in his attempts, both out of respect for Dionysius and because of his
own advanced age; but Speusippus and his other companions joined Dion,
and encouraged him to set free Sicily, which they said was stretching
out its hands to him for help and would eagerly welcome him. It seems,
indeed, that when Plato was at Syracuse, Speusippus and his friends, who
mixed more with the people, discovered their real feelings. At first
they were afraid to speak plainly, fearing that the despot was
experimenting upon them, but at length they took courage. All told the
same story, begging and encouraging Dion to come, not with ships of war
and horse and foot soldiers, but to embark in an open boat, and lend
merely his person and his name to the Sicilians in their struggle
against Dionysius. Encouraged by these reports, which he received from
Speusippus and his friends, Dion secretly levied a force of mercenaries,
but not in his own name, and without disclosing his intention. Many
statesmen and philosophers assisted him, among the later Eudemus of
Cyprus, in whose honour, after his death, Aristotle composed his
dialogue upon the soul, and Timonides of Leukas. They brought over to
him also Miltas of Thessaly, a soothsayer and former student of the
Academy. Yet, of all those men who had been banished by the despot, who
were not less than a thousand in number, five-and-twenty alone took part
in the expedition, and all the rest shrank from doing so. Their
starting-point was the island of Zakynthus, where was assembled a force
numbering less than eight hundred soldiers, all of whom, however, were
men of distinction who had served in many great campaigns, and were in
admirable bodily condition, and such bold and skilful warriors as would
be able to excite and inspire with courage the multitude which Dion
hoped would rally round him in Sicily.
XXIII. These men, when they heard that the expedition was directed
against Sicily and Dionysius, were at first scared and refused to go,
declaring that only the frenzy excited by some personal quarrel, or the
failure of all reasonable hopes of success, could have led Dion to
embark upon such a desperate enterprise, and they were incensed with
their own officers and those who had enlisted them for not having at the
outset informed them of the object of the war. When, however, Dion
addressed them, pointing out the rottenness of the monarchy, and
informing them that he was taking them, not so much as soldiers as in
order to use them as leaders for the Syracusans and other peoples of
Sicily, who had long been ripe for revolt, and when, after Dion's
speech, Alkimenes, one of the expedition, who was one of the most
celebrated of the Achæans both by birth and merit, spoke to the same
effect, they consented to go. The time was midsummer and the
Etesian[484] winds were blowing over the sea. The moon was at the full.
Dion prepared a magnificent sacrifice to Apollo and marched in solemn
procession to the temple with his soldiers, all arrayed in complete
armour. After the sacrifice he feasted them in the stadium or
race-course of the people of Zakynthus, where they had an opportunity of
admiring the splendour of his gold and silver plate, and reflected that
a man past middle life, as he was, and possessed of such wealth, would
never attempt an extravagant enterprise without reasonable expectation
of success, or unless his friends upon the spot had promised to furnish
him with abundant resources.
XXIV. Just after the libations[485] and customary prayers, the moon
became eclipsed. Dion and his friends saw nothing remarkable in this, as
they could calculate the periods of eclipses, and knew how the shadow
was produced upon the moon by the interposition of the earth between it
and the sun. As, however, the soldiers were alarmed at the portent and
required some encouragement, Miltas the soothsayer came into the midst
of them and addressed them, bidding them be of good cheer and expect the
most complete success; for the gods, he declared, foretold by this sign
that something brilliant would be extinguished. Now there was nothing
more brilliant than the monarchy of Dionysius, whose light was fated to
be quenched by them as soon as they arrived at Sicily. This
interpretation Miltas told to them all; but when a swarm of bees was
seen to settle on the sterns of the ships, he privately told Dion and
his friends that he feared lest this might portend that at first they
would be very properous, but that after blooming for a short time their
prosperity would wither away. It is said, too, that many ominous signs
were vouchsafed by Heaven to Dionysius. An eagle snatched up a spear
from one of the life-guards, soared aloft with it, and let it fall into
the sea; and one day the sea-water which washes the walls of the citadel
became quite sweet and drinkable, so that all men noticed it. Swine also
were born without ears, though perfect in all other parts. This was
interpreted by the soothsayers to be a sign of insurrection and
disobedience, and to mean that the people would no longer hearken to the
commands of the despot, while the portent of the sea-water meant that
after bitter miseries sweet and pleasant times were in store for the
people of Syracuse. The eagle, they said, is the servant of Zeus, and
the spear is the symbol of power and sovereignty; wherefore the greatest
of the gods must intend to sink and destroy the monarchy. These
incidents we are told by Theopompus.
