From this danger, however, he
found ready belief, and it was determined to depose managed to extricate himself by the aid of a body
all the others and appoint Dionysius sole general, of Campanian mercenaries, seconded by the dissen-
with full powers.
found ready belief, and it was determined to depose managed to extricate himself by the aid of a body
all the others and appoint Dionysius sole general, of Campanian mercenaries, seconded by the dissen-
with full powers.
William Smith - 1844 - Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities - a
In the
&c. ; Emperius, de Erilio Dionis Chrisostomi, Braun. meantime, some of the citizens of Heracleia, who
schweig, 1810, 850. )
had been driven into exile by their tyrants, ap-
Passing over the editions of separate orations of plied to Alexander to restore the republican go-
Dion Chrysostomus, we mention only those which vernment at Heraclein, but Dionysius, with the
contain all of them. The first was edited by D. assistance of Alexander's sister, Cleopatra, con-
Paravisinus at Milan (1476, 4to. ), and was fol- trived to prevent any steps being taken to that
lowed by that of Aldus Manutius. (Venice, 1551, effect. But still he does not appear to have felt
8vo. ) The next edition of importance is that of very safe in his position, as we may conjecture
Cl. Morel (Paris, 1601), which was reprinted in from the extreme delight with which he received
1623 with à Latin translation of Naogeorgius and the news of Alexander's death, in consequence of
notes by Morel. A very good critical edition is which he erected a statue of evduuia, that is, joy
that of Reiske, Leipzig, 1784, 2 vols. 8vo. The or peace of mind. The exiled Heracleans now ap-
first volume of a new critical edition by Emperius plied to Perdiccas, against whom Dionysius endea-
appeared in 1844.
[L. S. ] voured to secure himself by joining his enemies.
DIONAEA (Alcvala), a metronymic form of Dionysius therefore married Amastris, the former
Dione, and applied to her daughter Aphrodite. wife of Craterus, who secured to him considerable
(Orph. Arg. 1320 ; Virg. Aen. iii. 19. ) The name advantages. A friendship with Antigonus was
is also applied as an epithet to things which were formed by assisting him in his war against Asan-
sacred to her, such as the dove. (Stat. Silv. iii. 5. der, and Ptolemy, the nephew of Antigonus, mar-
80. )
[L. S. ] ried Dionysius's daughter by his first wife. Dio-
DIO'NE (Aøvn), a female Titan, a daughter of nysius thus remained in the undisturbed possession
Oceanus and Tethys (Hesiod. Theog. 353), and, ac of the tyranny for many years. In B. c. 306,
cording to others, of Uranus and Ge, or of Aether when the surviving generals of Alexander assumed
and Ge. (Hygin. Fab. Praef. ; Apollod. i. 1. $ 3. ) the title of kings, Dionysius followed their example,
She was beloved by Zeus, by whom she became the but he died soon after. He was an unusually fat
mother of Aphrodite. (Apollod. i. 3. & i. ; Hom. 1l. man, which increased at length to such a degree
5. 370, &c. ) When Aphrodite was wounded by that he could take no food, which was therefore
Diomedes, Dione received her daughter in Olympus, introduced into his stomach by artificial means.
and pronounced the threat respecting the punish- At last, however, he was choked by his own fat.
ment of Diomedes. (Hom. Il. v. 405. ) Dione was He is said to have been the mildest and justest of
present, with other divinities, at the birth of Apollo all the tyrants that had ever lived. He was suc-
and Artemis in Delos. (Hom. Hymn. in Dd. 93. ) ceeded by his son Zathras, and, after the death of
At the foot of Lepreon, on the western coast of Pe- the latter, by his second son Clearchus II. The
loponnesus, there was a grove sacred to her (Strab. death of Dionysius must have taken place in B. C.
vii. p. 346), and in other places she was worshipped 306 or 305, as, according to Diodorus, he died at
in the temples of Zeus. (Strab. vii. p. 329. ). In the age of 55, and after a reign of 32 years, for
some traditions she is called the mother of Diony-
sus. (Schol. ad Pind. Pyth. ii. 177; Hesych. s. l.
Bákxov Alcévms. ) There are three more mythical
personages of this name. (A pollod. i. 2. 87; Hygin.
Fab. 83; Pherecyd. p. 115, ed. Sturz. ) [L. S. ]
DIONY'SIADES or DIONY'SIDES (ALOVUOI-
άδης, Διονυσίδης). 1. Of Mallus in Cilicia, a tragic
poet, of whoin nothing more is known. (Suid. s. r. )
2. Of Tarsus, a tragic poet, was, according to
Strabo (xiv. p. 675), the best of the pocts in the COIN OF DIONYSIUS OF HERACLEIA.
AIONY210
## p. 1033 (#1053) ##########################################
DIONYSIUS.
