πολλῶν τοίνυν τοῖς ἀνδράσιν ὑπαρξάντων καλῶν, ἐν τοῖς πρώτοις δὲ τοῦ μεγίστους ἐλαχίσταις ἀφορμαῖς γενέσθαι, τοῦτο τῷ Δίωνι κάλλιστόν ἐστιν.
We see, therefore, that both men had many noble traits, and especially that they rose to the greatest heights from the most inconsiderable beginnings; but this is most to the credit of Dion.
οὐ γὰρ εἶχε τὸν ἀμφισβητοῦντα, καθάπερ ὁ Βροῦτος Κάσσιον, ἄνδρα πρὸς μὲν ἀρετὴν καὶ δόξαν οὐχ ὁμοίως ἀξιόπιστον, εἰς δὲ τὸν πόλεμον οὐκ ἐλάττονας τόλμῃ καὶ δεινότητι καὶ πράξει συμβολὰς παρασχόμενον,
For he had no one to dispute his eminence, as Brutus had in Cassius, a man whose virtue and fame did not inspire confidence in like degree, but who, by reason of his boldness, ability, and efficiency, contributed no less than Brutus did to the war;
ᾧ γε καὶ τοῦ παντὸς ἔργου προσποιοῦσιν ἔνιοι τὴν ἀρχήν, ἡγεμόνα τῆς ἐπὶ Καίσαρα γνώμης τοῦτον ἀτρεμοῦντι Βρούτῳ γενέσθαι λέγοντες.
indeed, some attribute to him the origin of the whole enterprise, declaring that he took the lead in the plot against Caesar when Brutus was passive.
Δίων δʼ ὥσπερ ὅπλα καὶ πλοῖα καὶ στρατιωτικὴν δύναμιν, οὕτω καὶ φίλους καὶ συνεργοὺς ἐπὶ τὴν πρᾶξιν αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ φαίνεται κτησάμενος.
Dion, however, appears to have acquired by his own efforts, not only arms and vessels and a military force, but also friends and co-workers for his enterprise.
οὐ μὴν οὐδʼ ὡς Βροῦτος ἐκ τῶν πραγμάτων αὑτῶν καὶ τοῦ πολέμου πλοῦτον ἔσχε καὶ δύναμιν, οὕτω καὶ Δίων, ἀλλὰ τῷ πολέμῳ προεισήνεγκεν αὐτὸς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ πλοῦτον, ὑπὲρ τῆς τῶν πολιτῶν ἐλευθερίας τοῖς τῆς φυγῆς ἐφοδίοις προκαταχρησάμενος.
However, Dion did not, like Brutus, win wealth and power from the course of the war itself, nay, he contributed his own wealth for the war, expending in behalf of the liberty of his countrymen those resources which supported him in his exile.
ἔτι δὲ Βροῦτος μὲν καὶ Κάσσιος, οὐκ ὂν ἀσφαλὲς ἡσυχίαν ἄγειν ἐκπεσοῦσι τῆς Ῥώμης, ἀλλʼ ὠφληκόσι δίκην θανάτου καὶ διωκομένοις, ἀναγκαίως εἰς τὸν πόλεμον κατέφυγον καὶ τὰ σώματα τοῖς ὅπλοις παρακαταθέμενοι διεκινδύνευσαν ὑπὲρ αὑτῶν τὸ πλέον ἢ τῶν πολιτῶν,
And further, it was not safe for Brutus and Cassius to keep quiet after their banishment from Rome, but since they were condemned to death and pursued, it was of necessity that they resorted to war; and in committing their persons to the protection of their arms they incurred danger in their own behalf rather than in behalf of their countrymen;
Δίων δʼ ἀδεέστερον ἐν τῇ φυγῇ τοῦ φυγαδεύσαντος τυράννου καὶ ἥδιον διάγων ἀνέρριψεν ἑκὼν κίνδυνον τοσοῦτον ἐπὶ τῷ σῶσαι Σικελίαν.
whereas Dion was living with greater confidence and pleasure in his banishment than the tyrant who banished him, and yet of his own accord he hazarded a peril so great in order to save Sicily.
