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 AGGRANDIZEMENT OJ AGATIIOKLES. 403 counsellors for whose misdeeds he was to be responsible. The assembly replied by conferring upon him, with unanimous accla- mations, the post of general Avith unlimited power, or despot.^ Thus was constituted a new despot of Syracuse about fifty years after the decease of the elder Dionysius, and twenty-two years after Timoleon had rooted out the Dionysian dynasty, es- tablishing on its ruins a free polity. On accepting the post, Agathokles took pains to proclaim that he would tolerate no far- ther massacre or plunder, and that his government would for the future be mild and beneficent. He particularly studied to con- ciliate the poorer citizens, to whom he promised abolition of debts and a new distribution of lands. How far he carried out this project systematically, we do not know ; but he conferred posi- tive donations on many of the poor — which he had abundant means of doing, out of the properties of the numerous exiles re- cently expelled. He was full of promises to every one, display- ing courteous and popular manners, and abstaining from all os- tentation of guards, or ceremonial attendants, or a diadem. He at the same time applied himself vigorously to strengthen his military and naval force, his magazines of arms and stores, anci his revenues. He speedily extended his authority over all the territorial domain of Syracuse, with her subject towns, and car- ried his arms successfully over many other parts of Sicily.^ The Carthaginian general flamilkar, whose complicity or con- nivance had helped Agathokles to this blood-stained elevation, appears to have permitted him without opposition to extend his dominion over a large portion of Sicily, and even to plunder the towns in alliance with Carthage itself. Complaints having been made to Carthage, tliis officer was superseded, and another gen- eral (also named Hamilkar) was sent in his place. "VYc are un- able to trace in detail the proceedings of Agathokles during the first years of his despotism ; but he went on enlarging his sway over the neighboring cities, while the Syracusan exiles, whom he had expelled, found a home partly at Agrigentum (under Dei- nokrates), partly at Messene. About the year 314 b. c, we hear that he made an attempt on Messene, which he was on the point of seizing, had he not been stopped by the interference of the ' Dioilcr. xix. 9. '^ Diodor. xix. 9.; Juslin, xxii. 2.