*1033
DIONYSIU'S.
which others say 33 years. (Diod. xvi. 88, xx. the measures of Dionysius soon rendered it such ;
70; Athen. xii. p. 519; Aelian, V. I. ix. 13; and we may date from this period the commencement
Memnon, ap. Phol. Cod. 224. ) [L. S. ] of his reign, or tyranny, which continued without
DIONYSIUS (Alovúolos) the Elder, tyrant interruption for 38 years. His first step was to pro-
of SYRACUSE, must have been born in B. C. 431 or
curc, on the ground of an attempt on his life, whether
430, as we are told that he was twenty-five years real or pretended, the appointment of a body-guard,
old when he first obtained the sovereignty of Sin which he speedily increased to the number of 1000
racuse. (Cic. Tunc. v. 20. ) We know nothing of men: at the same time he induced the Syracusans
his family, but that his father's name was Hermo- to double the pay of all the troops, and took crery
crates, and that he was born in a private but not means to ingratiate himself with the mercenaries,
low station, so that he received an excellent edu- taking care to replace those officers who were un-
cation, and began life in the capacity of a clerk in favourable to him by creatures of his own. By his
a public office. (Cic. Tusc. v. 20, 22; Diod. xiii. marriage with the daughter of Hermocrates he
91, 96, xiv. 66 ; Isocr. Philip. $ 73; Dem. c. Lart. secured to himself the support of all the remaining
$ 141, p. 500 ; Polyaen. Strateg. v. 2. $ 2. ). He partizans of that leader, and he now found himself
appears to have carly taken part in the political strong enough to procure the condemnation and
dissensions which agitated Syracuse after the de execution of Daplınaeus and Demarchus, the heads
struction of the greai Athenian armament, and hav- of the opposite party. (Diod. xii. 95, 96. )
ing joined in the attempt of Hermocrates, the His first operations in the war against the Car-
leader of the aristocratical party, to effect by force thaginians were, however, unsuccessful. Hlaving
his restoration from exile, was so severely wounded advanced with a large army to the relief of Gela,
as to be left for dead upon the spot. (Diod. xiii. then besieged by Himilco, he was defeated, and
75. ) We next hear of him as serving with dis- deemed it prudent to retire, taking with him the
tinction in the great war against the Carthaginians, inhabitants both of Gela itself and the neighbour-
who had invaded Sicily under Hannibal, the son ing Camarina. This rererse gare a severe shock
of Gisco, and successively reduced and destroyed to his popularity, of which his enemies at Syracuse
Selinus, Himera, and Agrigentum. These disas- availed themselves to attempt to overthrow his
ters, and especially the failure of the Syracusan power. •For a moment they were masters of the
general, Daphnaeus, to relieve Agrigentum, had city, but Dionysius disconcerted their plans by the
created a general spirit of discontent and alarm, suddenness of his return, and compelled them to
both at Syracuse and among the allies, of which quit the city, though not until his unfortunate wife
Dionysius skilfully availed himself. He came for- had fallen a victim to their cruelty. (Diod. xiii.
ward in the popular assembly as the accuser of the 108–113, xiv. 44 ; Plut. Dion, 3. ) He soon after-
unsuccessful commanders, and, being supported by wards gladly accepted the overtures of the Cartha-
Philistus, the historian, and Hipparinus, men of ginian general Himilco, whose army had sufiered
wealth and influence, he succeeded in procuring a greatly from a pestilence, and concluded peace with
decree for deposing the existing generals, and ap- Carthage B. c. 405. (Diod. xiii. 114. )
pointing others in their stead, among whom was He was now able to derote his whole attention
Dionysius himself. (Diod. xiii. 91, 92; Aristot. to strengthening and consolidating his power at
Polit. v. 5, 6. ) His efforts seem from this time to home. He converted the island of Ortygia into a
have been directed towards supplanting his new strong fortress, in which he took up his own resi-
colleagues and obtaining the sole direction of af dence, and allowed no one but his own iinmediate
fairs. He persuaded the Syracusans to recall the dependents to dwell; and while he courted the
exiles, most of whom were probably partizans of favour of the populace by assigning them lands and
Hermocrates, and would readily admit him as their houses, he augmented their numbers by admitting
leader, and secretly accused his colleagues in the many aliens and newly-freed slaves to the rights of
command of holding intelligence with the enemy. citizenship. These measures naturally gave um-
Being soon after sent to Gela with the separate brage to the higher class of citizens who formed
command of a body of auxiliaries, he there carried the heary-armed infantry, and they took advantago
on similar intrigues, and when he thought that he of an expedition on which he led them against the
had sufficiently secured to himself the favour both Sicelians to break out into open revolt. They were
of the people of Gela and of his own troops, he instantly joined by the exiles who had established
returned abruptly to Syracuse, and brought before themselves at Aetna, and Dionysius was compelled
the assembled people distinct charges of corruption to take refuge in the island which he had so re-
and treachery against his brother generals. These cently fortified.
