There are noble points in abundance in the characters of these
two men, and one to be first mentioned is their attaining such a
height of greatness upon such inconsiderable means; and on this
score Dion has by far the advantage. For he had no partner to
contest his glory, as Brutus had in Cassius, who was not,
indeed, his equal in proved virtue and honor, yet contributed
quite as much to the service of the war by his boldness, skill,
and activity; and some there be who impute to him the rise and
beginning of the whole enterprise, saying that it was he who
roused Brutus, till then indisposed to stir, into action against
Caesar. Whereas Dion seems of himself to have provided not only
arms, ships, and soldiers, but likewise friends and partners for
the enterprise. Neither did he, as Brutus, collect money and
forces from the war itself, but, on the contrary, laid out of
his own substance, and employed the very means of his private
sustenance in exile for the liberty of his country. Besides
this, Brutus and Cassius, when they fled from Rome, could not
live safe or quiet, being condemned to death and pursued, and
were thus of necessity forced to take arms and hazard their
lives in their own defense, to save themselves, rather than
their country. On the other hand, Dion enjoyed more ease, was
more safe, and his life more pleasant in his banishment, than
was the tyrant's who had banished him, when he flew to action,
and ran the risk of all to save Sicily.
Take notice, too, that it was not the same thing for the
Sicilians to be freed from Dionysius, and for the Romans to be
freed from Caesar. The former owned himself a tyrant, and vexed
Sicily with a thousand oppressions; whereas Caesar's supremacy,
certainly, in the process for attaining it, had inflicted no
little trouble on its opponents, but, once established and
victorious, it had indeed the name and appearance, but fact that
was cruel or tyrannical there was none. On the contrary, in the
malady of the times and the need of a monarchical government, he
might be thought to have been sent, as the gentlest physician,
by no other than a divine intervention. And thus the common
people instantly regretted Caesar, and grew enraged and
implacable against those that killed him. Whereas Dion's chief
offense in the eyes of his fellow-citizens was his having let
Dionysius escape, and not having demolished the former tyrant's
tomb.
In the actual conduct of war, Dion was a commander without
fault, improving to the utmost those counsels which he himself
gave, and, where others led him into disaster, correcting and
turning everything to the best. But Brutus seems to have shown
little wisdom in engaging in the final battle, which was to
decide everything, and, when he failed, not to have done his
business in seeking a remedy ; he gave all up, and abandoned his
hopes, not venturing against fortune even as far as Pompey did,
when he had still means enough to rely on in his troops, and was
clearly master of all the seas with his ships.
The greatest thing charged on Brutus is, that he, being saved by
Caesar's kindness, having saved all the friends whom he chose to
ask for, he moreover accounted a friend, and preferred above
many, did yet lay violent hands upon his preserver. Nothing
like this could be objected against Dion; quite the contrary,
whilst he was of Dionysius's family and his friend, he did good
service, and was useful to him; but driven from his country,
wronged in his wife, and his estate lost, he openly entered upon
a war just and lawful. Does not, however, the matter turn the
other way? For the chief glory of both was their hatred of
tyranny, and abhorrence of wickedness. This was unmixed and
sincere in Brutus; for he had no private quarrel with Caesar,
but went into the risk singly for the liberty of his country.
The other, had he not been privately injured, had not fought.
This is plain from Plato's epistles, where it is shown that he
was turned out, and did not forsake the court to wage war upon
Dionysius. Moreover, the public good made Brutus Pompey's
friend (instead of his enemy as he had been) and Caesar's enemy;
since he proposed for his hatred and his friendship no other end
and standard but justice. Dion was very serviceable to
Dionysius whilst in favor; when no longer trusted, he grew angry
and fell to arms. And, for this reason, not even were his own
friends all of them satisfied with his undertaking, or quite
assured that, having overcome Dionysius, he might not settle the
government on himself, deceiving his fellow-citizens by some
less obnoxious name than tyranny. But the very enemies of
Brutus would say that he had no other end or aim, from first to
last, save only to restore to the Roman people their ancient
government.
And apart from what has just been said, the adventure against
Dionysius was nothing equal with that against Caesar. For none
that was familiarly conversant with Dionysius but scorned him
for his life of idle amusement with wine, women, and dice;
whereas it required an heroic soul and a truly intrepid and
unquailing spirit so much as to entertain the thought of
crushing Caesar so formidable for his ability, his power, and
his fortune, whose very name disturbed the slumbers of the
Parthian and Indian kings. Dion was no sooner seen in Sicily
but thousands ran in to him and joined him against Dionysius;
whereas the renown of Caesar, even when dead, gave strength to
his friends; and his very name so heightened the person that
took it, that from a simple boy he presently became the chief of
the Romans; and he could use it for a spell against the enmity
and power of Antony. If any object that it cost Dion great
trouble and difficulties to overcome the tyrant, whereas Brutus
slew Caesar naked and unprovided, yet this itself was the result
of the most consummate policy and conduct, to bring it about
that a man so guarded around, and so fortified at all points,
should be taken naked and unprovided. For it was not on the
sudden, nor alone, nor with a few, that he fell upon and killed
Caesar; but after long concerting the plot, and placing
confidence in a great many men, not one of whom deceived him.
For he either at once discerned the best men, or by confiding in
them made them good. But Dion, either making a wrong judgment,
trusted himself with ill men, or else by his employing them made
ill men of good; either of the two would be a reflection on a
wise man. Plato also is severe upon him, for choosing such for
friends as betrayed him.
Besides, when Dion was killed, none appeared to revenge his
death. Whereas Brutus, even amongst his enemies, had Antony
that buried him splendidly; and Caesar also took care his honors
should be preserved. There stood at Milan in Gaul, within the
Alps, a brazen statue, which Caesar in after-times noticed
(being a real likeness, and a fine work of art), and passing by
it, presently stopped short, and in the hearing of many
commended the magistrates to come before him. He told them
their town had broken their league, harboring an enemy. The
magistrates at first simply denied the thing, and, not knowing
what he meant, looked one upon another, when Caesar, turning
towards the statue and gathering his brows, said, "Pray, is not
that our enemy who stands there?" They were all in confusion,
and had nothing to answer; but he, smiling, much commended the
Gauls, as who had been firm to their friends, though in
adversity, and ordered that the statue should remain standing as
he found it.