historian
who flourished between 60 and 30 BC. According to Diodorus' own work, he was born at Agyrium
in Sicily
(now called Agira). With one exception, antiquity
affords no further information about Diodorus' life and doings beyond what is to be found in his own work, Bibliotheca historica
. Only Jerome
, in his Chronicon
under the "year of Abraham
1968" (i.e., 49 BC), writes, "Diodorus of Sicily, a writer of Greek history, became illustrious".
Every seat in the theater was taken when Philip appeared wearing a white cloak and by his express orders his bodyguard held away from him and followed only at a distance, since he wanted to show publicly that he was protected by the goodwill of all the Greeks, and had no need of a guard of spearmen.
Such was the end of Philip (II, king of Macedonia) ...He had ruled 24 years. He is known to fame as one who with but the slenderest resources to support his claim to a throne won for himself the greatest empire among the Hellenes (Greeks), while the growth of his position was not due so much to his prowess in arms as to his adroitness and cordiality in diplomacy.
After this Alexander left Dareius's mother, his daughters, and his son in Susa, providing them with persons to teach them the Greek language, and marching on with his army on the fourth day reached the Tigris River.
Alexander observed that his soldiers were exhausted with their constant campaigns. ... The hooves of the horses had been worn thin by steady marching. The arms and armour were wearing out, and the Greek clothing was quite gone. They had to clothe themselves in materials of the barbarians,...