Page:History of Greece Vol X.djvu/442

 420 HISTORY OF GREECE. Thus perished one of the most energetic of the Syracusan citi zens ; a man not less effective as a defender of his country against foreign enemies, than himself dangerous as a formidable enemy to her internal liberties. It would seem, as far as we can make out, that his attempt to make himself master of his country was powerfully seconded, and might well have succeeded. But it lacked that adventitious support arising from present embarrass- ment and danger in the foreign relations of the city, which we shall find so efficacious two years afterwards in promoting the am- bitious projects of Dionysius. Dionysius, for the next coming generation the most formida- ble name in the Grecian world, now appears for the first time in history. He was a young Syracusan of no consideration from family or position, described as even of low birth and low occupa- tion ; as a scribe or secretary, which was looked upon as a subor- dinate, though essential, function. 1 He was the son of Hermo- krates, not that eminent person whose death has been just de- scribed, but another person of the same name, whether related or envoys intended to go to Susa, but who only went as far as Gordium in Phrygia, and were detained by Pharnabazus (on the requisition of Cyrus) for three years. This must have been in the year 407 B. c. Now I cannot reconcile this with the proceedings of Hermokrates as described by Diodo- rus ; his coming to the Sicilian Messene, his exploits near Selinus, his various attempts to procure restoration to Syracuse: all of which must have occurred in 408-407 B. c., ending with the death of Hermokrates. It seems to me impossible that the person mentioned by Xenophon as accompanying Pharnabazus into the interior can have been the eminent Hermokrates. Whether it was another person of the same name, or whether Xenophon was altogether misinformed, I will not take upon me to determine. There were really two contemporary Syracusans bearing that name, for the father of Dionysius the despot was named Hermokrates. Polybius (xii, 25, p.) states that Hermokrates fought with the Lacedae- monians at ^Egospotami. He means the eminent general so called ; who however cannot have been at ^Egospotami in the summer or autumn of 405 B. c. There is some mistake in the assertion of Polybius, but I do not know how to explain it. 1 Diodor. xiii, 96; xiv, 66. Isokrates, Or. v, Philipp. s. 73 Dionysius, TroAAourdf uv ZvpaKoaiuv /cal rif) yevct Kal Trj 66!;ri KOL roZf a/lP.oif uTtaaiv, etc. Demosthenes, adv. Leptinem, p. 506, s. 178. -ypaupaTcuf. wf 6aoi, etc. Polybius (xv, 35), e/c <5^or<r^f /ca' TaireiVTJc vw&taEus dpfirj^elf, etc. Com Dare Polyaenus, v, 2, 2.