XXV. The soldiers of Dion were contained in two merchant-ships, which
were accompanied by another small vessel and two galleys of thirty
oars.[486] Besides the arms carried by the soldiers, Dion took with him
two thousand shields, many spears and missiles, and sufficient
provisions to supply them during the whole voyage, which was to be
performed entirely under canvass and over the open sea, because they
feared to approach the land, and had learned that Philistus was cruising
off the Iapygian Cape with a squadron to intercept them. Sailing with a
light and gentle wind for twelve days, on the thirteenth they reached
Pachynus, the southern extremity of Sicily. Here Protus their pilot bade
them make haste to disembark, warning them that if they left the land
and steered away from the cape, they would be obliged to spend many days
and nights at sea during the summer season, when a southerly gale might
be expected. Dion, however, feared to disembark so near his foes, and,
wishing to land further away, sailed along the coast past Cape Pachynus.
Hereupon a violent northerly wind, accompanied by a high sea, drove the
ships away from Sicily, while at the rising of Arcturus a storm of
thunder and lightning burst upon them with furious rain. At this the
sailors became dismayed, and lost their reckoning, but suddenly found
that the ships were being carried by the waves towards the rockiest and
most precipitous cliffs of the island Kerkina,[487] off the coast of
Libya. They narrowly escaped being dashed to pieces upon the rocks, but
struggled along, keeping themselves off the land with
punting-poles,[488] until at length the storm abated and they learned
from a vessel which they fell in with that they were near what are
called the "Heads" of the Great Syrtis. It now fell calm and they became
disheartened and quarrelled with one another; but soon an off-shore wind
sprang up from the south, though they, not expecting a southerly wind,
could scarcely believe in the change. The wind gradually increased in
force, and they, setting all the sail they were able, and commending
themselves in prayer to the gods, crossed the open sea from Libya to
Sicily before the wind. They made a quick passage, and on the fifth day
came to an anchor at Minoa, a small city in that part of Sicily which
belonged to the Carthaginians. The Carthaginian commander, Synalus, who
was a friend of Dion, happened to be present in the town. Not knowing
what the expedition was, or that Dion, was with it, he attempted to
prevent the soldiers from landing; but they poured out of their ships
fully armed, and though in accordance with Dion's order they killed no
one, because of his friendship with the Carthaginian leader, yet they
routed the Minoans, entered their city with the fugitives, and captured
it. When the two chiefs met, they embraced one another, and Dion
restored the city to Synalus without doing it any hurt, while Synalus
showed hospitality to the soldiers and provided Dion with the supplies
which he needed.
XXVI. What specially encouraged them was the absence of Dionysius from
Syracuse, although they had no hand in bringing it about; for he had
just started on a voyage to the coast of Italy with a fleet of eighty
ships. Although Dion begged his soldiers to wait and recruit their
strength after the hardships of their long sea voyage, they would not
remain there, but in their eagerness to seize this favourable
opportunity bade Dion lead them to Syracuse. Dion now left behind his
surplus arms and baggage at Minoa, and, begging Synalus to send them on
to him when he should have need of them, set out on his march to
Syracuse. On the road, he was first joined by two hundred horsemen,
citizens of Agrigentum, dwelling near Eknomon. After these, some of the
people of Gela also joined his army.
The news of Dion's march soon reached Syracuse, and Timokrates, the
husband of Dion's late wife, the sister of Dionysius, who was left in
charge of the garrison, sent a messenger in great haste to Dionysius
with a letter telling of Dion's arrival. He himself endeavoured to
maintain order and put down all insurrections in the city, for all the
people were excited at the news, but remained quiet as yet, through fear
and doubt. Meantime a strange mischance befel the bearer of the letter
to Dionysius. He crossed the straits to Italy, passed through the city
of Rhegium, and as he hurried on towards Kaulonia, where Dionysius was,
he fell in with one of his friends, carrying a newly slaughtered victim.
