Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/59

 V RATH OF DIONYSIUS. 33 when we are told that the badness of the poems l caused them to be received with opprobrious ridicule, in spite of the excellence of the recitation, it is easy to see that the hatred intended for the person of Dionysius was discharged upon his verses. Of course the hissers and hooters would make it clearly understood what they really meant, and would indulge in the full license of heap- ing curses upon his name and acts. Neither the best reciters of Greece, nor the best poems even of Sophokles or Pindar, could have any chance against such predetermined antipathy. And the whole scene would end in the keenest disappointment and hu- miliation, inflicted upon the Syracusan envoys as well as upon the actors ; being the only channel through which the retributive chas- tisement of Hellas could be made to reach the author. Though not present in person at Olympia, the despot felt the chastisement in his inmost soul. The mere narrative of what had passed plunged him into an agony of sorrow, which for some time seemed to grow worse by brooding on the scene, and at length drove him nearly mad. He was smitten with intolerable consciousness of the profound hatred borne towards him, even throughout a large portion of the distant and independent Hellenic world. He fancied that this hatred was shared by all around him, and suspected every one as plotting against his life. To' such an excess of cruelty did this morbid excitement carry him, that he seized several of his best friends, under false accusations, or surmises, and caused them to be slain. 2 Even his brother Lep- tines, and his ancient partisan Philistus, men who had devoted their lives first to his exaultation, and afterwards to his service, did not escape. Having given umbrage to him by an intermar riage between their families made without his privity, both were banished from Syracuse, and retired to Thurii in Italy, where they received that shelter and welcome which Leptines had pecu- 1 Diodor. xiv. 109. 2 Diodor. xv. 7. 'O Je Aiovvaiof, iiKOvaaf TTJV TUV iroitifiuruv aiv, tveireaev elf virep(3o%ijv AUTTTIS. 'Aei Je i/uA/W TOV Ttudovf kmraaiv ZappuvovTOf, [taviuSrif diudeaif Karea^e ~?)v ipvxvv avrov, Kal doveli> avry UOKUV uxavTaf, rovf tpi^ovf VTruirrevev ug empovfevovTae Kal Trepaf, M rcaovro irpofflde hvxrje Kal TrapaKonrjf, ware ruv i2.uv no^oijf fj,ev tnl iv alnaif aveTielv, OVK 6/u'yot>f r"e KOI tyvyudevaev ' ev olf r/v o etc.