this battle. Historians speak differently of his death, which has occasioned my falling into a contradiction. For on one side I suppose with * Diodorus Siculus, that he was killed by the Sicilians in the battle; and on the other I say, after Herodotus, that to avoid the shame of surviving his defeat, he threw himself into the pile, in which he had sacrificed many human victims. 3525. Gelon, upon returning from his victory, repaired A. M. to the assembly without arms or guards, to give the people an account of his conduct. He was chosen king unanimously. He reigned five or six years, solely employed in the truly royal care of making his people happy. Vol. I. p. 162, &c. Vol. II. p. 186, &c. 3532. HIERO I. Hiero, the eldest of Gelon's brothers, A. M. succeeded him. The beginning of his reign was worthy of great praise. Simonides and Pindar vied with each other in celebrating him. The latter part of it did not answer the former. He reigned eleven years. Vol. III. p. 193, &c. THRASIBULUS. Thrasibulus his brother succeeded him. He rendered himself odious to all his subjects by his vices and cruelty. They expelled him the throne and city, after a reign of one year. Vol. III. p. 199. Times of Liberty. After his expulsion, Syracuse and all Sicily enjoyed their liberty for the space of almost sixty years. An annual festival was instituted to celebrate the day upon which their liberty was re-established. Syracuse attacked by the Athenians. A. M. 3543 A. M. 3544. During this interval, the Athenians, animated by A. M. the warm exhortations of Alcibiades, turned their 3588. *In the history of the Carthaginians. A. M. 3598. A. M. arms against Syracuse; this was in the sixth year of p. DIONYSIUS the elder. The reign of this prince is famous for its length of thirty-eight years; and still more for the extraordinary events with which it was attended. Vol. I. p. 167, &c. Vol. IV. p. 150, &c. Dionysius the younger. Dionysius, son of the 3632. elder Dionysius, succeeded him. He contracts a particular intimacy with Plato, and has frequeat conversations with him; who had come to his court at the request of Dion, the near relation of Dionysius. He did not long improve from the wise precepts of that philosopher, and soon abandoned himself to all the vices and excesses which attend tyranny. A. M. 3644. A. M. 3646. A. M. Besieged by Dion, he escapes from the citadel, and retires into Italy. Dion's excellent qualities. He is assassinated in his own house by Callippus. Thirteen months after the death of Dion, Hip3647. parinus, brother of Dionysius the younger, expels Callippus, and establishes himself in Syracuse. During the two years of his reign, Sicily is agitated by great commotions. A. M. Dionysius the younger taking advantage of those 3654. troubles, re-ascends the throne ten years after having quitted it. A. M. At last, reduced by Timoleon, he retires to Corinth. 3657. Vol. I. p. 175, &c. Vol. IV. p. 250, &c. A. M. Times of Liberty. Timoleon restores liberty to Syracuse. He passes 3658. the rest of his life there in a glorious retirement, beloved and honoured by all the citizens and strangers. Vol. IV. p. 261, &c. This interval of liberty was of no long duration, AGATHOCLES. Agathocles, in a short time, makes himself tyrant of Syracuse. Vol. I. p. 180, &c. He commits unparalleled cruelties. He forms one of the boldest designs related in history; carries the war into Africa; makes himself master of the strongest places, and ravages the whole. Country. After various events he perishes miserably. He reigned about twenty-eight years. Times of Liberty. A. M. 3685. Syracuse took new life again for some time, and A. M. tasted with joy the sweets of liberty. But she suffered much from the Carthaginians, who disturbed her tranquility by continual wars. 3713. She called in Pyrrhus to her aid. The rapid suc- A. M. cess of his arms at first gave him great hopes, which 3726. soon vanished. Pyrrhus by a sudden retreat plunged the Syracusans into new misfortunes. Vol. I. p. 192, &c. HIERO II. They were not happy and in tranquillity till the reign of Hiero II. which was very long, and almost always pacific. HIERONYMUS. He scarce reigned one year. His death was followed with great troubles, and the taking of Syracuse by Marcellus. After that period, what passed in Sicily to its total reduction is little remarkable. There were still some remains of war fomented in it by the partisans of tyranny, and the Carthaginians who supported them: But those wars were unproductive of any event of consequence, and Rome was soon absolute mistress of all Sicily. Half the island had been a Roman