The Historical Library of Diodorus the Sicilian/Book XIII/Chapter XIII

Chapter XIII

 * The Syracusan officers accused. Dionysius made general of the Syracusans. He moves to have the exiles recalled. He is invested with the sole command. At length, by several artifices, he gains the sovereignty.

AMILCAR having gained the city after eight months siege, a little before the winter solstice, did not presently sack it, to the end the soldiers might quarter there all the winter. When the ruin of Agrigentum was noised abroad, the whole island was struck with such terror that some of the Sicilians fled to Syracuse, and others transported themselves, their wives, children, and moveables, into Italy. When the Agrigentines that had escaped came to Syracuse, they accused the commanders, affirming that they had betrayed their country into the enemy's hand; but the Syracusans cast the blame upon the other Sicilians, because they chose such a sort of officers as endangered the loss of all Sicily by their treachery.

But when a senate was called at Syracuse, they were in such a consternation as none durst move or advise any thing concerning the war. And being all thus at a stand, Dionysius, the son of Hermocrates, renewed the accusation against the officers__That they had betrayed Agrigentum to the Carthaginians; and stirred up the people forthwith to take revenge, and not to wait for formalities of law in execution of justice. But Dionysius being fined according to law by the magistrates, as a disturber of the public peace, Philiatus (who afterwards wrote a history, a very rich man) paid the fine for him, and bid him speak his mind freely, and promised him he would pay whatever was imposed upon him, if they fined him all the day long.

Dionysius being thus encouraged, he stirred up the people, and filled the assembly with tumult by his criminations, charging the commanders that, for bribes, they had drawn off and forsaken the Agrigentines. He likewise accused many others of the best of the citizens, traducing them that they aimed to introduce an oligarchy; and told the senate__That commanders were not to be chosen according to their greatness in power, but according to the good-will and regard they bore towards the people: for the great ones lording it over them, had them in contempt, and enriched themselves by the losses of their country; but men of low fortunes never attempt any thing of such a nature, knowing their own disability.

When he had spoken what he had designed, and so agreeable to the humour of the people, he set all the assembly on a flame; for the people before bore a secret hatred to the commanders, because they were suspected to have dealt falsely in the management of the war; and now being the more exasperated by the speech of Dionysius, they forthwith deprived them of their commands, and chose others in their room, amongst whom was Dionysius, a man of great esteem and reputation with the Syracusans, for his approved valour in several battles against the Carthaginians.

Having gained this step of preferment, he contrived all ways imaginable how to advance to the sovereign power over his country; for after he was invested with the command, he never associated with the other commanders, nor joined with them in any council of war. In the mean time he caused rumours to be spread abroad, that they kept secret correspondence with the enemy, hoping thereby to get them laid aside, and so to have the sole command of the army lodged in himself. While he was executing these projects, the most prudent citizens suspected him, and every assembly gave very hard and ill words. On the other hand the common people, ignorant of his deceit and fraud, praised every thing he did, and published every where, that now at length they had got a faithful and constant guardian and defender of the city.

The consultations concerning preparations for war being very frequent, and Dionysius discerning that the Syracusans were in a great fright, he advised to recal the exiles: for he said it was a very absurd thing to receive aids of strangers from Italy and Peloponnesus, and yet to be backward in making use of their own countrymen to withstand the common danger, who are solicited by the enemy with great promises of reward to join with them, and yet are content to wander up and down amongst strangers, and die rather than do any thing prejudicial to their country. For though they were banished for stirring up sedition in the city, yet such kindness shewn them, would in gratitude oblige them to fight cheerfully for their country. When he had spoken many things to this purpose, he at length procured the suffrages of the people; for none of his colleagues durst contradict him, for that they both feared the rage of the people, and likewise plainly saw, that nothing would redound thence but hatred to themselves, and more love and favour to him.

Dionysius did this because he looked upon the exiles to be men fit for his purpose, such as were given to change, and therefore ready tools to make use of to serve his ambition; who would delight to see their enemies throats cut, their goods and estates confiscated, and themselves restored. The decree, therefore, for the recalling of the banished being published, they presently returned.

And now letters coming from Gela to desire assistance to be speedily sent them, Dionysius made use of this fair opportunity for the carrying on his design; for he forthwith marched to Gela with two thousand foot, and four hundred horse, where Dexippus the Lacedæmonian was governor, with a strong garrison: when he found the city in a seditious uproar raised by some against the people, he condemns them that were accused in a public assembly, puts them to death, and confiscates their estates; and with part of the money paid the soldiers that were in garrison under Dexippus, all their old arrears, and the rest he distributed amongst the soldiers that came with him from Syracuse, declaring their pay ordered by the city should be double. By this means he won both the hearts of the soldiers at Gela, and of those that went with him thither. The Gelians likewise cried him up to the skies, as one that had freed them from slavery: so that out of envy to the great men of the city, they decreed the supreme power to Dionysius: upon which they sent ambassadors to Syracuse, to publish there his praises, and likewise to shew the decrees of the city, by which they had honoured him with many marks of respect.

In the mean time Dionysius endeavoured to bring over Dexippus into his councils, but not being able to prevail, he determined to return to Syracuse with all his forces: but the Gelians hearing that the Carthaginians had determined to set upon their city with their whole power, before any other, earnestly entreated Dionysius that he would not leave them, nor suffer their city to undergo the same calamity with that of Agrigentum. To whom he promised to return in a short time with greater forces; and so left Gela.

