Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/473

 Ti'VI'K^KS OF AGATIIOKLES IN AFIMCA. 441 were not citizen militia, but practised soldiei's ; for the most part exiles, driven from their homes by the distractions and violences of the Agathoklean sera.^ For military purposes, both he and his soldiers were far more strenuous and effective than the Agri- gentines under Xenodokus had been. He not only kept the field against Agathokles, but several times offered him battle, which the despot did not feel confidence enough to accept. Agathokles could do no more than maintain himself in Syracuse, while the Sicilian cities generally were put in security against his aggressions. Amidst tliis unprosperous course of affairs in Sicily, Agath- okles received messengers from his son, reporting the defeats in Africa. Preparing immediately to revisit that country, he was fortunate enough to obtain a reinforcement of Tyrrhenian ships of war, which enabled him to overcome the Carthaginian block- ading squadron at the mouth of the Syracusan harbor. A clear passage to Africa was thus secured for himself, together with ample supplies of imported provisions for the Syrac-usans.^ Though still unable to combat Deinokrates in the field, Agath- okles was emboldened by his recent naval victory to send forth Leptines with a force to invade the Agrigentines — the jealous rivals, rather than the allies, of Deinokrates. The Agrigentine army — under the general Xenodokus, whom Leptines had be- fore defeated — consisted of citizen militia mustered on the occa- sion ; while the Agathoklean mercenaries, conducted by Lep- tines, had made arms a profession, and were used to fighting as well as to hardships.^ Here as elsewhere in Greece, we find the civic and patriotic energy trampled down by professional soldier- ship, and reduced to operate only as an obsequious instrument for administrative details. Xenodokus, conscious of the inferiority of his Agrigentine force, was reluctant to hazard a battle. Driven to this impru- dence by the taunts of his soldiers, he was defeated a second time by Leptines, and became so apprehensive of the wrath of the Agrigentines, that he thought it expedient to retire to Gela. ^ Diodor. xx. 57. koI ttuvtuv tovtuv Iv <j)vyaic ical jie'AiTaiQ tov izovelt GX'vex''-'^ yeyovoTuv, etc. * Diodor. xx. CI, fi9!. ' Diodor. xx. G2.