Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/107

 TREATMENT OF PLATO. 81 was now ardent in the study of philosophy, and had even made considerable progress in it. By their earnest entreaties, coupled with those of Dion, Plato was at length induced to go to Syracuse. He was received, as before, with signal tokens of honor. He was complimented with the privilege, enjoyed by no one else, of ap- proaching the despot without having his person searched ; and was affectionately welcomed by the female relatives of Dion. Yet this visit, prolonged much beyond what he himself wished, proved nothing but a second splendid captivity, as the companion of Dio- nysius in the acropolis at Ortygia. 1 Dionysius the philosopher obtained abundance of flatterers as his father Dionysius the poet had obtained before him and was even emboldened to proclaim himself as the son of Apollo. 3 It is possible that even an impuissant embrace of philosophy, on the part of so great a potentate, may have tended to exalt the re- putation of philosophers in the contemporary world. Otherwise the dabblings of Dionysius would have merited no attention ; though he seems to have been really a man of some literary talent 3 retaining to the end a sincere admiration of Plato, and jealously pettish because he could not prevail upon Plato to admire him. But the second visit of Plato to him at Syracuse very different from his first presented no chance of benefit to the people of Syracuse, and only deserves notice as it bore upon the destiny of Dion. Here, unfortunately Plato could accomplish nothing ; though his zeal on behalf of his friend was unwearied. Diony- sius broke all his promises of kind dealing, became more rancor- ous in his hatred, impatient of the respect which Dion enjoyed even as an exile, and fearful of the revenge which he might one day be able to exact. When expelled from Syracuse, Dion had gone to Peloponnesus and Athens, where he had continued for soni3 y jars to receive regular remittances of his property. But at lengih, even while 1 riato, Epist. vii. p. 338-346; Plutarch. Dion, c. 19. JEschines, the companion of Sokrates along with Plato, is said to have passed a long time at Syracuse with Dionysius, until the expulsion of that despot (Diogen. Lacrt. ii. 63). See a passage in Plato, Epistol. ii. p. 314
 * Plutarch, De Fortuna Alex. Magn. p. 338 B. Aupi'Jof IK unrodg eOo