Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/145

 CONDUCT OF DION. 119 aggravated than softened. He took pride in showing, more plainly than ever, that he despised everything which looked like courting popularity. 1 If the words and manner of Dion were thus significant, both what he did, and what he left undone, was more significant still Of that great boon of freedom, which he had so loudly promised to the Syracusans, and which he had directed his herald to pro- claim on first entering their walls, he conferred absolutely noth- ing. He retained his dictatorial power unabated, and his military force certainly without reduction, if not actually reinforced ; for as Apollokrates did not convey away with him the soldiers in Or- tygia, we may reasonably presume that a part of them at least re- mained to embrace the service of Dion. He preserved the acro- polis and fortifications of Ortygia just as they were, only garrison- ed by troops obeying his command instead of that of Dionysius. His victory made itself felt in abundant presents to his own friends and soldiers ; 2 but to the people of Syracuse, it produced nothing better than a change of masters. It was not indeed the plan of Dion to constitute a permanent despotism. He intended to establish himself king, but to grant to the Syracusans what in modern times would be called a consti- tution. Having imbibed from Plato and the Academy as well as from his own convictions and tastes, aversion to a pure democracy, he had resolved to introduce a Lacedaemonian scheme of mixed government, combining king, aristocracy, and people, under certain provisions and limitations. Of this general tenor are the recom- mendations addressed both to him, and to the Syracusans after his death, by Plato ; who however seems to contemplate, along with the political scheme, a Lykurgean reform of manners and prac- tice. To aid in framing and realizing his scheme, Dion sent to Corinth to invite counsellors and auxiliaries ; for Corinth waa suitable to his views, not simply as mother city of Syracuse, bat also as a city thoroughly oligarchical. 3 1 Plutarch, Dion, c. 52. Tov pevrot, irepl ruf opMae O^KOV xal TOV rbv 6ij/j.ov urevovf t(j>i%ov eiKEi pijdev vfehelv fujde ^a^a naiTOi ruv Trpay/jtuTw ai>Tti %dpn-r kvfieuv OVTUV, nal Ufa'iruvoc rof, etc.
 * Plutarch, Dion, c. 52.
 * Plutarch, Dioii, c. 53 ; Plato, Epistol. vii. p. 334, 336 ; viii. p. 356