Textus Originalis
XXVI ARGUMENTUM
Cap. 84. Antisthenes Agrigentinus, alterum affluentiae et magnificentiae exemplum. Incolarum Agrigenti numerus et vita luxuriosa. 85. In Agrigentinorum urbem Carthaginienses totam vim convertunt. A Dexippo adiuti Agrigentini fortissime repugnant. 86. Pestis Carthaginiensium castra corripit, qua Hannibal exstinguitur. Syracusani duce Daphnaeo urbi obsessae auxilio veniunt. 87. Pugna commissa Poeni in fugam coniciuntur. Duces Agrigentinorum graves poenas dederunt, quod milites ab eruptione prohibuerant. 88. Sero Daphnaeus castra Poenorum obsidere conatur. Hamilcar per insidias magnam frumenti vim a Syracusanis advectam rapit. Agrigentini ingenti penuria premuntur, a sociis deseruntur. 89. Fame coacti Agrigentini, relictis in urbe senibus et infirmis, Gelam, deinde in Leontinorum urbem migrant. 90. Agrigentum urbs capta a Poenis et incolae superstites caesi. Praedae pars praecipua, praesertim artis opera, in his Phalaridis taurus, Carthaginem missa; Obiter reprehenditur Timaeus, qui taurum illum umquam exstitisse negaverat. 91. Carthaginienses hiemabant Agrigenti. Siculi perterriti alii Syracusas, alii in Italiam migrant. Syracusanorum duces proditionis accusantur, inprimis a Dionysio. 92. Creantur alii duces, in eis etiam Dionysius; qui plebis gratiam affectans et collegas in suspicionem adduxit et exules in patriam revocavit. 93. Gelam missus Dionysius huius quoque urbis plebem sibi conciliavit. 94. Fallaciis decepti Syracusani ad Dionysium unum summum imperium detulerunt. 95. Dionysius simili modo ac Pisistratus satellites sibi comparavit. 96. Dionysius tyrannum se declaravit, Hermocratis filiam uxorem duxit, adversarios expulit. — Carthaginienses hiemabant Agrigenti. 97. Athenienses receptis in civitatem peregrinis augent militum numerum et novam classem comparant. Huic
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English — scholarly
ARETHE Knowledge Engineering DivisionXXVI ARGUMENT
Ch. 84. Antisthenes of Agrigentum, another example of affluence and magnificence. The number of inhabitants of Agrigentum and their luxurious life. 85. The Carthaginians turn their whole force against the city of the Agrigentines. Aided by Dexippus, the Agrigentines fight back most bravely. 86. A plague seizes the Carthaginian camp, by which Hannibal dies. The Syracusans, under the command of Daphnaeus, come to the aid of the besieged city. 87. Battle is joined and the Phoenicians are put to flight. The commanders of the Agrigentines paid a heavy penalty for having kept the soldiers from a sortie. 88. Too late, Daphnaeus attempts to besiege the Punic camp. Hamilcar, by a stratagem, seizes a great quantity of grain brought by the Syracusans. The Agrigentines are oppressed by immense scarcity and are abandoned by their allies. 89. Compelled by famine, the Agrigentines, leaving the old and infirm in the city, migrate to Gela, then to the city of the Leontines. 90. The city of Agrigentum is captured by the Punics and the surviving inhabitants are slain. A principal part of the spoils, especially works of art—among them the bull of Phalaris—was sent to Carthage; Timaeus is incidentally censured for having denied that that bull ever existed. 91. The Carthaginians wintered at Agrigentum. The Sicilians, thoroughly terrified, some migrate to Syracuse, others to Italy. The Syracusan commanders are accused of treachery, especially by Dionysius. 92. Other commanders are appointed, among them Dionysius; he, seeking the favor of the common people, both brought his colleagues under suspicion and recalled the exiles to their country. 93. Sent to Gela, Dionysius also won over the common people of this city to himself. 94. The Syracusans, deceived by his tricks, conferred the supreme command upon Dionysius alone. 95. Dionysius, in a manner similar to Pisistratus, procured bodyguards for himself. 96. Dionysius declared himself tyrant, married the daughter of Hermocrates, and drove out his adversaries. — The Carthaginians wintered at Agrigentum. 97. The Athenians, having received foreigners into citizenship, increase the number of soldiers and equip a new fleet. To this
Commentario Arethe
Dionysius... tyrannum se declaravit
Dionysius I of Syracuse (c. 432–367 BC) is the central figure of Books XIII–XIV. Rising to power through demagoguery during the crisis of the Carthaginian invasions (405 BC), he established the most powerful Greek tyranny of the 4th century. Diodorus' account (XIII 91–96) traces his classic path to power: winning popular favor, discrediting rival generals, orchestrating a bodyguard (like Pisistratus at Athens), and finally seizing sole control. His 38-year reign (405–367 BC) transformed Syracuse into the dominant power of the western Greek world. For ARETHE, Dionysius is absolutely central: he reshaped the political geography of Sicily, destroying cities (Naxos, Catania, Leontini), founding new ones (Tyndaris), and engaging in four wars against Carthage.
c. 432–367 BC