Plutarch: Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans
send into Peloponnesus for him whatever of his property or
servants they thought fit.
Dion was very rich, and had his house furnished with little less
than royal splendor and magnificence. These valuables his
friends packed up and conveyed to him, besides many rich
presents which were sent him by the women and his adherents. So
that, so far as wealth and riches went, he made a noble
appearance among the Greeks, and they might judge, by the
affluence of the exile, what was the power of the tyrant.
Dionysius immediately removed Plato into the castle, designing,
under color of an honorable and kind reception, to set a guard
upon him, lest he should follow Dion, and declare to the world
in his behalf, how injuriously he had been dealt with. And,
moreover, time and conversation (as wild beasts by use grow tame
and tractable) had brought Dionysius to endure Plato's company
and discourse, so that he began to love the philosopher, but
with such an affection as had something of the tyrant in it,
requiring of Plato that he should, in return of his kindness,
love him only, and attend to him above all other men; being
ready to permit to his care the chief management of affairs, and
even the government, too, upon condition that he would not
prefer Dion's friendship before his. This extravagant
affection was a great trouble to Plato, for it was accompanied
with petulant and jealous humors, like the fond passions of
those that are desperately in love; frequently he was angry and
fell out with him, and presently begged and entreated to be
friends again. He was beyond measure desirous to be Plato's
scholar, and to proceed in the study of philosophy, and yet he
was ashamed of it with those who spoke against it and professed
to think it would ruin him.
But a war about this time breaking out, he sent Plato away,
promising him in the summer to recall Dion, though in this he
broke his word at once; nevertheless, he remitted to him his
revenues, desiring Plato to excuse him as to the time appointed,
because of the war, but, as soon as he had settled a peace, he
would immediately send for Dion, requiring him in the interim to
be quiet, and not raise any disturbance, nor speak ill of him
among the Grecians. This Plato endeavored to effect, by keeping
Dion with him in the Academy, and busying him in philosophical
studies.
Dion sojourned in the Upper Town of Athens, with Callippus, one
of his acquaintance; but for his pleasure he bought a seat in
the country, which afterwards, when he went into Sicily, he gave
to Speusippus, who had been his most frequent companion while
he was at Athens, Plato so arranging it, with the hope that
Dion's austere temper might be softened by agreeable company,
with an occasional mixture of seasonable mirth. For Speusippus
was of the character to afford him this; we find him spoken of
in Timon's Silli, as "good at a jest." And Plato himself, as
it happened, being called upon to furnish a chorus of boys, Dion
took upon him the ordering and management of it, and defrayed
the whole expense, Plato giving him this opportunity to oblige
the Athenians, which was likely to procure his friend more
kindness than himself credit. Dion went also to see several
other cities, visiting the noblest and most statemanlike persons
in Greece, and joining in their recreations and entertainments
in their times of festival. In all which, no sort of vulgar
ignorance, or tyrannic assumption, or luxuriousness was remarked
in him; but, on the contrary, a great deal of temperance,
generosity, and courage, and a well-becoming taste for reasoning
and philosophic discourses. By which means he gained the love
and admiration of all men, and in many cities had public honors
decreed him; the Lacedaemonians making him a citizen of Sparta,
without regard to the displeasure of Dionysius, though at that
time he was aiding them in their wars against the Thebans.
It is related that once, upon invitation, he went to pay a visit
to Ptoeodorus the Megarian, a man, it would seem, of wealth and
importance; and when, on account of the concourse of people
about his doors, and the press of business, it was very
troublesome and difficult to get access to him, turning about to
his friends who seemed concerned and angry at it, "What reason,"
said he, "have we to blame Ptoeodorus, when we ourselves used to
do no better when we were at Syracuse?"
After some little time, Dionysius, envying Dion, and jealous of
the favor and interest he had among the Grecians, put a stop
upon his incomes, and no longer sent him his revenues, making
his own commissioners trustees of the estate. But, endeavoring
to obviate the ill-will and discredit which, upon Plato's
account, might accrue to him among the philosophers, he
collected in his court many reputed learned men; and,
ambitiously desiring to surpass them in their debates he was
forced to make use, often incorrectly, of arguments he had
picked up from Plato. And now he wished for his company again,
repenting he had not made better use of it when he had it, and
had given no greater heed to his admirable lessons. Like a
tyrant, therefore, inconsiderate in his desires, headstrong and
violent in whatever he took a will to, on a sudden he was
eagerly set on the design of recalling him, and left no stone
unturned, but addressed himself to Archytas the Pythagorean (his
acquaintance and friendly relations with whom owed their origin
to Plato), and persuaded him to stand as surety for his
engagements, and to request Plato to revisit Sicily.
