Page:History of Greece Vol X.djvu/523

 TEMPER OF THE SYRACUSANS. 501 defeated them. They captured the admiral's ship, damaged twen ty-four others, and pursued the rest to the naval station ; in front of which they paraded, challenging the enemy to battle. As the challenge was not accepted, they returned to their own dock, tow- ing in their prizes in triumph. This naval victory indicated, and contributed much to occasion, that turn in the fortune of the siege which each future day still farther accelerated. Its immediate effect was to fill the Syracu san public with unbounded exultation. " Without Dionysius we conquer our enemies ; under his command we are beaten ; why submit to slavery under him any longer ? " Such was the burst of indignant sentiment which largely pervaded the groups and circles in the city ; strengthened by the consciousness that they were now all armed and competent to extort freedom, since Dionysius, when the besieging enemy actually appeared before the city, had been obliged, as the less of two hazards, to produce and redistribute the arms which he had previously taken from them. In the midst of this discontent, Dionysius himself returned from his cruise. To soothe the prevalent temper, he was forced to convene a public assembly ; wherein he warmly extolled the recent exploit of the Syracusans, and exhorted them to strenuous confidence, promising that he would speedily bring the war to a close. It is possible that Dionysius, throughout his despotism, may have occasionally permitted what were called public assemblies ; but we may be very sure, that, if ever convened, they were mere matters of form, and that no free discussion or opposition to his will was ever tolerated. On the present occasion, he anticipated the like passive acquiescence ; and after having delivered a speech, doubtless much applauded by his own partisans, he was about to dismiss the assembly, when a citizen named Theodoras unexpect- edly rose. He was a Horseman or Knight, a person of wealth and station in the city, of high character and established reputa- tion for courage. Gathering boldness from- the time and circum- stances, he now stood forward to proclaim publicly that hatred of Dionysius, and anxiety for freedom, which so many of his fellow- citizens around had been heard to utter privately and were well known to feel. 1 1 Diod.H'. xiv, 64. Ou [tr/v ul.Aa nnovruv '6yuv ycvofttvuv, Aioviiaiog Ka- irfavae, vat avvayayuv fKK^Tjaiai', eirijvfi roi)f ZvpaKOvaiovc. Kai irapfKa&r