>, <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Egypt&groupId=556&placeId=368">Egypt</a>, and <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Syracuse&groupId=994&placeId=1753">Syracuse</a>, recalling the friendly relations long existing between the Ptolemies and the house of Hiero. But Holleaux (<a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a>, 74 n. 2) emphasizes Zoippus' uoluntarium exilium (Livy, xxiv. 26. 1, cf. 26. 4, 26. 6) and suggests that both Zoippus and the princes were really sent to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Egypt&groupId=556&placeId=368">Egypt</a> under cover of an embassy so as to remove them from the scene (cf. Niese, ii. 515 n. 4). </p>
7.2.3 - 7.2.3
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">Ἀννίβαν . . . Ἱπποκράτην . . . Ἐπικύδην</w>:</emph> cf. Livy, xxiv. 6. 2. There is no reason to identify this Hannibal with 'the Gladiator' of ix. 24. 5 (so Lenschau, RE, 'Hannibal (9)', col. 2351). Livy (loc. cit.) calls Hippocrates and Epicydes Poeni ipsi materno genere; but this may be a deduction from what P. says in § 4, not a fact drawn from an independent source (Klotz, Livius, 113). </p>
7.2.4 - 7.2.4
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">πολιτευομένους παρὰ Καρχηδονίοις</w>:</emph> 'having adopted <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Carthage&groupId=441&placeId=820">Carthage</a> as their country' (Paton). For a discussion of this phrase, which suggests close association with <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Carthage&groupId=441&placeId=820">Carthage</a>, but not necessarily adoption of Carthaginian citizenship, see Larsen, Symb. Osl. 1957, 7. </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ἑνὶ τῶν Ἀγαθοκλέους υἱῶν Ἀγαθάρχῳ</w>?:</emph> Agothocles' eldest son is usually called Archagathus, and this variant may be due to confusion with the Agatharchus of 4. 1 (though some MSS. of Diodorus have Agatharchus). He was the son of Agathocles' first wife, the widow of the Syracusan Damas (Diod. xix. 3. 2), and born probably between 335 and 330 (Beloch, iv. 2. 254). He and his younger brother Heracleidas accompanied Agathocles on his African expedition in 310, and on his return to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Sicily&groupId=973&placeId=1724">Sicily</a> in 307 Archagathus was left in charge of the Syracusan army against <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Carthage&groupId=441&placeId=820">Carthage</a>. He was blockaded in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Tunis&groupId=1051&placeId=1849">Tunis</a> and a relief expedition by Agathocles was heavily defeated; the tyrant was forced to take steps and flee and both sons were murdered by the mutinous troops (307): Diod. xx. 64–9, Iustin. xxii. 8, with some discrepancies. Iustinus (xxii. 8. 14) says he was murdered 'ab Arcesilao, amico antea patris', who had sons; this man could have been the grandfather of Hippocrates and Epicydes. This son of Agathocles is not to be confused with another one, also called Archagathus or Agathocles who was left in charge of Ligurian and <milestone unit="page" n="32">[32]</milestone> Etruscan troops among the Bruttii between 299 and 297 (Diod. xxi. 3. 1–2); he is either an homonymous son of Archagathus or (so Beloch, iv. 2. 254–5) a younger son of Agathocles whose real name was Agatharchus. A recently published inscription (cf. Fraser, Bull. Alexandr. 41, 1956, 49–55) is a dedication to Sarapis and Isis by Archagathus son of Agathocles, the Ptolemaic <w lang="el-GR">ἐπιστάτης</w> of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Libya&groupId=686&placeId=427">Libya</a> about 283– 279/8; the coincidence of names is striking but there is no evidence for any connexion between this man and the family of the Syracusan tyrant. The Agatharchus mentioned here is probably the Archagathus who perished in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Africa&groupId=300&placeId=294">Africa</a> in 307. </p>

Commentary