Diodorus on the sack of Thebes
Diodorus of Sicily: Greek historian, author of the Library of World History. His activities can be dated between 60 and 30 BCE.
In October 336, king Philip of Macedonia was killed in the theater of Aegae by Pausanias, one of his bodyguards, and his son Alexander became king. Immediately, the Greek towns wanted to get rid of the Macedonian domination, but Alexander was able to prevent this in the winter. In 335, he campaigned in Thrace and Illyria.
Late in the summer, a false report about Alexander's death made the Thebans revolt against the Macedonian garrison that had after the #Battle of Chaeronea (338) been placed in the Cadmeia, the citadel of Thebes. Alexander marched to the south and stormed the lower city.
The Greek author Diodorus of Sicily, describes what happened in section 17.11.1-14.1 of his World history. The translation is by C. Bradford Welles.
The sack of Thebes |
||
|
[17.11.1] Now the king in the course of only three days made everything ready for the assault. He divided his forces into three parts and ordered one to attack the palisades which had been erected before the city, the second to face the Theban battle line, and the third as a reserve to support any hard pressed unit of his forces and to enter the battle in its turn. |
||
|
[17.11.2] For their part, the Thebans stationed the cavalry within the palisades, assigned their enfranchised slaves, along with refugees and resident aliens, to face those who drove at the walls, and themselves made ready to fight before the city with the Macedonian force [...], which was many times their number. |
||
|
[17.11.3] Their children and wives flocked to the temples and implored the gods to rescue the city from its dangers. When the Macedonians approached and each division encountered the opposing force of Thebans, the trumpets blew the call to arms and the troops on both sides raised the battle cry in unison and hurled their missiles at the enemy. |
||
|
[17.11.4] These were soon expended and all turned to the use of the sword at close quarters, and a mighty struggle ensued. [A description of the fight is included.] |
||