καὶ μὴν οὐχ ὅμοιον Διονυσίου Συρακουσίοις ἡ Καίσαρος ἀπαλλαγῆναι Ῥωμαίοις. ὁ μὲν γὰρ οὐδʼ ἠρνεῖτο τύραννος εἶναι κακῶν τε μυρίων ἐμπεπλήκει Σικελίαν·
And verily it was not a like thing for Syracuse to be rid of Dionysius and Rome of Caesar. For Dionysius was even an avowed tyrant, and filled Sicily with countless ills;
ἡ δὲ Καίσαρος ἀρχὴ συνισταμένη μὲν οὐκ ὀλίγα τοῖς ἐναντιουμένοις πράγματα παρέσχε, δεξαμένοις δὲ καὶ κρατηθεῖσιν ὄνομα καὶ δόκησις ἐφάνη μόνον, ἔργον δʼ ἀπʼ αὐτῆς οὐδὲν ὠμὸν οὐδὲ τυραννικὸν ὑπῆρξεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ δεομένοις ἔδοξε τοῖς πράγμασι μοναρχίας πρᾳότατος ὥσπερ ἰατρὸς ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ τοῦ δαίμονος δεδόσθαι.
whereas the rule of Caesar, although during its establishment it gave no little trouble to its opponents, still, after they had been overpowered and had accepted it, they saw that it was a tyranny only in name and appearance, and no cruel or tyrannical act was authorized by it; nay, it was plain that the ills of the state required a monarchy, and that Caesar, like a most gentle physician, had been assigned to them by Heaven itself.
διὸ Καίσαρα μὲν εὐθὺς ἐπόθησεν ὁ Ῥωμαίων δῆμος, ὥστε χαλεπὸς γενέσθαι καὶ ἀπαραίτητος τοῖς ἀπεκτονόσι, Δίωνα δʼ ἡ Διονυσίου πάρεσις ἐκ Συρακουσῶν καὶ τὸ μὴ κατασκάψαι τοῦ προτέρου τυράννου τὸν τάφον ἐπαίτιον μάλιστα πρὸς τοὺς πολίτας ἐποίησεν.
Therefore the Roman people felt at once a yearning for Caesar, and in consequence became harsh and implacable towards his murderers; whereas Dion, for letting Dionysius escape from Syracuse, and for not demolishing the tomb of the former tyrant, was held most culpable by his countrymen.
ἐν αὐταῖς τοίνυν ταῖς πολεμικαῖς πράξεσιν ὁ μὲν Δίων ἄμεμπτος γέγονε στρατηγός, ὡς μὲν αὐτὸς ἐβουλεύετο τοῖς πράγμασιν ἄριστα χρώμενος, ἃ δʼ ἐπταίσθη διʼ ἑτέρους ἀναλαβὼν καὶ μεταστήσας ἐπὶ τὸ βέλτιον·
Next, as regards their actual military achievements, Dion was a consummate general; where he himself made the plans, he achieved the best results, and where failure was due to others, he restored and bettered the situation.
ὁ δὲ Βροῦτος τὸν ἔσχατον ἀγῶνα ὑπὲρ τῶν ὅλων οὔθʼ ὑποστῆναι δοκεῖ φρονίμως οὔτε σφαλεὶς ἐπανόρθωσιν εὑρεῖν, ἀλλʼ ἀπεῖπε καὶ προεῖτο τὰς ἐλπίδας, οὐδʼ ὅσον Πομπήϊος ἐπιτολμήσας τῇ τύχῃ·
Brutus, on the other hand, as it seems, was unwise in entering upon the last supreme struggle, and when he was defeated, could not find a way to restore his cause, but gave up and abandoned his hopes, not even facing adverse fortune with as much resolution as Pompey,
καὶ ταῦτα πολλῆς μὲν αὐτόθι λειπομένης ἐλπίδος ἐν τοῖς ὅπλοις, ταῖς δὲ ναυσὶ κρατῶν πάσης βεβαίως τῆς θαλάσσης.
and that too although on land he had much ground for confidence left in his troops, and with his fleet was secure master of all the sea.
