Page:History of Greece Vol X.djvu/488

 466 HISTORY OF GREECE. dismiss the newly-arrived Campanians. For though lie had to thank them mainly for his restoration, he was well aware that they were utterly faithless, and that on the first temptation they were likely to turn aginst him. 1 But he adopted more efficient meant; for strengthening his dominion in Syracuse, and for guarding against a repetition of that danger from which he had so recently escaped. He was assisted in his proceedings by a Lacedaemonian envoy named Aristus, recently despatched by the Spartans for the osten- sible purpose of bringing about an amicable adjustment of parties at Syracuse. While Nikoteles, who had been sent from Corinth, espoused the cause of the Syracusan people, and put himself at their head to obtain for them more or less of free government, Aristus, on the contrary, lent himself to the schemes of Dionysius. He seduced the people away from Nikoteles, whom he impeached and caused to be slain. Next, pretending himself to act along with the people, and to employ the great ascendency of Sparta in de- fence of their freedom, 2 he gained their confidence and then betrayed them. The despot was thus enabled to strengthen him- self more decisively than before, and probably to take off the effec tive popular leaders thus made known to him ; while the mass of the citizens were profoundly discouraged by finding Sparta enlisted in the conspiracy against their liberties. Of this renovated tide of success Dionysius took advantage, to strike another important blow. During the season of harvest, 1 Diodor. xiv, 9. The subsequent proceedings of the Campanians justi- fied his wisdom in dismissing them. They went to Entella (a town among the dependencies of Carthage, in the south-western portion of Sicily, Diod. xiv, 48), where they were welcomed and hospitably treated by the in- habitants. In the night, they set upon the Entellan citizens by surprise, put them all to death, married their widows and daughters, and kept pos- session of the town for themselves. v Diodor. xiv, 10. 'A.Treffret'hav (oi Aaitedaifiovioi) "Apiarov, uvdpa rtiv iTufyavuv, elf "Zvpanovaac, r> fj.ev Xoyy irpooTroiovftevot Karahnrelv TTJV dvvda- mav, rij <5' aXy-de'ip ansiiSovTef av^f/crai rrjv rvpavvida 1 TJ^TTL^OV yap avyKa- raffKevu&vref rr/v upxqv, vm/Koov Ifetv rbv Atovixriov diu raf evepyeaia<; O (5' "Aptorof KaTatcfaiiaas elf Sioa/cotmaf, KO.I ry rvpuvv^ Tifidpa Kepi rov- ruv diafaxiDelf, rov<; re 'Zvpa.KOVcriove uvaaeiuv, Ni/coreA^v rbv Kopivltov aveftev, utyriyov/iewiv run ZvpaKovaiuv roi)f <5e TuarevaavTac Trpodoilc rdr tiev rvpavvov la%vpdv KareaTrjae, did 6e rr/f i aev a{>rd Awa <c*l TTJV iraTpi6a. Compare xiv, 70.