From this danger, however, he
found ready belief, and it was determined to depose managed to extricate himself by the aid of a body
all the others and appoint Dionysius sole general, of Campanian mercenaries, seconded by the dissen-
with full powers. (Diod. xiii. 92—94. ) This sions which broke out among his enemies. Some
was in the spring of the year B. c. 405, the first of these submitted to him on favourable terms; the
appointment of Dionysius as one of the generals rest retired to Aetna. (Diod. xiv. 7–9. ) From
having been in Dec. 106. Comp. Clinton, F. H. ii. this time his authority at Syracuse appears to have
p. 82; Diod. l. c. ; Dionys. vii. 1. ) According to been undisputed. He soon after took advantage
Plutarch, indeed, Hipparinus, who is represented of the harvest time to disarm those citizens whom
by Aristotle (Polit. 5. 6) as lending his aid to pro- he had still cause to fear, and reduced the fortress
cure the elevation of Dionysius, was at first ap- of Aetna, which had been the stronghold of the
pointed his colleague in the chief command (Plut. exiles disaffected to his government. (lb. cc. 10,
Dion, 3); but, if this be not a mistake, his autho- 14. )
rity could have been little more than nominal, as His arms were next directed against the Chalci-
he plays no part in the subsequent transactions. dian cities of Sicily. Naxos, Catana, and Leon-
The position of general autocrator by no means tini, successively fell into his power, either by
implied in itself the exercise of sovereign power, but force or treachery. The inhabitants were either
## p. 1034 (#1054) ##########################################
1034
DIONYSIUS.
DIONYSIUS.
war.
Bold as slaves or compelled to migrate to Syracuse: 1 Africa, prevented the Carthaginians from renewing
Naxos was utterly destroyed, and Catana occupied bostilities against Syracuse until the summer of
by a colony of Campanian mercenaries, 1. C. 393, when ago, who had succeeded liinilen in
403. (Diod. xiv. 14, 15. ) For several years after the command, having renewed the alliance with
this he appears to have been occupied in strengthen the Siccians, advanced towards Messana, but was
ing his power and in preparations for renewing the defeated by Dionysius near Abacacnum. The next
war with Carthage. Among these may be reckoned year (13. C. 392) he marched against the Syracusan
the great works which he it this time erected, - territory with a much greater force ; but Dionysius
the docks adapted for the reception of several hun having secured the alliance of Igyris, tyrant of
dred ships, and the wall of 30 stadia in length, en- | Agyrium, was enabled to cut off the supplies of the
closing the whole extent of the Epipolne, the magni- enemy, and thus reduced them to such distress,
ficence of which is attested by its existing remains that dago was compelled to treat for peace. The
at the present day. (Diod. xiv. 18, 42; Smith's Syracusans also were weary of the war, and a
Sicily, p. 167. )
treaty was concluded, by which the Carthaginians
It was not till 3. C. 397 that Dionysius cor- abandoned their Sicelian allies, und Dionysius ben
sidered liimself sufficiently strong, or his prepara- came master of Tauromenium: in other respects,
tions enough advanced, to declare war against Car- both parties remained nearly as before. (Diod.
thage. lle had in the mean time assembled a xiv. 90, 95, 96. )
large army of auxiliar, and mercenary troops, and This treaty left Dionysius at leisure to continue
a feet of two hundred ships, remarkable for the the ambitious projects in which he had previously
number of quadriremes and quinqueremes which engaged against the Greck cities in Italy. Already,
were seen in it for the first time. The Cartha- before the Carthaginian war, he had secured the
ginians had been greatly weakened by the ravages alliance of the Locrians by marrying Doris, the
of a pestilence in Africa, and were unprepared for daughter of one of their principal citizens. Rhe-
Dionysius was immediately joined not only giun, on the contrary, had been uniformly hostile
by the Greeks of Gela, Agrigentum, Himera, and to liim, and was the chief place of refuge of the
S-linus, which had become tributary to Carthage Syracusan exiles. (Diod. xiv. 40. ) Hence
by the late treaty of 405, but by the Sicelians of Dionysius established at Messana, after its destruc-
the interior, and even the Sicanians, in general the tion by Himilco, a colony of citizens from Locri
firm allies of Carthage. He thus advanced without and its kindred city of Medama, to be a stronghold
opposition from one end of Sicily to the other, and against Rhegium. (xiv. 78. ) His designs in this
laid siege to Motya, one of the chief strongholds of quarter attracted so much attention, that the prin-
the Carthaginians, which fell into his power after cipal Greek cities in Italy, which were at the same
a long and desperate resistance, prolonged till near time hard pressed by the Lucanians of the interior,
the close of the summer. Segesta, however, suc- concluded a league for their common defence at
cessfully resisted his efforts, and the next year once against the barbarians and Dionysius. The
(B. C. 396) the arrival of a great Carthaginian latter retaliated by entering into alliance with the
armament under Himilco changed the face of Lucanians, and sending a fleet to their assistance
afairs. Motya was quickly recovered ; the Sica- under his brother Leptines, B. c. 390. (xiv. 91,
nians and Sicelians abandoned the Syracusan al- | 100-102. ) The next year he gained a decisive
liance for that of the enemy, and Himilco advanced victory over the combined forces of the Italian
unopposed as far as Messana, which he carried by Greeks at the river Helorus; and this success was
assanit, and utterly destroyed. The Syracusan followed by the reduction of Caulonia, Hipponium,
fieet under Leprines, the brother of Dionysius, was and finally, after a siege protracted for nearly
totally defeated; and the latter, not daring to risk eleven months, of Rhegium itself, B. c. 387. (xiv.