He was given a piece of meat by the man, and went on in haste. He walked
some part of the night, but being forced by fatigue to take a little
sleep, he lay down, just as he was, in a wood by the road-side. While he
slept, a wolf, attracted by the smell, snatched up the meat, which he
had tied to his wallet, and ran off with it, carrying away with it the
wallet in which the man had placed the letter. When the man woke and
discovered his loss, after much vain searching, as he could not find it,
he decided not to go to the despot without the letter, but to make off
and keep out of the way.
XXVII. In consequence of this Dionysius only heard of the war in Sicily
much later and from other persons, and meanwhile Dion had been joined on
his march by the people of Kamarina, and by a considerable number of the
Syracusans who lived in the country. The Leontines and Campanians, who
formed the garrison of Epipolæ, in consequence of Dion's sending them a
false report that he intended to attack their city first, left
Timokrates, and went away thither to defend their own property. When
news of this reached Dion, who was encamped near Akræ, he aroused his
soldiers while it was yet night and marched to the river Anapus, which
is ten stadia distant from the city. There he halted and offered
sacrifice beside the river, praying to the rising sun, and at the same
time the soothsayers declared that the gods would give him the victory.
Observing that Dion wore a garland because he was sacrificing, all those
who were present at the sacrifice with one impulse crowned themselves
with flowers. No less than five thousand men had joined him on his
march. They were badly armed in a make-shift fashion, but their zeal
supplied the deficiencies of their equipment, and when Dion led the way
they all started at a run, shouting for joy, and encouraging one another
to recover their freedom.
XXVIII. Of the Syracusans within the walls, the chief men and upper
classes in their most splendid raiment met Dion at the gates, while the
populace attacked the friends of the despot, and seized upon the spies,
a wicked and hateful class of men, who used to live among the people of
the city and report their opinions and conversations to the despot.
These men were the first to suffer for their crimes, as they were beaten
to death by any of the citizens who fell in with them. Timokrates,
unable to reach the garrison of the citadel, mounted his horse and rode
away from the city, spreading alarm and confusion everywhere as he fled
by exaggerating the numbers of Dion's army, that he might not be thought
to have surrendered the city through fear to a small force.
Meanwhile Dion could already be seen plainly, as he marched first of all
his men, clad in splendid armour. On one side of him was his brother
Megakles, and on the other the Athenian Kallippus, both crowned with
garlands. Next marched a hundred of the mercenary soldiers, as a
bodyguard for Dion, while the rest of the men were led on by their
officers in battle array. The entire procession was looked upon and
welcomed as though it were sacred by the citizens of Syracuse, who,
after forty-two years of tyranny, saw liberty and a popular constitution
restored to their city.
XXIX. When Dion had entered by the Temenitid[489] gate, he caused his
trumpet to sound to obtain silence; and then a herald made proclamation
that Dion and Megakles were come to put down the monarchy, and that they
set free from the despot both the Syracusans and the other Sicilian
Greeks.
As Dion wished to address the people in person, he proceeded through
Achradina, while the Syracusans placed animals for sacrifice, tables and
bowls of wine on each side of the street,[490] and each, as Dion passed
them, strewed flowers in his path and addressed prayers to him as if to
a god. In front of the citadel, with its Pentapyla, or Five Gates, stood
a sundial, a conspicuous and lofty work, erected by Dionysius. Dion
mounted upon this, and addressed the citizens, encouraging them to hold
fast the freedom which they had obtained. The people, in joy and
gratitude to them, elected them both generals, with unlimited powers,
and at their earnest request chose twenty more as their colleagues, half
of whom were taken from the exiles who had returned with Dion. The
prophets considered it to be an excellent omen that Dion, while
addressing the people, should have trodden under his feet the building
which the despot had reared in his pride; but they augured ill from his
having been chosen general while standing upon a sundial, lest his
fortunes should soon experience some revolution. After this he captured
Epipolæ, released the citizens who were imprisoned there and cut off
the citadel by a palisade.[491] On the seventh day after this,
Dionysius returned to the citadel by sea, and waggons arrived bringing
to Dion the arms and armour which he had left with Synalus. These he
distributed among the citizens, and of the others, each man equipped
himself as well as he was able, and eagerly offered his services as a
soldier.
