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He was greatly encouraged in this undertaking by a dream which gave intimation of great increase of power and glory. In his sleep, namely, it seemed that he was remodelling with his own hands the bronze statue1 which the Amphictyons had dedicated in the temple of Apollo, making it much taller and larger. He accordingly assumed that a sign was being given to him from the gods that there would be an increase of glory because of his services as general. But the truth turned out to be otherwise, rather the contrary was indicated because of the fact that the Amphictyons had dedicated the statue out of the fines paid by the Phocians who had acted lawlessly toward the shrine and had been fined for so doing. What was indicated was that the fine of the Phocians would take on an increase at the hands of Onomarchus; and such turned out to be the case. [2] Onomarchus, when he had been chosen general in supreme command, prepared a great supply of weapons from the bronze and iron, and having struck coinage from the silver and gold distributed it among the allied cities and chiefly gave it as bribes to the leaders of those cities. Indeed he succeeded in corrupting many of the enemy too, some of whom he persuaded to fight on his side, and others he required to maintain the peace. [3] He easily accomplished everything because of man's greed. In fact he persuaded even the Thessalians, who were held in highest esteem amongst the allies, by bribes to maintain the peace. In his dealings with the Phocians also he arrested and executed those who opposed him and confiscated their property. After invading the territory of the enemy2 he took Thronion3 by storm and reduced its inhabitants to slavery, and having intimidated the Amphissans4 by threats he forced them to submit. [4] He sacked the cities of the Dorians5 and ravaged their territory. He invaded Boeotia, captured Orchomenus, then, having attempted to reduce Chaeroneia by siege and being defeated by the Thebans, he returned to his own territory.

1 No mention of a "colossus" has been found. Pausanias (Paus. 10.15.1) mentions a statue of Apollo dedicated by the Amphictyons from the fines levied upon the Phocians.

2 The Locrians.

3 In Epicnemidian Locris. Alponus, Thronion, and Nicaea were posts controlling the roads to Thermopylae held by Phocians (cp. Aeschin. 2.132; Dem. 19.83).

4 In Ozolian Locris. Cp. Plut. Mulierum Virtutes 249e-f.

5 See Strabo 9.4.11.

Diodorus Siculus. Diodorus of Sicily in Twelve Volumes with an English Translation by C. H. Oldfather. Vol. 4-8. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1989.

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  • Cross-references to this page (4):
  • Cross-references in notes to this page (1):
  • Cross-references in notes from this page (5):
    • Aeschines, On the Embassy, 132
    • Demosthenes, On the False Embassy, 83
    • Pausanias, Description of Greece, 10.15.1
    • Strabo, Geography, 9.4.11
    • Plutarch, Mulierum virtutes, 249e
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