Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/113

 HABITS OF DIONYSIUS. 8? opon Herakleides, towards whom Dionysius conducted himself with mingled injustice and treachery according to the judgment both of 'Plato and of all around him. 1 As an exile, he brought word that Dionysius could not even rely upon the mercenary troops, whom he treated with a parsimony the more revolting as they contrasted it with the munificence of his father. 2 Herakleides was eager to cooperate in putting down the despotism at Syra- cuse. But he waited to equip a squadron of triremes, and was not ready so soon as Dion ; perhaps intentionally, as the jealousy between the two soon broke out. 3 The second source of weakness to Dionysius lay in his own character and habits. The commanding energy of the father, far from being of service to the son, had been combined with a jeal- ousy which intentionally kept him down, and cramped his growth. He had always been weak, petty, destitute of courage or fore- sight, and unfit for a position like that which his father had ac- quired and maintained. His personal incompetency was recog- nized by all, and would probably have manifested itself even more conspicuously, had he not found a minister of so much ability, and so much devotion to the dynasty, as Philistus. But in addition to guch known incompetency, he had contracted recently habits which inspired every one around him with contempt. He was perpetually intoxicated and plunged in dissipation. To put down such a chief, even though surrounded by walls, soldiers, and armed ships, appeared to Dion and his confidential companions an enter- prise noway impracticable. 4 Nevertheless, these causes of weakness were known only to close observers ; while the great military force of Syracuse was obvious to the eyes of every one. When the soldiers, mustered by Dion at Zakynthus, were first informed that they were destined to strike straight across the sea against Syracuse, they shrank from the proposition as an act of insanity. They complained of their 1 Plato, Epistol. iii. p. 318; vii. p. 348, 349. 8 Plato, Epist. vii. p. 348 A ^Tre^ei'p^aev o/Uyo/zftn'orjpovf Troteh- te a pa T a TOV Trar pbf #7, etc. 3 Plutarch, Dion, c. 32 ; Diodor. xvi. 6-16. 4 Aristotel. Politic. T. 8, 14; Plutarch, Dion, c. 7. These habits musl have probably grown upon him since the second departure of Plato, win does not notice them in his letters.