Afterwards, when the people came from the theatre, from the plays, Dionysius at that very hour returned into Syracuse; whereupon the citizens came thronging about him, and inquired what news he brought concerning the Carthaginians: to whom he answered__That he had nothing to say of them, in regard their own officers and governors were more mischievous to the commonwealth than the enemies themselves; for whilst the citizens, led away by their flatteries, were diverted with sports and plays, they themselves empoverished the commonwealth, and defrauded the soldiers of their pay. And now that the enemy at this very time is making incredible preparation for war, and are even upon the borders of Syracuse, with a mighty army, yet it is not at all by them regarded. To what end they acted thus he suspected long since, but now he saw clearly their drift: for Amilcar, he said, had sent by an herald to him, pretending to redeem some captives, but in truth secretly to persuade him not to use that authority he had, to pry too narrowly into things that were in doing, or at least not to obstruct them, if he was not willing to join in the execution. Therefore he declared he was not willing any longer to be general, but was ready to lay down his commission. For it was altogether intolerable that he only should hazard the loss of all he had with the rest of the citizens, whilst others made merchandise of their country: yea, by this means he should become partaker with them in their treachery. The people being enraged by what he had said, and his words divulged through the whole army, every one went to his own house in great fear and perplexity.

The next day an assembly was called, where he loaded his fellow commanders with many accusations; and by stirring up the people against them, greatly advanced his own reputation. At length some in the assembly cried out to make him generalissimo, and not to have the thing to be done when the enemy was even battering the walls; alledging that the greatness of the war required a general that was able to do eminent service for the commonwealth; and for the traitors, it was better to inquire of them in another assembly hereafter; seeing now it was not so agreeable to the present posture of affairs. It was also remembered that heretofore, when Gelon had the sole command, they had overcome three hundred thousand Carthaginians.

Upon this the people (who are always apt to close with the worst advice) suddenly made Dionysius general, with sole and absolute power.

After things thus succeeded according to his heart's desire, he signed an order, that the soldiers should receive double pay; alleging that thereby they would be encouraged to fight more readily and cheerfully; and bade the Syracusans not trouble or disturb themselves about money, for there would be ways readily found out to bring in sufficient supplies. But when the assembly was broken up, there were many of the Syracusans that condemned what was done, as if they had had no hand in confirming it: for after they had more seriously considered the thing, they foresaw tyranny would follow. Thus, while they sought after freedom, they most imprudently placed a tyrant over their country.

Dionysius, therefore, to prevent the change of the people's minds, began to contrive how he might procure a guard for his person: if he could gain this point, he concluded he could easily fix himself in the sovereignty. Upon this he commanded all that were able to bear arms, not above forty years of age, wild thirty days provision and their arms, to march to the city of Leontium; for this city was a garrison belonging to the Syracusans, full of strangers and exiles, whom he hoped would be assistant to him, being men given to innovations; and to this he was the more encouraged, because he knew but few of the Syracusans would be there. For the better effecting of this design, he encamped all night in the field; and as he lay there, he feigned a plot against his own person, and caused a great noise and clamour to be made by his servants and attendants; upon which he fled to the castle; where, after he had kindled several fires, be sent for a strong guard, and so passed that night.

As soon as it was day, and the multitude were got together into the city, he used many probable arguments suited to the matter in hand, and brought over the people to give him liberty to choose six hundred men, such as he thought best, for his guard. And herein Dionysius is said to imitate Pisistratus the Athenian, for he, wilfully wounding himself, (as if he had been assaulted by treachery), came forthwith into the assembly, and by that means, as it is reported, got a guard from the citizens, by whose help he gained the supreme authority.

By the same fraud Dionysius, cheating the people, became absolute lord and master over his country; for he presently chose above a thousand men, such as were strong in body and low in purse, and put them in arms, and encouraged them with many large and glorious promises. Then he brought all the mercenary soldiers to an entire observance and obedience to him, by his winning and courteous speeches. He made an alteration likewise in the regiments, giving commissions to them that he could most trust. Then he sent away Dexippus the Lacedæmonian into Greece, for he suspected him, lest he should become a head to the Syracusans, in case they should take an occasion to seek to recover their liberty. And now he sends for the mercenaries from Gela, and gets together from every place all the exiles and lewd fellows, not doubting but by the help of these to establish himself in the kingdom.

After his return to Syracuse, when he had lodged his forces in the arsenal, he openly declared himself king: the Syracusans took this grievously, but were necessitated to be silent, because it was not in their power to do anything else; for the whole city was full of strangers that were in arms, and all were in fear of the Carthaginians, who had a vast army near at hand.

Dionysius now presently marries the daughter of Hermocrates, (he who had routed the Athenians in Sicily), and gave his own sister in marriage to Polyxenus, Hermocrates's brother in law. This he did to strengthen himself, by matching into an honourable family. After this, he summoned a general council, and contrived all ways imaginable, how to get rid of Daphnæus and Demarchus, the most powerful of all his adversaries.

Thus Dionysius, from a scrivener, and a man of poor and mean abstract, got the sovereignty of the greatest city among the Grecians, and maintained his dominion all the days of his life, for the space of thirty-eight years. What things he afterwards did, and how he enlarged his dominion, we shall relate in its proper place: for very probably he gained the largest dominion, and of the longest continuance of any that have ever been compassed by usurpation.

After the taking of the city of Agrigentum, the Carthaginians transported to Carthage all the dedicated things laid up in the temples; the statues and things of greatest value; and having burnt all the temples to ashes, and plundered the city, they quartered there all winter; and in the mean time furnished themselves with engines, and all sorts of weapons, with a design to besiege Gela the first thing they did the next spring.