Page:History of Greece Vol VII.djvu/141

123 PROJECTS OF THE SIKEL DUKETIUS. ] 23 part by the striking volcanic manifestations in the neighborhood, rendered this plain a suitable point of attraction for Sikels gen- erally, Duketius was enabled to establish a considerable new city of Palike, with walls of large circumference, and an ample range of adjacent land which he distributed among a numerous Sikel population, probably with some Greeks intermingled. The powerful position which Duketius had thus acquired ig attested by the aggressive character of his measures, intended gradually to recover a portion at least of that ground which the Greeks had appropriated at the expense of the indigenous popu lation. The Sikel town of Ennesia had been seized by the Hieronian Greeks expelled from JEtna, and had received from them the name of -/Etna : ' Duketius now found means to re- conquer it, after ensnaring by stratagem the leading magistrate. He was next bold enough to invade the territory of the Agri- gentines, and to besiege one of their country garrisons called Motyum. "We are impressed with a high idea of his power, when we learn that the Agrigentines, while marching to relieve the place, thought it necessary to invoke aid from the Syracusans, who sent to them a force under Bolkon. Over this united force Duketius gained a victory, in consequence of the treason or cowardice of Bolkon, as the Syracusans believed, insomuch that they condemned him to death. In the succeeding year, however, the good fortune of the Sikel prince changed. The united army of these two powerful cities raised the blockade of Motyum, completely defeated him in the field, and dispersed all his forces. Finding himself deserted by his comrades and even on the point of being betrayed, he took the desperate resolution of casting himself upon the mercy of the Syracusans. He rode off by night to the gates of Syracuse, entered the city unknown, and sat down as a suppliant on the altar in the agora, surrendering himself together with all his territory. A spectacle thus unex- pected brought together a crowd of Syracuse citizens, exciting Kriffas 6e Aapflav'tjjv, irrel oinru "1/Uoj- tprj Ei> Tre&'u TreTro/Uoro, Tro/ltf fiepoTtuv avdouirur, 'AW It?' imupsiaf I^KOVV irotoiriduKov "Irf//c. Cc-japaro Plato, de Legg. iii, pp. 681, 682. ' Diocbr. xi, 76.