a batile, withdren with his land forces, and shut 103–103, 111. ) The inhabitants of the conquered
himself up within the walls of Syracuse. Aban- cities were for the most part removed to Syracuse,
doned by the other Sicilian Greeks, and besieged and their territory given up to the Locrians.
by the Carthaginians both by sea and land, his Dionysius was now at the summit of his great-
situation appeared to be desperate. It is even said ness, and during the twenty years that elapsed
that he was on the point of giving up all for lost, from this period to his death, possessed an amount
and making his escape, but was deterred by one of of power and influence far exceeding those enjoyed
his friends observing, “that sovereign power was by any other Greek before the time of Alexander.
an honourable winding-sheet. ” (Isocrat. Archi- In Sicily he held undisputed rule over the eastern
dom. $ 49; Aelian. V. H. iv. 8; but compare half of the island, while the principal cities of the
Diod. xiv. 8. ) A pestilence shortly after broke interior and those along the north coast, as far as
out in the Carthaginian camp, which a second time Cephaloedium, were either subject to him, or held
proved the salvation of Syracuse. Dionysius alily by his close and dependent allies. (xiv. 78, 96. )
availed himseif of the state of weakness to which In Italy it is difficult to estimate the precise ex-
the enemy was thus reduced, and by a sudden tent of his influence: direci dominion he had ap-
attack both by sea and land, defeated the Cartha- parently none. But his allies, the Locrians, were
ginian army, and burnt great part of their fleet. masters of the whole southern extremity of the
Still he was glad to consent to a secret capitulation, peninsula, and his powerful fects gave him the
by which the Carthaginians themselves were allowed command both of the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic
to depart unmolested, abandoning both their allies In the former le repressed the piracies of
and foreign mercenaries, who, thus left without a the Etruscans, and, under presence of retaliation,
leader, were quickly dispersed. (Diod. xiv. 41 led a fleet of 60 triremes against them, with which
–76. )
he took the town of Pyrgi, the port of Caere, and
No peace was concluded with Carthage upon plundered its wealthy temple of Matuta. (Diod.
this occasion ; but the effects of their laie disastrous xv. 14; Strab. V. p. 226; Pseud. -Aristot. Oeconom.
expedition, and the revolt of their subjects in | ii. 2. ) On this occasion he is also said to have
seas.
## p. 1035 (#1055) ##########################################
DIONYSIUS.
1035
DIONYSIUS.
&
assailed Corsica (Strab. l. c. ), but probably did not said even on the same day-Doris, a Locrian of
form any permanent establishment there. The distinguished birth, and Aristomache, a Syracusan,
sovereignty of the Adriatic seems to have been a the daughter of his old patron and supporter lip-
favourite object of his ambition. lle endeavoured parinus. (Diod. xiv. 44; Plut. Dion, 3. ) By the
to secure it by establishing a colony on the island former he had three children, of which the eldest
of Lissa, or, according to other accounts, at Lissus was his successor, Dionysius. Aristomache borc
in Epeirus (comp. Scymn. Chius, l. 412; Diod. him two sons, Hipparinus and Nysieus, and two
xv. 13, 14), where he kept up a considerable naval daughters, Sophrosyne and Arete. (Plut. Dion, 6;
force, and another at Adria in Picenum. (Etym. Corn. Nep. Dion, 1 ; Athen. X. pp. 433–6. )
Magn. s. l. , Aðplas. ) Ancona too was probably The character of Dionysius has been drawn in
founded by him at the same time. (Plin. 11. N. the blackest colours by many ancient writers ; he
ii. 13; Strab. v. p. 241; Arnold's Romc, vol. i. appears indeed to have become a sort of type of a
p. 437. ) With the same view he sent a squadron tyrant, in its worst sense, and it is probable that
to assist the Lacedaemonians in preventing the many of the anecdotes of him related by Cicero,
Athenians from establishing themselves at Corcyra, Aelian, Polynenus, and other later writers, are
B. C. 373. (Xen. Hell. vi. 2. SS 4, 33. ) The ex- grossly exaggerated; but the very circumstance
tent of his commercial relations may be inferred that he was so regarded in opposition to Gelon and
from his importing horses for his chariots from the others of the older tyrants (see Plut. Dion, 5) is in
Venetian tribes at the head of the Adriatic. (Strab. itself a proof that the opprobrium was not alto-
v. p. 212. ) As early as B. c. 402 he is mentioned gether undeserved. He was undoubtedly a man
as sending large supplies of corn to relieve a scarcity of great energy and activity of mind, as well as
at Rome. (Liv. iv. 52 ; Niebuhr, Rom. Hist. ii. great personal courage ; but he was altogether un-
p. 564. ) At the same time he took every oppor- scrupulous in the means which he employed to
tunity of extending his relations with foreign attain his ends, and had no thought beyond his
powers, and strengthening himself by alliances. own personal aggrandizement. Thus while lic
Thus we find him assisting the Illyrians against boasted that he left to his son an empire held to-
their neighbours the Molossians (Diod. xiv. 13), gether with bonds of iron (Plut. Dion, 7), he
and concluding a treaty with the Gauls, who had exhausted his subjects by excessive taxation, and
lately made their appearance in Italy, and who was obliged to have recourse to erery kind of ex-
continued from this time to furnish a considerable pedient to amass money.