XXX. Dionysius at first sent ambassadors privately to Dion to endeavour
to corrupt him. Afterwards, as Dion bade him speak openly to the people
of Syracuse, who were now free, Dionysius through his ambassadors made
them attractive offers of moderate taxation and moderate military
service, subject to their own vote of consent.[492] These proposals were
scornfully rejected by the Syracusans. Dion told the ambassadors that he
and his party could have no dealings with Dionysius unless he abdicated;
but that if he did so, he himself, remembering their relationship, would
answer for his personal safety, and obtain as good terms for him as
could be reasonably expected. These conditions were approved by
Dionysius, who again sent ambassadors to demand that some of the
Syracusans should come to the citadel and arrange the terms of the
surrender upon a basis of mutual concessions. Commissioners, chosen by
Dion, were at once sent to him, and a report spread from the citadel
that Dionysius intended to abdicate and to make himself more popular
even than Dion. However, the negotiations were all a trick of the despot
to take the Syracusans at a disadvantage. He imprisoned the
commissioners, and at daybreak, having excited his mercenary troops with
wine, sent them at a run to attack the Syracusan wall across the
isthmus. This attack was unexpected, and the foreign troops boldly and
with loud shouts began to destroy the works and to attack the
Syracusans. No one could withstand their onset except the mercenaries of
Dion, who were the first to hear the noise of the conflict and to rush
to the spot. But not even these men could perceive what was to be done
or obey their orders, mixed up as they were with noisy crowds of
panic-stricken Syracusan fugitives, before Dion, finding that no one
heeded his words, and wishing to show by his actions what ought to be
done, was the first man to attack the foreigners. Round him a fierce and
terrible battle took place, as he was recognised as well by the enemy as
by his friends, and all ran towards him with shouts. He was, indeed,
somewhat advanced in years to engage in such a furious combat, but yet
stoutly and bravely withstood and repulsed all who attacked him. He
received a wound in the hand from a spear, and had to rely upon his
breastplate for protection against showers of darts and blows in close
combat, for his shield was pierced through by many spears and lances.
When these were broken he fell to the ground, but was snatched away by
his soldiers. He appointed Timonides to take his place, and himself rode
through the city on horseback, rallied the Syracusan fugitives, brought
out the garrison of mercenaries from Achradina, and led these fresh and
confident troops against the wearied foreigners, who had already begun
to despair of victory. They had imagined that by their first attack they
would be able to overrun the whole city, but having unexpectedly fallen
in with men who could deal hard blows they began to retire towards the
citadel. As they gave way the Greeks pressed upon them still more, until
at length they were driven in confusion into the citadel, after killing
seventy-four of Dion's party, and losing many of their own men.
XXXI. After this glorious victory the Syracusans presented the
mercenaries with a hundred minæ, and the mercenaries presented Dion
with a golden crown. Heralds from Dionysius now came from the citadel
bringing letters to Dion from his female relatives. One of these bore
the superscription "From Hipparinus to his father;" for this was the
name of Dion's son, although Timæus says that he was named Aretæus
after his mother Arete. But I imagine we ought rather to believe
Timonides in such matters as these, since he was a friend and comrade of
Dion. The other letters, those from the women, which were full of
piteous supplications, were read aloud to the Syracusans, but they were
unwilling that the letter from the child should be opened before them.
In spite of their opposition, Dion opened it and read it aloud. It was
from Dionysius himself, addressed nominally to Dion, but really to the
people of Syracuse, and though in it Dionysius seemed to appeal to Dion
and to plead his own cause with him, yet in truth it was concocted with
a view to rendering him suspected by the people; for it contained
allusions to his former zeal on behalf of the monarchy, and also
threatened him through the persons of those dearest to him, his sister,
his child and his wife. There were in the letter also pitiful
entreaties, and what especially moved him to anger, supplications to him
not to destroy the monarchy and set free a people which hated him and
would turn and rend him, but to become despot himself, and thus to save
his relatives and friends.
