Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/138

 112 HISTORY OF GREECE. oppose no long resistance to the forward advance of Dion, will soldiers full of ardor and with the Syracusans around him stimu- lated by despair. Nypsius was overpowered, compelled to aban don his line of defence, and to retreat with his troops into Ortygisi, which the greater number of them reached in safety. Dion and his victorious troops, after having forced the entrance into the city did not attempt to pursue them. The first and most pressing ne- cessity was to extinguish the flames ; but no inconsiderable num- ber of the soldiers of Nypsius were found dispersed through the streets and houses, and slain while actually carrying off plunder on their shoulders. Long after the town was cleared of enemies, however, all hands within it were employed in stopping the con- flagration ; a task in which they hardly succeeded, even by unre- mitting efforts throughout the day and the following night. 1 On the morrow Syracuse was another city ; disfigured by the desolating trace of flame and of the hostile soldiery, yet still re- freshed in the hearts of its citizens, who felt that they had escaped much worse ; and above all, penetrated by a renewed political spirit, and a deep sense of repentant gratitude towards Dion. All those generals, who had been chosen at the last election from their intense opposition to him, fled forthwith ; except Herakleides and Theodotes. These two men were his most violent and dangerous enemies ; yet it appears that they knew his character better than their colleagues, and therefore did not hesitate to throw themselves upon his mercy. They surrendered, confessed their guilt, and im- plored his forgiveness. His magnanimity (they said) would derive a new lustre, if he now rose superior to his just resentment over misguided rivals, who stood before him humbled and ashamed of their former opposition, entreating him to deal with them better than they had dealt with him. If Dion had put their request to the vote, it would have been refused by a large majority. His soldiers, recently defrauded of their pay, were yet burning with indignation against the authors of such an injustice. His friends, reminding him of the bitter and unscrupulous attacks which he as well as they had experienced from Herakleides, exhorted him to purge the city of one who abused the popular forms to purposes hardly less mischievous tlian 1 Plutarch, Dion, c. 45, 4*> j Tiodor. xvi. 20.