&c. ; Emperius, de Erilio Dionis Chrisostomi, Braun. meantime, some of the citizens of Heracleia, who
schweig, 1810, 850. )
had been driven into exile by their tyrants, ap-
Passing over the editions of separate orations of plied to Alexander to restore the republican go-
Dion Chrysostomus, we mention only those which vernment at Heraclein, but Dionysius, with the
contain all of them. The first was edited by D. assistance of Alexander's sister, Cleopatra, con-
Paravisinus at Milan (1476, 4to. ), and was fol- trived to prevent any steps being taken to that
lowed by that of Aldus Manutius. (Venice, 1551, effect. But still he does not appear to have felt
8vo. ) The next edition of importance is that of very safe in his position, as we may conjecture
Cl. Morel (Paris, 1601), which was reprinted in from the extreme delight with which he received
1623 with à Latin translation of Naogeorgius and the news of Alexander's death, in consequence of
notes by Morel. A very good critical edition is which he erected a statue of evduuia, that is, joy
that of Reiske, Leipzig, 1784, 2 vols. 8vo. The or peace of mind. The exiled Heracleans now ap-
first volume of a new critical edition by Emperius plied to Perdiccas, against whom Dionysius endea-
appeared in 1844.
[L. S. ] voured to secure himself by joining his enemies.
DIONAEA (Alcvala), a metronymic form of Dionysius therefore married Amastris, the former
Dione, and applied to her daughter Aphrodite. wife of Craterus, who secured to him considerable
(Orph. Arg. 1320 ; Virg. Aen. iii. 19. ) The name advantages. A friendship with Antigonus was
is also applied as an epithet to things which were formed by assisting him in his war against Asan-
sacred to her, such as the dove. (Stat. Silv. iii. 5. der, and Ptolemy, the nephew of Antigonus, mar-
80. )
[L. S. ] ried Dionysius's daughter by his first wife. Dio-
DIO'NE (Aøvn), a female Titan, a daughter of nysius thus remained in the undisturbed possession
Oceanus and Tethys (Hesiod. Theog. 353), and, ac of the tyranny for many years. In B. c. 306,
cording to others, of Uranus and Ge, or of Aether when the surviving generals of Alexander assumed
and Ge. (Hygin. Fab. Praef. ; Apollod. i. 1. $ 3. ) the title of kings, Dionysius followed their example,
She was beloved by Zeus, by whom she became the but he died soon after. He was an unusually fat
mother of Aphrodite. (Apollod. i. 3. & i. ; Hom. 1l. man, which increased at length to such a degree
5. 370, &c. ) When Aphrodite was wounded by that he could take no food, which was therefore
Diomedes, Dione received her daughter in Olympus, introduced into his stomach by artificial means.
and pronounced the threat respecting the punish- At last, however, he was choked by his own fat.
ment of Diomedes. (Hom. Il. v. 405. ) Dione was He is said to have been the mildest and justest of
present, with other divinities, at the birth of Apollo all the tyrants that had ever lived. He was suc-
and Artemis in Delos. (Hom. Hymn. in Dd. 93. ) ceeded by his son Zathras, and, after the death of
At the foot of Lepreon, on the western coast of Pe- the latter, by his second son Clearchus II. The
loponnesus, there was a grove sacred to her (Strab. death of Dionysius must have taken place in B. C.
vii. p. 346), and in other places she was worshipped 306 or 305, as, according to Diodorus, he died at
in the temples of Zeus. (Strab. vii. p. 329. ). In the age of 55, and after a reign of 32 years, for
some traditions she is called the mother of Diony-
sus. (Schol. ad Pind. Pyth. ii. 177; Hesych. s. l.
Bákxov Alcévms. ) There are three more mythical
personages of this name. (A pollod. i. 2. 87; Hygin.
Fab. 83; Pherecyd. p. 115, ed. Sturz. ) [L. S. ]
DIONY'SIADES or DIONY'SIDES (ALOVUOI-
άδης, Διονυσίδης). 1. Of Mallus in Cilicia, a tragic
poet, of whoin nothing more is known. (Suid. s. r. )
2. Of Tarsus, a tragic poet, was, according to
Strabo (xiv. p. 675), the best of the pocts in the COIN OF DIONYSIUS OF HERACLEIA.
AIONY210
## p. 1033 (#1053) ##########################################
DIONYSIUS.
