Diodorus Siculus

BOOK XIII - The Library of History



Page 348 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 lodg'd his Forces in the Arsenal, he openly declar'd himself King: The Syracusians took this grievously, but were necessitated to be silent, because it was not in their power to do any thing 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 his Brother in Law. This he did to strengthen himself, by matching into an Honourable Family. After this, he summon'd a General Council, and contrived all ways imaginable, how to be rid of Daphneus 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 maintain'd his Dominion all the Days of his Life for the space of Thirty Eight Years. What things he afterwards did, and how he inlarged his Dominion, we shall relate in its proper Place: For very probably he gain'd the largest Dominion, and of the longest continuance of any that ever hath been compass'd by Usurpation.

After the Taking of the City 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 plunder'd the City, they quarter'd there all Winter: And in the mean time furnish'd themselves with Engines and all sorts of Weapons, with a Design to Besiege Gela, the first thing they did the next Spring.



CHAP. XIV.


The Famous Battle of Arginuse at Sea, wherein the Athenians, were Victors. The Officers accus'd for not Burying the Dead. The Speech of Diomedon. The Death of Sophocles.


THE Athenians weaken'd with continual Losses, made all Strangers and Foreigners Free of their City that would engage with them in the War. When a great multitude were Incorporated into the City, the Commanders Listed all that were fit for War, Equip'd out of a Fleet of Sixty Sail, with which (every way well provided) they sail'd to Samos, where they found other Commanders, who had brought together Fourscore more Gallies from other Islands; and having procured ten more from the Samians, they weighed Anchor, and made with their whole Fleet (consisting of an Hundred and Fifty Sail) to the Islands Arginuse, with a Design to raise the Siege at Mitylene. But Callicratides, the Lacedemonian General, having Intelligence of the Approach of the Enemy, left Etonicus with a great Force, to maintain the Siege, and sail'd himself with all Speed, with a Fleet of one Hundred and forty Sail, well Man'd, to Arginuse. These Islands were then inhabited, and had a little Town in them Peopl'd by the Eolians. They lye between Mitylene and Cuma, near to the Continent and the Promontory Catanides. The Athenians, in regard their Navy, lay not far from thence, heard time enough of the Advance of the Enemy's Fleet: yet because the Wind was very high, they wav'd fighting that day, and prepar'd to engage the next. The like did the Lacedemonians; for the Augures on both sides disswaded each from fighting. For the Head of the Lacedemonians Sacrifice, being laid upon the Shore, was suddainly wash'd away by the violence of the Waves. Upon


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