XXXII. When these letters were read to them, the Syracusans, instead of
admiring Dion for his magnanimity in adhering to the cause of honour and
right, in spite of such touching appeals as these, they rather began to
suspect him and to fear him, because he had such powerful reasons for
sparing the despot, and they began to look around them for some other
leader. They became particularly excited on hearing that Herakleides
sailed into the harbour. This Herakleides was a Syracusan exile, a
military man who had gained a great reputation by the commands which he
had held in the service of Dionysius and his father, but of an unsettled
disposition, fickle and least of all to be relied upon when associated
with a colleague in any command of dignity and honour. This man had
quarrelled with Dion in Peloponnesus, and determined to make an
expedition of his own to attack Dionysius. He now arrived at Syracuse
with seven triremes and three other vessels,[493] and found Dionysius
blockaded in his citadel and the people of Syracuse in an excited
condition. He at once received the popular favour, being naturally
plausible and well able to impose upon a people who were fond of
flattery. He was the more easily enabled to do this, as the Syracusans
were already disgusted with the haughty demeanour of Dion, which they
considered to be offensive and unfit for a statesman, being themselves
grown insubordinate and insolent after their victory and requiring a
demagogue even before they had become a democracy.
XXXIII. Their first act was to assemble of their own accord and elect
Herakleides as admiral. When, however, Dion came forward and complained
that the appointment of Herakleides was a revocation of the powers
granted to himself, since he would no longer be general with unlimited
powers, if another commanded by sea, the Syracusans, much against their
will, annulled the election. After this Dion sent for Herakleides
privately and, after bitterly reproaching him with his want of honour
and right feeling in raising disputes about precedence during so
momentous and dangerous a crisis, again assembled the people, appointed
Herakleides admiral and prevailed upon the citizens to grant him a
bodyguard such as that by which he himself was attended. Herakleides
now in words and in manner acknowledged Dion as his superior, obeyed his
orders with humility, and owned that he owed him a debt of gratitude;
but in secret he encouraged the people to revolt against him, stirred up
tumults and brought Dion into a most difficult position; for if he were
to permit Dionysius to retire from the citadel under a flag of truce, he
feared that he should be reproached with sparing the despot and saving
him from the fate he deserved, while, if he did not push the siege
through a wish not to drive him to extremities, he would appear to be
purposely protracting the war in order that he might the longer remain
in power and have the people under his orders.
XXXIV. There was one Sosis, a man who by villainy and audacity had
gained a certain reputation at Syracuse, where the citizens thought that
his licence in speech must be prompted by an excessive love of freedom.
This man began to intrigue against Dion, and first of all rose in the
assembly and violently abused the Syracusans for not perceiving that
they had got a sober and vigilant despot instead of a drunken and
imbecile one. After this, having avowed himself Dion's open enemy, he
withdrew from the market-place and next day was seen running naked
through the city with his face and head covered with blood, as though he
were fleeing from some pursuers. Rushing into the market-place in this
condition, he said that his life had been attempted by Dion's
mercenaries, and showed his wounded head to the people. He at once
gained an audience of sympathisers, who became furious with Dion, and
declared that he was acting shamefully and despotically in restraining
the freedom of speech of the citizens by threats and murders. However,
though a disorderly assembly took place, Dion was able to speak in his
own defence, pointing out that a brother of Sosis was one of the guards
of Dionysius, and that this man must have persuaded him to rebel and
throw the city into confusion, since Dionysius could have no hope of
safety except in the dissensions of the besiegers. At the same time the
physicians examined the wound of Sosis, and found that it was the result
of a superficial scratch rather than of a downward cut; for wounds by
swordstrokes are deepest in the middle, because of the weight of the
blow, while this wound of Sosis was shallow throughout all its length
and had several beginnings, as probably he had been forced by the pain
to leave off cutting his head and then had begun again. Some of the more
respectable citizens also came to the assembly with a razor, and said
that while they were walking they met Sosis covered with blood, saying
that he was fleeing from Dion's mercenaries and had just been wounded by
them. They at once proceeded to look for them, and found no man, but saw
the razor hidden under a hollow stone at the place from which Sosis had
been seen coming out.