Plutarch: Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans
men, and made them free of their city; sending envoys to the
Syracusans, to require them to do the soldiers justice, who, in
return, sent back other agents to accuse Dion. But when a
general meeting of the confederates met in the town of the
Leontines, and the matter was heard and debated, the Syracusans
were held to be in fault. They, however, refused to stand to
the award of their allies, following their own conceit, and
making it their pride to listen to no one, and not to have any
commanders but those who would fear and obey the people.
About this time, Dionysius sent in a fleet, under the command of
Nypsius the Neapolitan, with provisions and pay for the
garrison. The Syracusans fought him, had the better, and took
four of his ships; but they made very ill use of their good
success, and, for want of good discipline, fell in their joy to
drinking and feasting in an extravagant manner, with so little
regard to their main interest, that, when they thought
themselves sure of taking the castle, they actually lost their
city. Nypsius, seeing the citizens in this general disorder,
spending day and night in their drunken singing and reveling,
and their commanders well pleased with the frolic, or at least
not daring to try and give any orders to men in their drink,
took advantage of this opportunity, made a sally, and stormed
their works; and, having made his way through these, let his
barbarians loose upon the city, giving up it and all that were
in it to their pleasure.
The Syracusans quickly saw their folly and misfortune, but could
not, in the distraction they were in, so soon redress it. The
city was in actual process of being sacked, the enemy putting
the men to the sword, demolishing the fortifications, and
dragging the women and children with lamentable shrieks and
cries prisoners into the castle. The commanders, giving all for
lost, were not able to put the citizens in any tolerable posture
of defense, finding them confusedly mixed up and scattered among
the enemy. While they were in this condition, and the Achradina
in danger to be taken, everyone was sensible who he was in whom
all their remaining hopes rested, but no man for shame durst
name Dion, whom they had so ungratefully and foolishly dealt
with. Necessity at last forcing them, some of the auxiliary
troops and horsemen cried out, "Send for Dion and his
Peloponnesians from the Leontines." No sooner was the venture
made and the name heard among the people, but they gave a shout
for joy, and, with tears in their eyes, wished him there, that
they might once again see that leader at the head of them, whose
courage and bravery in the worst of dangers they well
remembered, calling to mind not only with what an undaunted
spirit he always behaved himself, but also with what courage and
confidence he inspired them when he led them against the enemy.
They immediately, therefore, dispatched Archonides and Telesides
of the confederate troops, and of the horsemen Hellanicus and
four others. These, traversing the road between at their
horses' full speed, reached the town of the Leontines in the
evening. The first thing they did was to leap from their horses
and fall at Dion's feet, relating with tears the sad condition
the Syracusans were in. Many of the Leontines and
Peloponnesians began to throng about them, guessing by their
speed and the manner of their address that something
extraordinary had occurred.
Dion at once led the way to the assembly, and, the people being
gathered together in a very little time, Archonides and
Hellanicus and the others came in among them, and in short
declared the misery and distress of the Syracusans, begging the
foreign soldiers to forget the injuries they had received, and
assist the afflicted, who had suffered more for the wrong they
had done, than they themselves who received it would (had it
been in their power) have inflicted upon them. When they had
made an end, there was a profound silence in the theater; Dion
then stood up, and began to speak, but tears stopped his words;
his soldiers were troubled at his grief, but bade him take good
courage and proceed. When he had recovered himself a little,
therefore, "Men of Peloponnesus," he said, "and of the
confederacy, I asked for your presence here, that you might
consider your own interests. For myself, I have no interests to
consult while Syracuse is perishing, and, though I may not save
it from destruction, I will nevertheless hasten thither, and be
buried in the ruins of my country. Yet if you can find in your
hearts to assist us, the most inconsiderate and unfortunate of
men, you may to your eternal honor again retrieve this unhappy
city. But if the Syracusans can obtain no more pity nor relief
from you, may the gods reward you for what you have formerly
valiantly done for them, and for your kindness to Dion, of whom
speak hereafter as one who deserted you not when you were
injured and abused, nor afterwards forsook his fellow-citizens
in their afflictions and misfortunes."
Before he had yet ended his speech, the soldiers leapt up, and
with a great shout testified their readiness for the service,
crying out, to march immediately to the relief of the city. The
Syracusan messengers hugged and embraced them, praying the Gods
to send down blessings upon Dion and the Peloponnesians. When
the noise was pretty well over, Dion gave orders that all should
go to their quarters to prepare for their march, and, having
refreshed themselves, come ready armed to their rendezvous in
the place where they now were, resolving that very night to
attempt the rescue.
