Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.5, 1865).djvu/291

 DION. 283 a fair and clear day, and having got their party together, were proceeding to an election, when a draught-ox, who was used to the crowd and noise of the streets, but for some reason or other grew unruly to his driver, breaking from his yoke, ran furiously into the theatre where they were assembled, and set the people flying and running in all directions before him in the greatest disorder and con- fusion; and from thence went on, leaping and rushing about, over all that part of the city which the enemies afterwards made themselves masters of However, the Sj'racusans, not regarding all this, elected five and twenty captains, and, among the rest, Heraclides ; and underhand tampered with Dion's men, promising, if they would desert him, and enlist themselves in their service, to make them citizens of S^^acuse, with all the privileges of na- tives. But they would not hear the projjosals, but, to show then fidelity and courage, with their swords in their hands, placing Dion for his secmrity in the midst of their battahon, conveyed him out of the city, not offering vio- lence to any one, but upbraiding those they met with their baseness and ingratitude. The citizens, seeing they were but few, and did not offer any violence, despised them ; and, supposing that with their large nmnbers they might with ease overpower and cut them off before they got out of the city, fell upon them in the rear. Here Dion was in a great strait, being necessitated either to fight against his own countrymen, or tamely suffer himself and his faithful soldiers to be cut in pieces. He used many entreaties to the Syracusans, stretching out his hands towards the castle, that was full of their enemies, and showing them the soldiers, who in great numbers appeared on the walls and watched what was doing. But when no persuasions could divert the im- pulse of the multitude, and the whole mass, like the sea in a stonn. seemed to be driven before the breath of the