A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

1140 TIMOLEON. TIMOLEON.
sibly joined the other Greeks in asking assistance retain possession of the part of Syracuse that was
from Corinth, dreaded the arrival of Timoleon, and still in his power, but he was unable to resist the
had therefore entered into secret negotiations with attack of Timoleon, and was obliged to abandon
Hanno, the Carthaginian general, who had mean- the city, and return to Leontini.
time arrived in Sicily. The interference of Corinth Timoleon thus became the undisputed master of
with Sicilian affairs could not be pleasing to the Car- Syracuse. Although he might easily have made
thaginians; and Hanno accordingly sent a squadron himself tyrant of the city, he resolved to show
of twenty ships to the coast of Italy, to watch the that neither he nor any other private person should
movements of Timoleon. The latter, however, become the irresponsible ruler; and therefore one
contrived to outwit the Carthaginian commander of his first acts was to call upon the people to deat Rhegium, and crossed over in safety to Tauro- stroy the citadel, which had been for so many
menitum, where he was kindly received by Andro- years the seat and bulwark of the power of the
machus, the tyrant of the place, and by the Syra- tyrants. His next care was to repeople the city,
casan exiles. Meanwhile, Hicetas had been pro- which had become so deserted that whole streets
sectilng the war with success against Dionysius. were left without inhabitants, and grass grew in
At the head of a considerable force he had attacked the market-place in sufficient quantity to feed the
Syracuse; and, after defeating Dionysius in a de- horses. He sent ambassadors to Corinth, to invite
cisive battle, he had made himself master of the persons to come and settle at Syracuse, holding out
whole city, with the exception of the island cita- to them as an inducement a division of lands.
del, where he kept Dionysius closely besieged. Corinth collected in Greece ten thousand colonists,
Timoleon saw that it was necessary to act with who sailed to Syracuse; and such numbers flocked
promptitude; for hardly any of the Sicilian Greeks to the city from different parts of Italy and Sicily,
could be expected to join him till he had won their that the number of new inhabitants amounted to
co'lfidence and commlanded their respect. Accord- sixty thousand. Having thus collected a populaingly, although he could collect only twelve hun- tion, he proceeded to enact laws for their governdred imen, he marched at once to Adrantlm, the ment. Of the details of these we are not informed.
different parties in which had at the same time im- We only know that they were of a democratical
plored his assistance and that of Hicetas. The nature, and that he appointed a chief magistrate,
two generals reached the town almost at the same to be elected annually, who was called the Amphitime; and in the battle which immediately ensued, polus of the Olympian Zeus, and who gave his
Timoleon put Hicetas to flight, although he had name to the Syracusan year. The historian adds
nearly five times the number of men. Timoleon that this office continued to be in existence in his
followed up his victory by marching against Syra- time, that is, in the reign of Augustus (Diod. xvi.
cuse, and before Hicetas could collect his troops, 70). The arrangement of the internal affairs of
he succeeded in obtaining possession of two quar- Syracuse engaged the principal attention of Titers of the city, Tyche and Epipolae. Syracuse moleon for the next two or three years; but
was now in the hands of the three contending par- during, that time he did not neglect the great
ties, Dionysius keeping the island citadel, Hicetas object to which he had now devoted his life, the
Neapolis and Achradina, and Timoleon the two expulsion of the tyrants from the cities. He comother quarters. Such was the state of affairs to- pelled Leptines, who was tyrant of Apollonia and
wards the end of B. c. 344. The ensuing winter Engyum, to surrender his power, and sent him
was spent in negotiations with the other Greek into exile at Corinth. He was not, however, so
cities in Sicily, and Timoleon's recent success successful iii an attack upon Leontini (Diod. xvi.
gained for him the adhesion of several important 72), although Plutarch represents him as forcing
places, and among others that of Catana, of Hicetas to demolish his strongholds, ard live
which Mamercus was tyrant. In the following among the Leontines as a private person (Tin.
spring (B. c. 343) Dionysits, despairing of success, 24). But as these expeditions did not bring his
surrendered the citadel to the Corinthian leader, troops much booty, and it was necessary to find
on condition of his being allowed to depart in both employment and rewards for his mercenaries,
safety to Corinth. Hicetas, finding that lie had he sent the latter into the Carthaginian dominions
to contend alone with Timoleon, first attempted in Sicily, where they reaped a rich harvest, and
to remove his rival by assassination, and, after the compelled many cities to desert the Carthaginian
failure of this attempt, openly had recourse to the cause.
Carthaginians, and introduced Mago with his fleet The Carthaginians did not need this provocation
and army into the port and city of Syracuse. to engage in war against Timoleon. The rise of
Hicetas now seemed certain of success, for the a new power at Syracuse, and the union of the
Carthaginian force is said to have amounted to Sicilian Greeks, could not but excite jealousy
50,000 men; but Timoleon did not despair, and among the Carthaginiains. They had been so exshowed himself quite equal to the emergency. He asperated against Mago for his cowardly conduct
contrived to send a seasonable supply of provisions in leaving Sicily, that they would have crucified
from Catana to the Corinthian garrison in the him if he had not put an end to his own life; and
citadel at Syracuse; and while Mago and Hicetas they now resolved to send a force to Sicily suffimarched against Catana with the best part of their ciently powerful to subdue the whole island. This
troops, Leon, the commander of the Corinthian formidable armament reached Lilybaeum in B. C.
garrison at Syracuse, made a sudden attack upon 339. It was under the command of Hasdrubal
Achradina, and gained this important quarter of and Hamilcar, and is said to have consisted of
the city. This unexpected success raised the sus- 70,000 foot and 10,000 horse and war-chariots,
picions of Mago, who, fearful of treachery, resolved with a fleet of 200 ships of war, and 1000 other
to quit the island, and sailed away, with all his vessels carrying a vast quantity of provisions and
forces, to Carthage. Notwithstanding the defec- military stores. Such an overwhelming force struck
tion of his powerful ally, Hicetas still attempted to the Greeks with consternation and dismlay. So great