*1033
DIONYSIU'S.
which others say 33 years. (Diod. xvi. 88, xx. the measures of Dionysius soon rendered it such ;
70; Athen. xii. p. 519; Aelian, V. I. ix. 13; and we may date from this period the commencement
Memnon, ap. Phol. Cod. 224. ) [L. S. ] of his reign, or tyranny, which continued without
DIONYSIUS (Alovúolos) the Elder, tyrant interruption for 38 years. His first step was to pro-
of SYRACUSE, must have been born in B. C. 431 or
curc, on the ground of an attempt on his life, whether
430, as we are told that he was twenty-five years real or pretended, the appointment of a body-guard,
old when he first obtained the sovereignty of Sin which he speedily increased to the number of 1000
racuse. (Cic. Tunc. v. 20. ) We know nothing of men: at the same time he induced the Syracusans
his family, but that his father's name was Hermo- to double the pay of all the troops, and took crery
crates, and that he was born in a private but not means to ingratiate himself with the mercenaries,
low station, so that he received an excellent edu- taking care to replace those officers who were un-
cation, and began life in the capacity of a clerk in favourable to him by creatures of his own. By his
a public office. (Cic. Tusc. v. 20, 22; Diod. xiii. marriage with the daughter of Hermocrates he
91, 96, xiv. 66 ; Isocr. Philip. $ 73; Dem. c. Lart. secured to himself the support of all the remaining
$ 141, p. 500 ; Polyaen. Strateg. v. 2. $ 2. ). He partizans of that leader, and he now found himself
appears to have carly taken part in the political strong enough to procure the condemnation and
dissensions which agitated Syracuse after the de execution of Daplınaeus and Demarchus, the heads
struction of the greai Athenian armament, and hav- of the opposite party. (Diod. xii. 95, 96. )
ing joined in the attempt of Hermocrates, the His first operations in the war against the Car-
leader of the aristocratical party, to effect by force thaginians were, however, unsuccessful. Hlaving
his restoration from exile, was so severely wounded advanced with a large army to the relief of Gela,
as to be left for dead upon the spot. (Diod. xiii. then besieged by Himilco, he was defeated, and
75. ) We next hear of him as serving with dis- deemed it prudent to retire, taking with him the
tinction in the great war against the Carthaginians, inhabitants both of Gela itself and the neighbour-
who had invaded Sicily under Hannibal, the son ing Camarina. This rererse gare a severe shock
of Gisco, and successively reduced and destroyed to his popularity, of which his enemies at Syracuse
Selinus, Himera, and Agrigentum. These disas- availed themselves to attempt to overthrow his
ters, and especially the failure of the Syracusan power. •For a moment they were masters of the
general, Daphnaeus, to relieve Agrigentum, had city, but Dionysius disconcerted their plans by the
created a general spirit of discontent and alarm, suddenness of his return, and compelled them to
both at Syracuse and among the allies, of which quit the city, though not until his unfortunate wife
Dionysius skilfully availed himself. He came for- had fallen a victim to their cruelty. (Diod. xiii.
ward in the popular assembly as the accuser of the 108–113, xiv. 44 ; Plut. Dion, 3. ) He soon after-
unsuccessful commanders, and, being supported by wards gladly accepted the overtures of the Cartha-
Philistus, the historian, and Hipparinus, men of ginian general Himilco, whose army had sufiered
wealth and influence, he succeeded in procuring a greatly from a pestilence, and concluded peace with
decree for deposing the existing generals, and ap- Carthage B. c. 405. (Diod. xiii. 114. )
pointing others in their stead, among whom was He was now able to derote his whole attention
Dionysius himself. (Diod. xiii. 91, 92; Aristot. to strengthening and consolidating his power at
Polit. v. 5, 6. ) His efforts seem from this time to home. He converted the island of Ortygia into a
have been directed towards supplanting his new strong fortress, in which he took up his own resi-
colleagues and obtaining the sole direction of af dence, and allowed no one but his own iinmediate
fairs. He persuaded the Syracusans to recall the dependents to dwell; and while he courted the
exiles, most of whom were probably partizans of favour of the populace by assigning them lands and
Hermocrates, and would readily admit him as their houses, he augmented their numbers by admitting
leader, and secretly accused his colleagues in the many aliens and newly-freed slaves to the rights of
command of holding intelligence with the enemy. citizenship. These measures naturally gave um-
Being soon after sent to Gela with the separate brage to the higher class of citizens who formed
command of a body of auxiliaries, he there carried the heary-armed infantry, and they took advantago
on similar intrigues, and when he thought that he of an expedition on which he led them against the
had sufficiently secured to himself the favour both Sicelians to break out into open revolt. They were
of the people of Gela and of his own troops, he instantly joined by the exiles who had established
returned abruptly to Syracuse, and brought before themselves at Aetna, and Dionysius was compelled
the assembled people distinct charges of corruption to take refuge in the island which he had so re-
and treachery against his brother generals. These cently fortified.
