Citation with stable link: Philip A. Harland, 'Thracians: Diodoros on the cruelty and lawlessness of the kings Diegylis and Zibelmios (mid-first century BCE),' Ethnic Relations and Migration in the Ancient World, last modified March 25, 2024, https://philipharland.com/Blog/?p=18685.
Ancient authors: Diodoros, Library of History 33.14 and 34/35.12, from the excerpts for Constantine Porphyrogennetos (link).
Comments: While Diodoros (or his sources) apparently viewed the Thracian kings Dromichaites and Kotys positively, presenting them as wise and noble barbarians, the portraits of the later king Diegylis (probably 140s BCE) and his son, Zibelmios, below are quite the opposite. Diegylis and his son are portrayed engaging in the most cruel and violent actions, including dismembering enemies and torturing his own people. The portrait of Thracians themselves is, indirectly, mixed. On the one hand, the narrative pictures them participating as spectators for some of the cruelty; on the other hand, there is the suggestion that those who witnessed his actions felt pity for the victims and, of course, Thracians themselves are characterized as victims as well. The tale of Zibelmios includes this king supposedly chopping children and feeding the pieces to their own family-members, and reference is made to mythical Thyestan feast. The focus, of course, is on portraying the worst possible scenario of uncivilized behaviour.
‗‗‗‗‗‗‗
[For Diodoros’ preceding discussion of the Viriathus and the Lusitanians, go to this link]
[Diegylis]
(33.14) After Diegylis came to the throne as king of Thrace [ca. 140s BCE], he was so puffed up with his prosperity, that he began to rule over his people not as his subjects and friends, but as so many slaves and captives, domineering over then. He put many good and honest Thracians to death by torture, and abused many others with the most extreme cruelty. He spared neither woman nor boy that was handsome and beautiful, and did not hesitate from stripping men of all their possessions by force. The result was that he filled all his territories with lawlessness.
Diegylis also plundered and spoiled the neighbouring Greek cities, and abused some of the captives and put others to death with terrible torments. After he had captured the city of Lysimacheia, which belonged to Attalos [II Philadelphos, king of Pergamon, ca. 159-138 BCE], he burned it to the ground, and picked out the most eminent persons from amongst the captives, and put them to death with strange and unheard of tortures: he cut off the heads, hands, and feet of the children, and hung them around their parent’s necks, and exchanged the members of men and women one with another. Of some he cut off their hands, and split them down the small of the back and sometimes would cause the sliced limbs to be carried about on the tips of spears, so that in his cruelty he far exceeded Phalaris and Apollodoros the tyrant of Kassandreia.
His barbarity is made even more evident by the following instance. When he was celebrating his wedding, in the traditional manner of the Thracians, he seized two young Greek men who were travelling from the kingdom of Attalos. They were brothers, both very handsome. The one had already reached manhood, and the other was nearly a man. Diegylis caused them both to be introduced crowned with garlands, after the manner of sacrificial victims. When the younger one was laid out and extended lengthways by the officer, as one ready to be split down the middle, the tyrant cried out, that kings and common people should not to offer the same sacrifices. At that point, the older brother, offering loud lamentation, out of dear love for his brother, interposed himself between him and the sword. Then Diegylis commanded that he should be laid out in the same way, and then doubling his cruelty, at one stroke he despatched them both, while the spectators all applauded such an achievement. He committed many other lawless acts of a similar sort.
When Attalos [II] understood that Diegylis was hated by all his subjects for his cruelty and greed, he took a quite contrary course. Therefore, after Attalos had taken many Thracian prisoners captive, and freely released them all, there were many that spread abroad his fame for his generosity and forgiveness. When many of the Thracian nobility, out of hatred towards Diegylis, fled to him, they were kindly received. But Diegylis, when he heard of this, tortured the hostages left by those who had fled with the most grievous torments. Many of these, that were very young and of tender age, he pulled into pieces, limb from limb, and of others he cut off their hands, feet, and heads. He crucified some, and others he hung upon trees. Many women likewise were spread-eagled before they were put to death, and prostituted to the lust of every evil man, as in a most barbarous manner he gave up himself to all manner of depravity. Just as this clearly evidenced his unparalleled cruelty, so it moved many spectators, who had but the least sense of humanity, with pity and commiseration.
[For Diodoros’ subsequent discussion of Judeans, go to this link]
‗‗‗‗‗‗‗
[For Diodoros’ preceding discussion of Syrian diasporas on Sicily with respect to the slave rebellion, go to this link]
[Zibelmios]
(34/35.12) Zibelmios the son of Diegylis followed his father’s steps in cruelty. Enraged at what the Thracians had done to Diegylis, he proceeded to such a degree of implacable severity and height of wickedness, that he put to death all that had displeased him, with their whole families. For the most slight and frivolous reasons, he cut some in pieces limb from limb, crucified others, and sawed several in half. He also killed little children before their parent’s faces, and infants at their mother’s breasts. After cutting children in pieces, he dished up their members as curiosities for their kindred to feast upon, reviving as it were those ancient banquets of Tereus and Thyestes. Finally, the Thracians seized him, but it was hardly possible to punish him according to what he deserved. For how could one body suffer the punishment justly due for the cruelties and injuries committed against a whole people? However, to the utmost of their power they repaid him with all the insults, and extremity of torture upon his body, that they could invent.
[For Diodoros’ subsequent discussion of Phrygians and Battakes, go to this link]
‗‗‗‗‗‗‗
Source of translation: Andrew Smith of Attalus.org, public domain, adapted.