Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/100

 74 HISTORY OF GKEECB. his life, his training, his companions, had all been vicious to in* sist upon repentance and amendment upon these points, before he could receive absolution, and be permitted to enter upon active political life to tell him that he must reform himself, and be- come a rational and temperate man, before he was fit to entel seriously on the task of governing others. Such was the language which Plato and Dion held to Dionys- ius. They well knew indeed that they were treading on delicato ground that while irritating a spirited horse in the sensitive part, they had no security against his kicks. 1 Accordingly, they resorted to many circumlocutory and equivocal expressions, so as to soften the offence given. But the effect was not the less pro- duced, of disgusting Dionysius with his velleities towards political good. Not only did Plato decline entering upon political recom- mendations of his own, but he damped, instead of enforcing, the positive good resolutions which Dion had already succeeded in in- fusing. Dionysius announced freely, in the presence of Plato, his wish and intention to transform his despotism at Syracuse into a limited kingship, and to replant the dis-hellenized cities in Sici- ly. These were the two grand points to which Dion had been laboring so generously to bring him, and which he had invoked Plato for the express purpose of seconding. Yet what does Plato eay when this momentous announcement is made ? Instead of bestowing any praise or encouragement, he drily remarks t<r Dionysius, " First go through your schooling, and then do all these things ; otherwise leave them undone." 2 Dionysius after- 1 Horat. Satir. ii. 1,17. " Haud mihi deero Cum res ipsa ferei. Nisi dextro tempore, Flacci Verba per attcntam non ibunt Caesaris aurem . Cui male si palpere, recalcitrat undique tutus." 1 Plato, Epist. iii. 315 E. $aai 6e OVK 6/Uyoi heyeiv as npu; maf iut irzpa ae TrpEaflevdvruv, uf upa aoii TTOTE /leyoirof uKovaac y iilM*ovTO{ raf re 'E^Aqridof TroAetf iv 2t/ceA^ olnifeiv, nal 'Zvpa.Kovaiovf kniKovfyioai TI/V (ipx>iv UVTI Tvpavvidor elf flaoifoiav /j.eracrT^aavTa, ratir' upa. ae fte. t rorc, uf ai) ^j5f, 6 te/cwAv a a vvv 6s Aiuva fiitiu a KO ta dppvavru, n.al roff fiiavoT/fiaai rotf crotf r rj v a ?/ v i pfftvijuai, ur Ha*