From this danger, however, he
found ready belief, and it was determined to depose managed to extricate himself by the aid of a body
all the others and appoint Dionysius sole general, of Campanian mercenaries, seconded by the dissen-
with full powers. (Diod. xiii. 92—94. ) This sions which broke out among his enemies. Some
was in the spring of the year B. c. 405, the first of these submitted to him on favourable terms; the
appointment of Dionysius as one of the generals rest retired to Aetna. (Diod. xiv. 7–9. ) From
having been in Dec. 106. Comp. Clinton, F. H. ii. this time his authority at Syracuse appears to have
p. 82; Diod. l. c. ; Dionys. vii. 1. ) According to been undisputed. He soon after took advantage
Plutarch, indeed, Hipparinus, who is represented of the harvest time to disarm those citizens whom
by Aristotle (Polit. 5. 6) as lending his aid to pro- he had still cause to fear, and reduced the fortress
cure the elevation of Dionysius, was at first ap- of Aetna, which had been the stronghold of the
pointed his colleague in the chief command (Plut. exiles disaffected to his government. (lb. cc. 10,
Dion, 3); but, if this be not a mistake, his autho- 14. )
rity could have been little more than nominal, as His arms were next directed against the Chalci-
he plays no part in the subsequent transactions. dian cities of Sicily. Naxos, Catana, and Leon-
The position of general autocrator by no means tini, successively fell into his power, either by
implied in itself the exercise of sovereign power, but force or treachery. The inhabitants were either
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1034
DIONYSIUS.
DIONYSIUS.
war.
Bold as slaves or compelled to migrate to Syracuse: 1 Africa, prevented the Carthaginians from renewing
Naxos was utterly destroyed, and Catana occupied bostilities against Syracuse until the summer of
by a colony of Campanian mercenaries, 1. C. 393, when ago, who had succeeded liinilen in
403. (Diod. xiv. 14, 15. ) For several years after the command, having renewed the alliance with
this he appears to have been occupied in strengthen the Siccians, advanced towards Messana, but was
ing his power and in preparations for renewing the defeated by Dionysius near Abacacnum. The next
war with Carthage. Among these may be reckoned year (13. C. 392) he marched against the Syracusan
the great works which he it this time erected, - territory with a much greater force ; but Dionysius
the docks adapted for the reception of several hun having secured the alliance of Igyris, tyrant of
dred ships, and the wall of 30 stadia in length, en- | Agyrium, was enabled to cut off the supplies of the
closing the whole extent of the Epipolne, the magni- enemy, and thus reduced them to such distress,
ficence of which is attested by its existing remains that dago was compelled to treat for peace. The
at the present day. (Diod. xiv. 18, 42; Smith's Syracusans also were weary of the war, and a
Sicily, p. 167. )
treaty was concluded, by which the Carthaginians
It was not till 3. C. 397 that Dionysius cor- abandoned their Sicelian allies, und Dionysius ben
sidered liimself sufficiently strong, or his prepara- came master of Tauromenium: in other respects,
tions enough advanced, to declare war against Car- both parties remained nearly as before. (Diod.
thage. lle had in the mean time assembled a xiv. 90, 95, 96. )
large army of auxiliar, and mercenary troops, and This treaty left Dionysius at leisure to continue
a feet of two hundred ships, remarkable for the the ambitious projects in which he had previously
number of quadriremes and quinqueremes which engaged against the Greck cities in Italy. Already,
were seen in it for the first time. The Cartha- before the Carthaginian war, he had secured the
ginians had been greatly weakened by the ravages alliance of the Locrians by marrying Doris, the
of a pestilence in Africa, and were unprepared for daughter of one of their principal citizens. Rhe-
Dionysius was immediately joined not only giun, on the contrary, had been uniformly hostile
by the Greeks of Gela, Agrigentum, Himera, and to liim, and was the chief place of refuge of the
S-linus, which had become tributary to Carthage Syracusan exiles. (Diod. xiv. 40. ) Hence
by the late treaty of 405, but by the Sicelians of Dionysius established at Messana, after its destruc-
the interior, and even the Sicanians, in general the tion by Himilco, a colony of citizens from Locri
firm allies of Carthage. He thus advanced without and its kindred city of Medama, to be a stronghold
opposition from one end of Sicily to the other, and against Rhegium. (xiv. 78. ) His designs in this
laid siege to Motya, one of the chief strongholds of quarter attracted so much attention, that the prin-
the Carthaginians, which fell into his power after cipal Greek cities in Italy, which were at the same
a long and desperate resistance, prolonged till near time hard pressed by the Lucanians of the interior,
the close of the summer. Segesta, however, suc- concluded a league for their common defence at
cessfully resisted his efforts, and the next year once against the barbarians and Dionysius. The
(B. C. 396) the arrival of a great Carthaginian latter retaliated by entering into alliance with the
armament under Himilco changed the face of Lucanians, and sending a fleet to their assistance
afairs. Motya was quickly recovered ; the Sica- under his brother Leptines, B. c. 390. (xiv. 91,
nians and Sicelians abandoned the Syracusan al- | 100-102. ) The next year he gained a decisive
liance for that of the enemy, and Himilco advanced victory over the combined forces of the Italian
unopposed as far as Messana, which he carried by Greeks at the river Helorus; and this success was
assanit, and utterly destroyed. The Syracusan followed by the reduction of Caulonia, Hipponium,
fieet under Leprines, the brother of Dionysius, was and finally, after a siege protracted for nearly
totally defeated; and the latter, not daring to risk eleven months, of Rhegium itself, B. c. 387. (xiv.
a batile, withdren with his land forces, and shut 103–103, 111. ) The inhabitants of the conquered
himself up within the walls of Syracuse. Aban- cities were for the most part removed to Syracuse,
doned by the other Sicilian Greeks, and besieged and their territory given up to the Locrians.
