CHAPTER LXXXI.
SICILIAN AFFAIRS AFTER THE DESTRUCTION OF THE ATHENIAN ARMAMENT BEFORE SYRACUSE.
Syracuse after the destruction of the Athenian armament. — Anticipation of the impending ruin of Athens — revolution at Thurii. — Syracusan squadron under Hermokrates goes to act against Athens in the Ægean. — Disappointed hopes — defeat at Kynossema — second ruinous defeat at Kyzikus. — Sufferings of the Syracusan seamen — disappointment and displeasure at Syracuse. — Banishment of Hermokrates and his colleagues. Sentence communicated by Hermokrates to the armament. — Internal state of Syracuse — constitution of Diokles. — Difficulty of determining what that constitution was. — Invasion from Carthage. — State of the Carthaginians. — Extent of Carthaginian empire — power, and population — Liby-Phœnicians. — Harsh dealing of Carthage towards her subjects. Colonies sent out from Carthage. — Military force of Carthage. — Political constitution of Carthage. — Oligarchical system and sentiment at Carthage. — Powerful families at Carthage — Mago, Hamilkar, Hasdrubal. — Quarrel between Egesta and Selinus in Sicily. — Application of Egesta to Carthage for aid — application granted — eagerness of Hannibal. — Carthaginian envoys sent to Sicily. — Hannibal crosses over to Sicily with a very large armament. He lays siege to Selinus. — Vigorous assault on Selinus — gallant resistance — the town is at length stormed. — Selinus is sacked and plundered — merciless slaughter. — Delay of the Syracusans and others in sending aid. Answer of Hannibal to their embassy. — Hannibal marches to Himera and besieges it. Aid from Syracuse under Diokles — sally from Himera. Hannibal destroys Himera, and slaughters three thousand prisoners, as an expiation to the memory of his grandfather. — Alarm throughout the Greeks of Sicily — Hannibal dismisses his army, and returns to Carthage. — New intestine discord in Syracuse — Hermokrates comes to Sicily. — He levies troops to effect his return by force. — He is obliged to retire — he establishes himself in the ruins of Selinus, and acts against the Carthaginians. — His father attempts to reënter Syracuse, with the bones of the Syracusans slain near Himera. Banishment of Diokles. — Hermokrates tries again to penetrate into Syracuse with an armed force. — He is defeated and slain. — First appearance of Dionysius at Syracuse. — Weakness of Syracuse, arising out of this political discord — party of Hermokrates. Danger from Carthage. — Fresh invasion of Sicily, by the Carthaginians. Immense host under Hannibal and Imilkon. — Great alarm in Sicily — active preparations for defence at Agrigentum. — Grandeur, wealth, and population of Agrigentum. — The Carthaginians attack Agrigentum. They demolish the tombs near its walls. Distemper among their army. Religious terrors — sacrifice. — Syracusan reinforcement to Agrigentum, under Daphnæus. His victory over the Iberians. He declines to pursue them. — Daphnæus enters Agrigentum. Discontent against the Agrigentine generals, for having been backward in attack. They are put to death. — Privations in both armies — Hamilkar captures the provision-ships of the Syracusans — Agrigentum is evacuated. — Agrigentum taken and plundered by the Carthagians. — Terror throughout Sicily. — Bitter complaints against the Syracusan generals. — The Hermokratean party at Syracuse comes forward to subvert the government and elevate Dionysius. — Harangue of Dionysius in the Syracusan assembly against the generals, who are deposed by vote of the people, and Dionysius with others appointed in their room. — Ambitious arts of Dionysius — he intrigues against his colleagues, and frustrates all their proceedings. He procures a vote for restoring the Hermokratean exiles. — Dionysius is sent with a Syracusan reinforcement to Gela. He procures the execution or banishment of the Geloan oligarchy. — He returns to Syracuse with an increased force — he accuses his colleagues of gross treason. — Dionysius is named general, single-handed, with full powers. — Apparent repentance of the people after the vote. Stratagem of Dionysius to obtain a vote ensuring to him a body of paid guards. — March of Dionysius to Leontini. — Dionysius establishes himself at Syracuse as despot. — Dionysius as despot — the means whereby he attained the power.
CHAPTER LXXXII.
SICILY DURING THE DESPOTISM OF THE ELDER DIONYSIUS AT SYRACUSE.