Archytas therefore sent Archedemus, and Dionysius some galleys,
with divers friends, to entreat his return; moreover, he wrote
to him himself expressly and in plain terms, that Dion must
never look for any favor or kindness, if Plato would not be
prevailed with to come into Sicily; but if Plato did come, Dion
should be assured of whatever he desired. Dion also received
letters full of solicitations from his sister and his wife,
urging him to beg Plato to gratify Dionysius in this request,
and not give him an excuse for further ill-doing. So that, as
Plato says of himself, the third time he set sail for the Strait
of Scylla,
"Venturing again Charybdis's dangerous gulf."
This arrival brought great joy to Dionysius, and no less hopes
to the Sicilians, who were earnest in their prayers and good
wishes that Plato might get the better of Philistus, and
philosophy triumph over tyranny. Neither was he unbefriended by
the women, who studied to oblige him; and he had with Dionysius
that peculiar credit which no man else ever obtained, namely,
liberty to come into his presence without being examined or
searched. When he would have given him a considerable sum of
money, and, on several repeated occasions, made fresh offers,
which Plato as often declined, Aristippus the Cyrenaean, then
present, said that Dionysius was very safe in his munificence,
he gave little to those who were ready to take all they could
get, and a great deal to Plato, who would accept of nothing.
After the first compliments of kindness were over, when Plato
began to discourse of Dion, he was at first diverted by excuses
for delay, followed soon after by complaints and disgusts,
though not as yet observable to others, Dionysius endeavoring to
conceal them, and, by other civilities and honorable usage, to
draw him off from his affection to Dion. And for some time
Plato himself was careful not to let anything of this dishonesty
and breach of promise appear, but bore with it, and dissembled
his annoyance. While matters stood thus between them, and, as
they thought, they were unobserved and undiscovered, Helicon the
Cyzicenian, one of Plato's followers, foretold an eclipse of the
sun, which happened according to his prediction; for which he
was much admired by the tyrant, and rewarded with a talent of
silver; whereupon Aristippus, jesting with some others of the
philosophers, told them, he also could predict something
extraordinary; and on their entreating him to declare it, "I
foretell," said he, "that before long there will be a quarrel
between Dionysius and Plato."
At length, Dionysius made sale of Dion's estate, and converted
the money to his own use, and removed Plato from an apartment he
had in the gardens of the palace to lodgings among the guards he
kept in pay, who from the first had hated Plato, and sought
opportunity to make away with him, supposing he advised
Dionysius to lay down the government and disband his soldiers.
When Archytas understood the danger he was in, he immediately
sent a galley with messengers to demand him of Dionysius;
alleging that he stood engaged for his safety, upon the
confidence of which Plato had come to Sicily. Dionysius, to
palliate his secret hatred, before Plato came away, treated him
with great entertainments and all seeming demonstrations of
kindness, but could not forbear breaking out one day into the
expression, "No doubt, Plato, when you are at home among the
philosophers, your companions, you will complain of me, and
reckon up a great many of my faults." To which Plato answered
with a smile, "The Academy will never, I trust, be at such a
loss for subjects to discuss as to seek one in you." Thus, they
say, Plato was dismissed; but his own writings do not altogether
agree with this account.
Dion was angry at all this, and not long after declared open
enmity to Dionysius, on hearing what had been done with his
wife; on which matter Plato, also, had had some confidential
correspondence with Dionysius. Thus it was. After Dion's
banishment, Dionysius, when he sent Plato back, had desired him
to ask Dion privately, if he would be averse to his wife's
marrying another man, For there went a report, whether true, or
raised by Dion's enemies, that his marriage was not pleasing to
him, and that he lived with his wife on uneasy terms. When
Plato therefore came to Athens, and had mentioned the subject to
Dion, he wrote a letter to Dionysius, speaking of other matters
openly, but on this in language expressly designed to be
understood by him alone, to the effect that he had talked with
Dion about the business, and that it was evident he would highly
resent the affront, if it should be put into execution. At that
time, therefore, while there were yet great hopes of an
accommodation, he took no new steps with his sister, suffering
her to live with Dion's child. But when things were come to
that pass, that no reconciliation could be expected, and Plato,
after his second visit, was again sent away in displeasure, he
then forced Arete, against her will, to marry Timocrates, one of
his favorites; in this action coming short even of his father's
justice and lenity; for he, when Polyxenus, the husband of his
sister, Theste, became his enemy, and fled in alarm out of
Sicily, sent for his sister, and taxed her, that, being privy to
her husband's flight, she had not declared it to him. But the
lady, confident and fearless, made him this reply: "Do you
believe me, brother, so bad a wife, or so timorous a woman,
that, having known my husband's flight, I would not have borne
him company, and shared his fortunes? I knew nothing of it;
since otherwise it had been my better lot to be called the wife
of the exile Polyxenus, than the sister of the tyrant
Dionysius." It is said, he admired her free and ready answer,
as did the Syracusans, also, her courage and virtue, insomuch
that she retained her dignity and princely retinue after the
dissolution of the tyranny, and, when she died, the citizens, by
public decree, attended the solemnity of her funeral. And the
story, though a digression from the present purpose, was well
worth the telling.
From this time, Dion set his mind upon warlike measures; with