by the Carthaginians both by sea and land, his Dionysius was now at the summit of his great-
situation appeared to be desperate. It is even said ness, and during the twenty years that elapsed
that he was on the point of giving up all for lost, from this period to his death, possessed an amount
and making his escape, but was deterred by one of of power and influence far exceeding those enjoyed
his friends observing, “that sovereign power was by any other Greek before the time of Alexander.
an honourable winding-sheet. ” (Isocrat. Archi- In Sicily he held undisputed rule over the eastern
dom. $ 49; Aelian. V. H. iv. 8; but compare half of the island, while the principal cities of the
Diod. xiv. 8. ) A pestilence shortly after broke interior and those along the north coast, as far as
out in the Carthaginian camp, which a second time Cephaloedium, were either subject to him, or held
proved the salvation of Syracuse. Dionysius alily by his close and dependent allies. (xiv. 78, 96. )
availed himseif of the state of weakness to which In Italy it is difficult to estimate the precise ex-
the enemy was thus reduced, and by a sudden tent of his influence: direci dominion he had ap-
attack both by sea and land, defeated the Cartha- parently none. But his allies, the Locrians, were
ginian army, and burnt great part of their fleet. masters of the whole southern extremity of the
Still he was glad to consent to a secret capitulation, peninsula, and his powerful fects gave him the
by which the Carthaginians themselves were allowed command both of the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic
to depart unmolested, abandoning both their allies In the former le repressed the piracies of
and foreign mercenaries, who, thus left without a the Etruscans, and, under presence of retaliation,
leader, were quickly dispersed. (Diod. xiv. 41 led a fleet of 60 triremes against them, with which
–76. )
he took the town of Pyrgi, the port of Caere, and
No peace was concluded with Carthage upon plundered its wealthy temple of Matuta. (Diod.
this occasion ; but the effects of their laie disastrous xv. 14; Strab. V. p. 226; Pseud. -Aristot. Oeconom.
expedition, and the revolt of their subjects in | ii. 2. ) On this occasion he is also said to have
seas.
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DIONYSIUS.
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DIONYSIUS.
&
assailed Corsica (Strab. l. c. ), but probably did not said even on the same day-Doris, a Locrian of
form any permanent establishment there. The distinguished birth, and Aristomache, a Syracusan,
sovereignty of the Adriatic seems to have been a the daughter of his old patron and supporter lip-
favourite object of his ambition. lle endeavoured parinus. (Diod. xiv. 44; Plut. Dion, 3. ) By the
to secure it by establishing a colony on the island former he had three children, of which the eldest
of Lissa, or, according to other accounts, at Lissus was his successor, Dionysius. Aristomache borc
in Epeirus (comp. Scymn. Chius, l. 412; Diod. him two sons, Hipparinus and Nysieus, and two
xv. 13, 14), where he kept up a considerable naval daughters, Sophrosyne and Arete. (Plut. Dion, 6;
force, and another at Adria in Picenum. (Etym. Corn. Nep. Dion, 1 ; Athen. X. pp. 433–6. )
Magn. s. l. , Aðplas. ) Ancona too was probably The character of Dionysius has been drawn in
founded by him at the same time. (Plin. 11. N. the blackest colours by many ancient writers ; he
ii. 13; Strab. v. p. 241; Arnold's Romc, vol. i. appears indeed to have become a sort of type of a
p. 437. ) With the same view he sent a squadron tyrant, in its worst sense, and it is probable that
to assist the Lacedaemonians in preventing the many of the anecdotes of him related by Cicero,
Athenians from establishing themselves at Corcyra, Aelian, Polynenus, and other later writers, are
B. C. 373. (Xen. Hell. vi. 2. SS 4, 33. ) The ex- grossly exaggerated; but the very circumstance
tent of his commercial relations may be inferred that he was so regarded in opposition to Gelon and
from his importing horses for his chariots from the others of the older tyrants (see Plut. Dion, 5) is in
Venetian tribes at the head of the Adriatic. (Strab. itself a proof that the opprobrium was not alto-
v. p. 212. ) As early as B. c. 402 he is mentioned gether undeserved. He was undoubtedly a man
as sending large supplies of corn to relieve a scarcity of great energy and activity of mind, as well as
at Rome. (Liv. iv. 52 ; Niebuhr, Rom. Hist. ii. great personal courage ; but he was altogether un-
p. 564. ) At the same time he took every oppor- scrupulous in the means which he employed to
tunity of extending his relations with foreign attain his ends, and had no thought beyond his
powers, and strengthening himself by alliances. own personal aggrandizement. Thus while lic
Thus we find him assisting the Illyrians against boasted that he left to his son an empire held to-
their neighbours the Molossians (Diod. xiv. 13), gether with bonds of iron (Plut. Dion, 7), he
and concluding a treaty with the Gauls, who had exhausted his subjects by excessive taxation, and
lately made their appearance in Italy, and who was obliged to have recourse to erery kind of ex-
continued from this time to furnish a considerable pedient to amass money.