ὃ δὲ μέγιστόν ἐστιν ὧν ἐγκαλοῦσι Βρούτῳ, τὸ σωθέντα τῇ Καίσαρος χάριτι καὶ σώσαντα τῶν συνεαλωκότων ὅσους ἐβούλετο καὶ φίλον νομιζόμενον καὶ προτιμηθέντα πολλῶν αὐτόχειρα τοῦ σώσαντος γενέσθαι, τοῦτʼ οὐκ ἄν τις εἴποι κατὰ Δίωνος.
Moreover, the gravest charge which is brought against Brutus, namely, that although his life was spared by the kindness of Caesar, together with the lives of all the fellow captives for whom he wished to intercede, and although Caesar held him a friend and honoured him above many, he struck down his preserver with his own hand,—this charge no one can bring against Dion.
ἀλλὰ τοὐναντίον, οἰκεῖος μὲν ὢν Διονυσίῳ καὶ φίλος ὤρθου τὰ πράγματα καὶ συνδιεφύλαττεν, ἐκπεσὼν δὲ τῆς πατρίδος καὶ ἀδικηθεὶς περὶ τὴν γυναῖκα καὶ τὴν οὐσίαν ἀπολέσας ἐκ προφανοῦς εἰς πόλεμον κατέστη νόμιμον καὶ δίκαιον. ἢ τοῦτʼ ἀντιστρέφει πρῶτον;
On the contrary, while he was a courtier and friend of Dionysius, he tried to set the state in order and help in preserving it; but when he had been banished from his country, wronged as a husband, and deprived of his property, he openly resorted to a war that was lawful and just. Or does this argument reverse itself at once?
ὃ γὰρ εἰς ἔπαινον ὑπάρχει τοῖς ἀνδράσι μέγιστον, ἡ πρὸς τοὺς τυράννους ἀπέχθεια καὶ μισοπονηρία, τοῦτʼ εἰλικρινές ἐστι τῷ Βρούτῳ καὶ καθαρόν, ἰδίᾳ γὰρ οὐδὲν ἐγκαλῶν Καίσαρι τῆς κοινῆς προεκινδύνευεν ἐλευθερίας·
For that which redounds to the praise of both men is their hostility to tyrants and hatred of their baseness, and this is disinterested and sincere in the case of Brutus, since without any private grievance against Caesar he risked his life for the common liberty;
ὁ δʼ εἰ μὴ κακῶς ἔπαθεν αὐτός, οὐκ ἂν ἐπολέμησε, καὶ τοῦτο δηλοῦται ταῖς Πλάτωνος ἐπιστολαῖς, ἐξ ὧν δῆλός ἐστιν ὡς ἀποβληθεὶς τῆς τυραννίδος, οὐκ ἀποστάς, κατέλυσε Διονύσιον.
whereas, had not Dion himself been mistreated, he would not have gone to war. And this is made manifest by the letters of Plato, from which it is clear that Dion did not revolt, but was cast out from the tyranny, and therefore overthrew Dionysius.
ἔτι Βροῦτον μὲν καὶ Πομπηΐῳ φίλον ἐποίησεν, ἐχθρὸν ὄντα, καὶ πολέμιον Καίσαρι, τὸ κοινῇ συμφέρον, ὡς ἔχθρας ὅρῳ καὶ φιλίας ἑνὶ χρώμενον τῷ δικαίῳ·
Still further, it was the public good that made Brutus a friend even to Pompey, who was his foe, and an enemy to Caesar, since he determined both hatred and friendship by justice alone;
Δίων δὲ πρὸς χάριν ὤρθου πολλὰ Διονύσιον, ὅτʼ ἦν βέβαιος αὑτῷ, καὶ πρὸς ὀργὴν ἀπιστηθεὶς ἐπολέμησε.
Dion, on the other hand, gave Dionysius much support in order to win his favour, when he was secure in his confidence, and when he was discredited by him, it was to gratify anger that he went to war.