Imilkon with the Carthaginian army marches from Agrigentum to attack Gela. — Brave defence of the Geloans — Dionysius arrives with an army to relieve them. — Plan of Dionysius for a general attack on the Carthaginian army. — He is defeated and obliged to retreat. — He evacuates Gela and Kamarina — flight of the population of both places, which are taken and sacked by the Carthaginians. — Indignation and charges of treachery against Dionysius. — Mutiny of the Syracusan horsemen — they ride off to Syracuse, and declare against Dionysius. — Their imprudence. Dionysius master of Syracuse. — Propositions of peace come from Imilkon. Terms of peace. — Collusion of Dionysius with the Carthaginians, who confirm his dominion over Syracuse. Pestilence in the Carthaginian army. — Near coincidence, in time, of this peace, with the victory of Lysander at Ægospotami — sympathy of Sparta with Dionysius. — Depressed condition of the towns of Southern Sicily, from Cape Pachynus to Lilybæum. — Strong position of Dionysius. — Strong fortifications and other buildings erected by Dionysius, in and about Ortygia. — He assigns houses in Ortygia to his soldiers and partisans — he distributes the lands of Syracuse anew. — Exorbitant exactions of Dionysius — discontent at Syracuse. — Dionysius marches out of Syracuse against the Sikels — mutiny of the Syracusan soldiers at Herbesa — Dorikus the commander is slain. — The Syracusan insurgents, with assistance from Rhegium and Messênê, besiege Dionysius in Ortygia. — Despair of Dionysius — he applies to a body of Campanians in the Carthaginian service, for aid. — He amuses the assailants with feigned submission — arrival of the Campanians — victory of Dionysius. — Dionysius strengthens his despotism more than before — assistance lent to him by the Spartan Aristus — Nikoteles the Corinthian is put to death. — He disarms the Syracusan citizens — strengthens the fortifications of Ortygia — augments his mercenary force. — Dionysius conquers Naxus, Katana, and Leontini. — Great power of Dionysius. Foundation of Alæsa by Archonides. — Resolution of Dionysius to make war upon Carthage. — Locality of Syracuse — danger to which the town had been exposed, in the Athenian siege. — Additional fortifications made by Dionysius along the northern ridge of the cliffs of Epipolæ, up the Euryalus. — Popularity of the work — efforts made by all the Syracusans as well as by Dionysius himself. — Preparations of Dionysius for aggressive war against the Carthaginians. — Improvement in the behavior of Dionysius towards the Syracusans. — His conciliatory offers to other Grecian cities in Sicily. Hostile sentiment of the Rhegines towards him. Their application to Messênê. — He makes peace with Messênê and Rhegium. — He desires to marry a Rhegine wife. His proposition is declined by the city. He is greatly incensed. — He makes a proposition to marry a wife from Lokri — his wish is granted — he marries a Lokrian maiden named Doris. — Immense warlike equipment of Dionysius at Syracuse — arms, engines, etc. — Naval preparations in the harbor of Syracuse. Enlargement of the bulk of ships of war — quadriremes and quinqueremes. — General sympathy of the Syracusans in his projects against Carthage. — He hires soldiers from all quarters. — He celebrates his nuptials with two wives on the same day — Doris and Aristomachê. Temporary good feeling at Syracuse towards him. — He convokes the Syracusan assembly, and exhorts them to war against Carthage. — He desires to arrest the emigration of those who were less afraid of the Carthaginian dominion than of his. — He grants permission to plunder the Carthaginian residents and ships at Syracuse. Alarm at Carthage — suffering in Africa from the pestilence. — Dionysius marches out from Syracuse with a prodigious army against the Carthaginians in Sicily. — Insurrection against Carthage, among the Sicilian Greeks subject to her. Terrible tortures inflicted on the Carthaginians. — Dionysius besieges the Carthaginian seaport Motyê. — Situation of Motyê — operations of the siege — vigorous defence. — Dionysius overruns the neighboring dependencies of Carthage — doubtful result of the siege of Motyê — appearance of Imilkon with a Carthaginian fleet — he is obliged to return. — Desperate defence of Motyê. It is at length taken by a nocturnal attack. — Plunder of Motyê — the inhabitants either slaughtered or sold for slaves. — Farther operations of Dionysius. — Arrival of Imilkon with a Carthaginian armament — his successful operations — he retakes Motyê. — Dionysius retires to Syracuse. — Imilkon captures Messênê. — Revolt of the Sikels from Dionysius. Commencement of Tauromenium. — Provisions of Dionysius for the defence of Syracuse — he strengthens Leontini — he advances to Katana with his land-army as well as his fleet. — Naval battle off Katana — great victory of the Carthaginian fleet under Magon. — Arrival of Imilkon to join the fleet of Magon near Katana — fruitless invitation to the Campanians of Ætna. — Dionysius retreats to Syracuse — discontent of his army. — Imilkon marches close up to Syracuse — the Carthaginian fleet come up to occupy the Great Harbor — their imposing entry. Fortified position of Imilkon near the Harbor. — Imilkon plunders the suburb of Achradina — blockades Syracuse by sea. — Naval victory gained by the Syracusan fleet during the absence of Dionysius. — Effect of this victory in exalting the spirits of the Syracusans. — Public meeting convened by Dionysius — mutinous spirit against him — vehement speech by Thedorus. — Sympathy excited by the speech in the Syracusan assembly. — The Spartan Pharakidas upholds Dionysius — who finally dismisses the assembly, and silences the adverse movement. — Alliance of Sparta with Dionysius — suitable to her general policy at the time. The emancipation of Syracuse depended upon Pharakidas. — Dionysius tries to gain popularity. — Terrific pestilence among the Carthaginian army before Syracuse. — Dionysius attacks the Carthaginian camp. He deliberately sacrifices a detachment of his mercenaries. — Success of Dionysius, both by sea and by land, against the Syracusan position. — Conflagration of the Carthaginian camp — exultation at Syracuse. — Imilkon concludes a secret treaty with Dionysius, to be allowed to escape with the Carthaginians, on condition of abandoning his remaining army. Destruction of the remaining Carthaginian army, except Sikels and Iberians. — Distress at Carthage — miserable end of Imilkon. — Danger of Carthage — anger and revolt of her African subjects — at length put down.