province since the treaty which put an end to the first Punic war. By that treaty, Sicily was divided into two parts; the one continued in the possession of the Romans; and the other under the government of Hiero; which last part, after the surrender of Syracuse, fell also into their hands. SECT. III. Reflections upon the government and character of the Syracusans. By the taking of Syracuse, all Sicily became a pro vince of the Roman empire: but it was not treated as the Spaniards and Carthaginians were afterwards, upon whom a certain tribute was imposed as the reward of the victory, and punishment of the vanquished: Quasi victoriæ præmium, ac pœna belli. Sicily, in submitting to the Roman people, retained all her ancient rights and customs, and obeyed them upon the same conditions she had obeyed her kings. And she certainly well deserved that privilege and distinction. She was the first of all the foreign nations that had entered into alliance and amity with the Romans; the first conquest their arms had the glory to make out of Italy; and the first country that had given them the grateful experience of commanding a foreign people. The greatest part of the Sicilian cities had expressed an unexampled attachment, fidelity, and affection for the Romans. The island was afterwards a kind of step for their troops to pass over into Africa; and Rome would not so easily have reduced the formidable power of the Carthaginians, if Sicily had not served it as a magazine, abounding *Siciliæ civitates sic in amicitiam recepimus, ut eodem jure essent, quo fuissent; eádem conditione populo R. parerent quá suis anteà paruissent. Cic. ↑ Omnium nationum exterarum princeps Sicilia se ad amicitiam fidemque populi R. applicuit: prima omnium, id quod ornamentum imperii est, provincia est appellata: prima docuit majores nostros, quàm præclarum esset exteris gentibus imperare-Itaque majoribus nostris in Africam ex hac provincia gradus imperii factus est. Neque enim tam facilè opes Carthaginis tante concidissent, nisi illud, rei frumentarie subsidium, & receptaculum classibus nostris pateret. Quare P. Africanus, Carthagine deletâ, Siculorum urbes signis monumentisque pulcherrimis exornavit; ut, quos victoria populi R. latari arbitrabatur, apud eos monumenta victoria plurima collocaret. Cic. Verr. 3. n. 2, 3. with provisions, and a secure retreat for their fleets. Hence after the taking and ruin of Carthage, Scipio. Africanus thought himself bound to adorn the cities. of Sicily with a great number of excellent paintings and curious statues; in order that a people who were so highly gratified with the success of the Roman arms. might be sensible of its effects, and retain illustrious monuments of their victories amongst them. Sicily would have been happy in being governed by the Romans, if they had always given her such magistrates as Cicero, as well acquainted as he with the obligations of his function, and like him intent, upon the due discharge of it. It is highly pleasing to hear him explain himself upon the subject; which, he does in his defence of Sicily against Verres. After having invoked the gods as witnesses of the sincerity of the sentiments he is going to express, he says: "In all the employments with which the Ro"man people have honoured me to this day, I have ever thought myself obliged, by the most sacred "ties of religion, worthily to discharge the duties of "them. When I was made quæstor, I looked upon "that dignity not as a gratuity conferred upon me "for my particular use, but as a deposit confided to my vigilance and fidelity. When I was afterwards * O dii immortales-Ita mihi meam voluntatem spemque reliquæ vita vestra populique R. existimatio comprobet, ut ego quos adhuc mihi magistratus populos R. mandavit, sic eos accepi, ut me omnium officiorum obstringi religione arbitrarer. Ita quæstor sum factus, ut mihi honorem illum non tam datum quàm creditum ac commissum putarem. Sic obtinui quæsturam in provinciá, ut omnium oculos in me unum conjectos arbitrarer: ut me quæsturamque meam quasi in aliquo orbis terræ theatro versari existimarem; ut omnia semper, quæ jucunda videntur esse, non modò his extraordinariis cupiditatibus, sed etiam ipsi naturæ ac necessitati denegarem. Nunc sum designatus ædilis—Itu mihi deos omnes propitios esse velim, ut tametsi mihi jucundissimus est honos populi, tamen nequaquam tantum capio voluptatis, quantum sollicitudinis & laboris, ut hæc ipsa ædilitas, non quia necesse fuit alicui candidato data, sed quia sic oportuerit rectè collocata, & judicio populi digno in loc posita esse videatur. Cic. Verr. 7. n. 35-37. VOL. VIII. |