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Contents of the Sixteenth Book of Diodorus
chapter 1chapter 2chapter 3chapter 4chapter 5chapter 6chapter 7chapter 8chapter 9chapter 10chapter 11chapter 12chapter 13chapter 14chapter 15chapter 16chapter 17chapter 18chapter 19chapter 20chapter 21chapter 22chapter 23chapter 24chapter 25chapter 26chapter 27chapter 28chapter 29chapter 30chapter 31chapter 32chapter 33chapter 34chapter 35chapter 36chapter 37chapter 38chapter 39chapter 40chapter 41chapter 42chapter 43chapter 44chapter 45chapter 46chapter 47chapter 48chapter 49chapter 50chapter 51chapter 52chapter 53chapter 54chapter 55chapter 56chapter 57chapter 58chapter 59chapter 60chapter 61chapter 62chapter 63chapter 64chapter 65chapter 66chapter 67chapter 68chapter 69chapter 70chapter 71chapter 72chapter 73chapter 74chapter 75chapter 76chapter 77chapter 78chapter 79chapter 80chapter 81chapter 82chapter 83chapter 84chapter 85chapter 86chapter 87chapter 88chapter 89chapter 90chapter 91chapter 92chapter 93chapter 94chapter 95
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At daybreak the magnitude of the disaster was seen in its
entirety, and the Syracusans, whose one hope of survival lay in help from Dion, sent horsemen
to Leontini begging Dion not to suffer his native city to be captured by the spear point of the
enemy, to forgive them the mistakes they had made, and in pity for their present misfortunes to
come and retrieve his country's disaster.
[2]
Dion, a man noble in
spirit and civilized in his judgements because of his philosophical training, did not bear a
grudge against his fellow citizens, but, after winning the mercenaries over, straightway set
out and, having quickly traversed the road to Syracuse, arrived at the Hexapyla.1
[3]
After drawing up his soldiers at that point he advanced with
all speed and encountered, fleeing from the city, children, women, and old men in excess of ten
thousand. All of these as they met him besought him with tears to avenge their own misfortunes.
The mercenaries from the citadel, having already obtained their objective, after plundering the
houses by the market-place set them on fire and now, attacking the remaining residences, were
in the act of plundering the possessions in these.
[4]
At this
very moment Dion, rushing into the city in several places and attacking the enemy as they were
busily engaged in their looting, slew all whom he met as they were lugging furnishings of
various sorts off on their shoulders. And because of the unexpectedness of his appearance and
the disorder and confusion, all of those who were making off with their plunder were easily
overpowered. And finally, after more than four thousand had been slain, some in the houses, and
others in the streets, the rest fled in a body to the citadel and closing the gates escaped the
danger.
[5]
Dion, having
accomplished the finest of all the deeds ever performed by him, preserved the burning houses by
extinguishing the flames, and, by restoring to good condition the circuit-wall, at one stroke
fortified the city and by walling off the foe blocked their egress to the mainland.2 When he had cleansed the
city of the dead and had erected a trophy of victory, he offered sacrifices to the gods for the
deliverance of the city.
[6]
An assembly was summoned, and the
people, as an expression of their gratitude to him, elected Dion general with absolute power
and accorded him honours suited to a hero, and Dion in harmony with his former conduct
generously absolved all his personal enemies of the charges outstanding against them and having
reassured the populace brought them to a state of general harmony. The Syracusans with
universal praises and with elaborate testimonials of approval honoured their benefactor as the
one and only saviour of their native land.3Such was the condition of affairs in
Sicily.
1 Entrance on the north to Tycha, a populous quarter of the city.
2 The enemy, in the citadel on the Island, were prevented by the walls from crossing to the main part of the city on Achradina.
3 Compare the narrative of chaps. 18-20 with Plut. Dion 41-48.
Diodorus Siculus. Diodorus of Sicily in Twelve Volumes with an English Translation by C. H. Oldfather. Vol. 4-8. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1989.
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References (4 total)
- Cross-references to this page
(3):
- Smith's Bio, Dion
- Smith's Bio, Heracleides
- Smith's Bio, Ny'psius
- Cross-references in notes from this page
(1):
- Plutarch, Dion, 41
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