Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/42

 16 HISTORY OF GREECE. they sent to Dionysius a herald with propositions, entreating to be allowed to depart on a stipulated raasom. But the terms were peremptorily refused ; they were ordered to lay down their arms, and surrender at discretion. Against this terrible requisition they stood out yet awhile, until the increasing pressure of physical ex- haustion and suffering drove them to surrender, about the eighth hour of the day. 1 More than ten thousand disarmed Greeks descended from the hill and denied before Dionysius, who numbered the companies as they passed with a stick. As his savage temper was well known, they expected nothing short of the harshest sentence. So much the greater was their astonishment and delight, when they found themselves treated not merely with lenity, but with generosity. 9 Dionysius released them all without even exacting a ransom ; and concluded a treaty with most of the cities to which they belonged, leaving their autonomy undisturbed. He received the warmest thanks, accompanied by votes of golden wreaths, from the prison- ers as well as from the cities ; while among the general public of Greece, the act was hailed as forming the prominent glory of his political life. 3 Such admiration was well deserved, looking to thfl laws of war then prevalent. With the Krotoniates and other Italiot Greeks (except Rhe- gium and Lokri) Dionysius had had no marked previous relations and therefore had not contracted any strong personal sentime.it either of antipathy or favor. With Rhegium and Lokri, the case was different. To the Lokrians he was strongly attached : against the Rhegines his animosity was bitter and implacable, manifest- ing itself in a more conspicuous manner by contrast with his re- cent dismissal of the Krotoniate prisoners ; a proceeding which had been probably dictated, in great part, by his anxiety to havr his hands free for the attack of isolated Rhegium. After having finished the arrangements consequent upon his victory, he marched against that city, and prepared to besiege it. The citizens, feel- 1 Diodor. xiv. 105. napeduKav avrovc nepl oytioqv upcv, f6rj ra slpara 1 Diodor. xiv. 105. Kal TTUVTUV avrov vnonTevot TUV rb drjpiutief, row- UVTIOV i<puvrj TTUVTUV ETTieiKearaTOf. Strabo, vi. p. 261.
 * Diodor. xir. 105. Kal ff^ediv rotlr' Ifofc irpur-eiv iv ~<ji 'yv KuA.7i.ia ny