Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/432

 400 HISTORY OF GREECE. Not long afterwards, another change took place in the govern- ment of Syracuse, whereby the oligarchical exiles were recalled, and peace made with the Carthaginians. It appears that a sen- ate of 600 Avas again installed as the chief political body ; proba- bly not the same men as before, and with some democratical modifications. At the same time, negotiations were opened, through the mediation of the Carthaginian commander Hamil- kar, between the Syracusans and Agathokles. The mischiefs of intestine conflict, amidst the numerous discordant parties in the city, pressed hard upon every one, and hopes were enter- tained that all might be brought to agree in terminating them. Agathokles affected to enter cordially into these projects of amnesty and reconciliation. The Carthaginian general Hamil- kar, who had so recently aided Sosistratus and the Syracusan oligarchy, now did his best to promote the recall of Agathokles, and even made himself responsible for the good and pacific behavior of that exile. Agathokles, and the other exiles along with him were accordingly restored. A public assembly was convened in the temple of Demeter, in the presence of Hamil- kar ; where Agathokles swore by the most awful oaths, with his hands touching the altar and statue of the goddess, that he would behave as a good citizen of Syracuse, uphold faithfully the exist- ing government, and carry out the engagements of the Cartha- ginian mediators — abstaining from encroachments on the rights and possessions of Carthage in Sicily. His oaths and promises were delivered with so much apparent sincerity, accompanied by emphatic harangues, that the people were persuaded to name him general and guardian of the peace, for the purpose of realiz- ing the general aspirations towards harmony. Such appointment was recommended (it seems) by Plamilkar.^ av/iTTopev^ivTa^ i: pb q Kapxv<^oviovc (see Wesseling's note on the transla tion of 77pdc). This fact is noticed merely incidentally, in the confused narrative of Diodorus : but it brings him to a certain extent into harmony with Justin (xxii. 2), who insists much on the combination between Aga- thokles and the Carthaginians, as one of the main helps whereby he was enabled to seize the supreme power. 1 The account here given is the best which I can make out from Diodorus (xix. 5), Justin (xxii. 2), — Polyaenus (v. J, 8). The first two allude to the solemn onth taken by Agathokles — napcx&sk "V rd tt/c Mi/inrpoc itobv vnd