Now at Syracuse, Dionysius's soldiers, as long as day continued,
ransacked the city, and did all the mischief they could; but
when night came on, they retired into the castle, having lost
some few of their number. At which the factious ringleaders
taking heart, and hoping the enemy would rest content with what
they had done and make no further attempt upon them, persuaded
the people again to reject Dion, and, if he came with the
foreign soldiers, not to admit him; advising them not to yield,
as inferior to them in point of honor and courage, but to save
their city and defend their liberties and properties themselves.
The populace, therefore, and their leaders sent messengers to
Dion to forbid him to advance, while the noble citizens and the
horse sent others to him to desire him to hasten his march; for
which reason he slacked his pace, yet did not remit his advance.
And in the course of the night, the faction that was against him
set a guard upon the gates of the city to hinder him from coming
in. But Nypsius made another sally out of the castle with a far
greater number of men, and those far more bold and eager than
before, who quite ruined what of the rampart was left standing,
and fell in, pell-mell, to sack and ravage the city. The
slaughter was now very great, not only of the men, but of the
women also and children; for they regarded not so much the
plunder, as to destroy and kill all they met. For Dionysius,
despairing to regain the kingdom, and mortally hating the
Syracusans, resolved to bury his lost sovereignty in the ruin
and desolation of Syracuse. The soldiers, therefore, to
anticipate Dion's succors, resolved upon the most complete and
ready way of destruction, to lay the city in ashes, firing all
at hand with torches and lamps, and at distance with flaming
arrows, shot from their bows. The citizens fled every way
before them; they who, to avoid the fire, forsook their houses
were taken in the streets and put to the sword; they who betook
themselves for refuge into the houses were forced out again by
the flames, many buildings being now in a blaze, and many
falling in ruins upon them as they fled past.
This fresh misfortune by general consent opened the gates for
Dion. He had given up his rapid advance, when he received
advice that the enemies were retreated into the castle; but, in
the morning, some horse brought him the news of another assault,
and, soon after, some of those who before opposed his coming
fled now to him, to entreat him he would hasten his relief. The
pressure increasing, Heraclides sent his brother, and after him
his uncle, Theodotes, to beg him to help them: for that now they
were not able to resist any longer; he himself was wounded, and
the greatest part of the city either in ruins or in flames.
When Dion met this sad news, he was about sixty furlongs distant
from the city. When he had acquainted the soldiers with the
exigency, and exhorted them to behave themselves like men, the
army no longer marched but ran forwards, and by the way were met
by messengers upon messengers entreating them to make haste. By
the wonderful eagerness of the soldiers and their extraordinary
speed, Dion quickly came to the city and entered what is called
the Hecatompedon, sending his light-armed men at once to charge
the enemy, that, seeing them, the Syracusans might take courage.
In the meantime, he drew up in good order his full-armed men
and all the citizens that came in and joined him; forming his
battalions deep, and distributing his officers in many separate
commands, that he might, be able to attack from many quarters at
once, and so he more alarming to the enemy.
So, having made his arrangements and offered vows to the gods,
when he was seen in the streets advancing at the head of his men
to engage the enemy, a confused noise of shouts,
congratulations, vows, and prayers was raised by the Syracusans,
who now called Dion their deliverer and tutelar deity, and his
soldiers their friends, brethren, and fellow-citizens. And,
indeed, at that moment, none seemed to regard themselves, or
value their safeties, but to be concerned more for Dion's life
than for all their own together, as he marched at the head of
them to meet the danger, through blood and fire and over heaps
of dead bodies that lay in his way.
And indeed the posture of the enemy was in appearance terrible;
for they were flushed and ferocious with victory, and had posted
themselves very advantageously along the demolished works, which
made the access to them very hazardous and difficult. Yet that
which disturbed Dion's soldiers most was the apprehension they
were in of the fire, which made their march very trouble some
and difficult; for the houses being in flames on al] sides, they
were met everywhere with the blaze, and, treading upon burning
ruins and every minute in danger of being overwhelmed with
falling houses, through clouds of ashes and smoke they labored
hard to keep their order and maintain their ranks. When they
came near to the enemy, the approach was so narrow and uneven
that but few of them could engage at a time; but at length, with
loud cheers and much zeal on the part of the Syracusans,
encouraging them and joining with them, they beat off Nypsius's
men, and put them to flight. Most of them escaped into the
castle, which was near at hand; all that could not get in were
pursued and picked up here and there by the soldiers, and put to
the sword. The present exigency, however, did not suffer the
citizens to take immediate benefit of their victory in such
mutual congratulations and embraces as became so great a
success; for now all were busily employed to save what houses
were left standing, laboring hard all night, and scarcely so
could master the fire.
The next day, not one of the popular haranguers durst stay in
the city, but all of them, knowing their own guilt, by their
flight confessed it, and secured their lives. Only Heraclides
and Theodotes went voluntarily and surrendered themselves to
Dion, acknowledging that they had wronged him, and begging he
would be kinder to them than they had been just to him; adding,