Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/41

 VICTORY OF DIONYSIUS. 15 force to relieve it. Their chief centre of action was Kroton where most of the Syracusan exiles, the most forward of aP champions in the cause, were now assembled. One of these exiles Heloris (who had before been named general by the Rhegines), was intrusted with the command of the collective army ; an ar- rangement neutralizing all local jealousies. Under the cordial sentiment prevailing, an army was mustered at Kroton, estimated at twenty-five thousand foot and two thousand horse ; by what cities furnished, or in what proportion, we are unable to say. 1 At the head of these troops, Heloris marched southward from Kro- ton to the river Elleporus not far from Kaulonia ; where Diony- sius, raising the siege, met him. 2 He was about four miles and a half from the Krotoniate army, when he learnt from his scouts that Heloris with a chosen regiment of five hundred men (perhaps Syracusan exiles like himself), was considerably in advance of the main body. Moving rapidly forward in the night, Dionysius surprised this advanced guard at break of day, completely isolated from the rest. Heloris, while he despatched instant messages to accelerate the coming up of the main body, defended himself with his small band against overwhelming superiority of numbers But the odds were too great. After an heroic resistance, he was slain, and his companions nearly all cut to pieces, before the main body, though they came up at full speed, could arrive. The hurried pace of the Italiot army, however, though it did not suffice to save the general, was of fatal efficacy in deranging 'heir own soldierlike army. Confused and disheartened by find- ing that Heloris was slain, which left them without a general to direct the battle or restore order, the Italiots fought for some time against Dionysius, but were at length defeated with severe loss. They effected their retreat from the field of battle to a neighbor- ing eminence, very difficult to attack, yet destitute of water and provisions. Here Dionysius blocked them up, without attempting an attack, but keeping the strictest guard round the hill during the whole remaining day and the ensuing night. The heat of the next day, with total want of water, so subdued their courage, that 1 Diodor. xiv. 103. ibe river IleHris.
 * Polybius (i. 6) gives us the true name of this river: Diodorus calls i!