διὸ τούτῳ μὲν οὐδʼ οἱ φίλοι πάντες ἐπίστευσαν, ὡς μεταστήσας Διονύσιον οὐκ ἂν βεβαιώσαιτο τὴν ἀρχὴν αὑτῷ, πρᾳοτέρῳ τυραννίδος ὀνόματι παραγαγὼν τοὺς πολίτας,
Therefore Dion was not trusted even by all his friends, who felt that after removing Dionysius he might secure the government for himself, enticing his countrymen along by some milder name than that of tyranny;
περὶ δὲ τοῦ Βρούτου τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἦν ἀκούειν ὅτι μόνος τῶν ἐπὶ Καίσαρα συναραμένων ἕνα προὔθετο σκοπὸν ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς ἄχρι τέλους τὴν πάτριον ἀποδοῦναι Ῥωμαίοις πολιτείαν.
but the enemies of Brutus were wont to say that of all the conspirators against Caesar he alone had one aim from first to last, namely the restoration to the Romans of their ancient form of government.
ἄνευ γε μὴν τούτων ὁ πρὸς Διονύσιον ἀγὼν οὐχ ὅμοιος ἦν δήπου τῷ πρὸς Καίσαρα.
However, apart from these considerations, the struggle against Dionysius was surely unlike that against Caesar.
Διονυσίου μὲν γὰρ οὐδεὶς ὅστις οὐκ ἂν κατεφρόνησε τῶν συνήθων ἐν μέθαις καὶ κύβοις καὶ γυναιξὶ τὰς πλείστας ποιουμένου διατριβάς·
For Dionysius must have been despised by every one of his associates, devoted as he was to wine, dice, and women;
τὸ δὲ τὴν Καίσαρος κατάλυσιν εἰς νοῦν ἐμβαλέσθαι καὶ μὴ φοβηθῆναι τὴν δεινότητα καὶ δύναμιν καὶ τύχην, οὗ καὶ τοὔνομα τοὺς Παρθυαίων καὶ Ἰνδῶν βασιλεῖς οὐκ εἴα καθεύδειν, ὑπερφυοῦς ἦν ψυχῆς καὶ πρὸς μηθὲν ὑφίεσθαι φόβῳ τοῦ φρονήματος δυναμένης.
but to plan the overthrow of Caesar, and now to fear the ability, power, and good fortune of the man whose very name robbed the kings of Parthia and India of their sleep, betokened an extraordinary spirit, and one which fear could never induce to remit its lofty purposes.
διὸ τῷ μὲν ὀφθέντι μόνον ἐν Σικελίᾳ μυριάδες οὐκ ὀλίγαι συνέστησαν ἐπὶ Διονύσιον· ἡ δὲ Καίσαρος δόξα καὶ πεσόντος ὤρθου τοὺς φίλους, καὶ τοὔνομα τὸν χρησάμενον ἦρεν ἐκ παιδὸς ἀμηχάνου πρῶτον εὐθὺς εἶναι Ῥωμαίων, ὡς ἀλεξιφάρμακον τοῦτο πρὸς τὴν Ἀντωνίου περιαψάμενον ἔχθραν καὶ δύναμιν.
Therefore Dion had only to be seen in Sicily, and many thousands joined him in attacking Dionysius; whereas the fame of Caesar, even after he had fallen, supported his friends, and his name raised the helpless boy who adopted it to be at once the foremost Roman, and he wore it as a charm against the power and hatred of Antony.
εἰ δὲ φήσει τις ὅτι μεγάλοις μὲν ἀγῶσιν ὁ Δίων ἐξέβαλε τὸν τύραννον, Καίσαρα δὲ Βροῦτος ἔκτεινε γυμνὸν καὶ ἀφύλακτον, αὐτὸ τοῦτο δεινότητος ἄκρας καὶ στρατηγίας ἦν ἔργον, ἄνδρα τοσαύτην περιβεβλημένον δύναμιν ἀφύλακτον λαβεῖν καὶ γυμνόν.
But should it be objected that Dion cast out the tyrant only after great struggles, while Brutus slew Caesar unarmed and unguarded, this very circumstance was a result of the highest ability and generalship, namely, that a man enveloped in such great power should be taken unarmed and unguarded.
