Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/431

 INTRIGUES AND DARING OF AGATIIOKLES. 399 Though repulsed in both of them, he nevertheless contrived to maintain a footing in Sicily, was appointed general at the town of Morgantium, and captured Leontini, within a short distance north of Syi-acuse. Some time afterwards, a revolution took place at Syracuse, whereby Sosistratus and the oligarchy were dispossessed and exiled with many of their partisans. Under the new government, Agathokles obtained his recall, and soon gained increased ascendency. The dispossessed exiles con- trived to raise forces, and to carry on a formidable war against Syracuse from without ; they even obtained assistance from the Carthaginians, so as to establish themselves at Gela, on the south- ern confines of the Syracusan territory. In the military opera- tions thus rendered necessary, Agathokles took a forward part, distinguishing liimself among the ablest and most enterprising officers. He tried, with 1000 soldiers, to surprise Gela by night; but finding the enemy on their guard, he was repulsed with loss and severely wounded ; yet by an able manccuvre he brought off all his remaining detachment. Though thus energetic against the public enemy, however, he at the same time inspired both hatred and alarm for his dangerous designs, to the Syracusans within. The Corinthian Akestorides, who had been named gen- eral of the city — probably from recollection of the distinguished services formerly rendered by the Corinthian Timoleon — be- coming persuaded that the presence of Agathokles was full of peril to the city, ordered him to depart, and provided men to as- sassinate him on the road during the night. But Agathokles, suspecting their design, disguised himself in the garb of a beggar, appointing another man to travel in the manner which would be naturally expected from himself. This substitute was slain in the dark by the assassins, Avhile Agathokles escaped by favor of his disguise. He and his partisans appear to have found shelter with the Carthaginians in Sicily.^ In the same manner, the Syracusan exile Hermokrates had attempted to extort by force his return, at the head of 3000 men, and by means of parti- sans within ; he failed and was slain — b. c. 408 (Diodor. xiii. 75). ' Diodor. xix. 5, 6. A similar stratagem is recounted of the Karian Data- mes (Cornelius Nepos, Datames, 9). That Agathokles, on leaving ^Syracuse, went to the Carthaginians, ap- pears to be implied in the words of Diodorus, c. 6 — tovq avrij npoTepov