οὐ γὰρ ἐξαίφνης οὐδὲ μόνος ἢ σὺν ὀλίγοις ἐπιπεσὼν ἀνεῖλεν, ἀλλʼ ἐκ πολλοῦ συνθεὶς τὸ βούλευμα καὶ μετὰ πολλῶν ἐπιθέμενος, ὧν οὐδεὶς ἐψεύσατʼ αὐτόν, ἢ γὰρ εὐθὺς ἔκρινε τοὺς ἀρίστους ἢ τῷ προκρῖναι τοὺς πιστευθέντας ἀγαθοὺς ἐποίησε.
For not on a sudden, nor alone, or with a few helpers only, did he fall upon him and slay him, nay, his plan was long in forming, and his attack was made with many helpers, not one of whom proved false to him. For either he chose out at once the best men, or his choice of them before others, and his confidence in them, made them good.
Δίων δὲ εἴτε κρίνας κακῶς ἐπίστευσεν ἑαυτὸν πονηροῖς εἴτε χρώμενος ἐποίησεν ἐκ χρηστῶν πονηρούς, οὐδέτερον παθεῖν ἀνδρὶ φρονίμῳ προσῆκεν.
But Dion either chose unwisely and entrusted himself to bad men, or else treated the men of his choice so as to turn them from good to bad, neither of which mistakes a prudent man ought to make.
ἐπιτιμᾷ δὲ καὶ Πλάτων αὐτῷ τοιούτους ἑλομένῳ φίλους, ὑφʼ ὧν ἀπώλετο.
And in fact Plato censures him for choosing such friends as proved his ruin.
καὶ Δίωνος μὲν τιμωρὸς οὐδεὶς ἐφάνη πεσόντος· ἀλλὰ Βροῦτον καὶ τῶν πολεμίων Ἀντώνιος μὲν ἔθαψεν ἐνδόξως, Καῖσαρ δὲ καὶ τὰς τιμὰς ἐτήρησεν.
Further, no one arose to avenge Dion’s death; but in the case of Brutus, Antony, an enemy, gave him illustrious burial, and Octavius, an enemy, actually took care to preserve his honours.
ἕστηκε δὲ χαλκοῦς ἀνδριὰς ἐν Μεδιολάνῳ τῆς ἐντὸς Ἄλπεων Γαλατίας, τοῦτον ὕστερον ἰδὼν ὁ Καῖσαρ εἰκονικὸν ὄντα καὶ χαριέντως εἰργασμένον παρῆλθεν εἶτʼ ἐπιστὰς μετὰ μικρὸν ἀκροωμένων πολλῶν τοὺς ἄρχοντας ἐκάλει, φάσκων ἔκσπονδον αὐτῶν τὴν πόλιν εἰληφέναι πολέμιον ἔχουσαν παρʼ αὑτῇ.
For a bronze statue of him stood in Mediolanum in Cisalpine Gaul. This statue, at a later time, Octavius noticed as he passed by, for it was a good likeness and an artistic piece of work; then stopping, after a little, in the hearing of many he summoned the magistrates and declared that he had caught their city violating its treaty and harbouring an enemy of his.
τὸ μὲν οὖν πρῶτον, ὡς εἰκὸς, ἠρνοῦντο, καὶ τίνα λέγοι διαποροῦντες εἰς ἀλλήλους ἀπέβλεψαν. ὡς δʼ ἐπιστρέψας ὁ Καῖσαρ πρὸς τὸν ἀνδριάντα καὶ συναγαγὼν τὸ πρόσωπον, ἀλλʼ οὐχ οὗτος, ἔφη, πολέμιος ὢν ἡμέτερος ἐνταῦθα ἕστηκεν; ἔτι μᾶλλον καταπλαγέντες ἐσιώπησαν.
At first, then, as was natural, they denied it, and looked at one another in perplexity, not knowing what he meant. Then Octavius, turning to the statue and knitting his brows, said: Well, is not this an enemy of mine who stands here? At this, the magistrates were still more dumbfounded and held their peace.
ὁ δὲ μειδιάσας ἐπῄνεσέ τε τοὺς Γαλάτας ὡς τοῖς φίλοις καὶ παρὰ τὰς τύχας βεβαίους ὄντας, καὶ τὸν ἀνδριάντα κατὰ χώραν μένειν ἐκέλευσε.
But Octavius, with a smile, praised the Gauls because they were true to their friends even in adversity, and gave orders that the statue should remain where it was.
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