οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ ὁ Τιμολέων τοῖς πρεσβευταῖς καὶ τοῖς ἄρχουσι τῶν Καρχηδονίων ἐντυχὼν ἐπιεικῶς ἔφη πείθεσθαι μὲν οἷς κελεύουσι τί γὰρ ἂν καὶ περαίνειν ἀπειθῶν, ἐθέλειν δὲ ταῦτα πόλεως Ἑλληνίδος καὶ φίλης κοινῆς τῆς Ῥηγίνων ἐναντίον ἀκούσας καὶ εἰπὼν ἀπαλλάττεσθαι·
However, after Timoleon had met the envoys of Hicetas and the commanders of the Carthaginians, he calmly said that he would obey their commands (for what would he accomplish by refusing?), but he wished that, before he went away, their proposals and his reply should be made in the presence of the people of Rhegium, a Greek city and a friend of both parties;
καὶ γὰρ αὐτῷ τοῦτο πρὸς ἀσφάλειαν διαφέρειν, κἀκείνους ἐμμενεῖν βεβαιότερον οἷς ἐπαγγέλλονται περὶ Συρακουσίων δήμῳ μάρτυρι τὰς ὁμολογίας παρακαταθεμένους.
for this would conduce to his own safety, and they, on their part, would abide more firmly by their promises regarding the Syracusans if they made a people witness to the agreements into which they entered.
ταῦτα δʼ ὑπέτεινεν αὐτοῖς ἀπάτην ἐπὶ τῇ διαβάσει τεχνάζων, καὶ συνετέχναζον οἱ τῶν Ῥηγίνων στρατηγοὶ, πάντες ἐπιθυμοῦντες ἐν Κορινθίοις τὰ πράγματα τῶν Σικελιωτῶν γενέσθαι, καὶ φοβούμενοι τὴν τῶν βαρβάρων γειτνίασιν.
In making this overture to them he was contriving a deceit which should secure his safe passage across the strait, and the leaders of the Rhegians helped him contrive it, since they were all desirous that the affairs of the Sicilian Greeks should be in the hands of the Corinthians, and feared to have the Barbarians as neighbours.
διὸ συνῆγον ἐκκλησίαν καὶ τὰς πύλας ἀπέκλειον, ὡς μὴ πρὸς ἄλλο τι τρέπεσθαι τοὺς πολίτας, καὶ παρελθόντες εἰς τὸ πλῆθος ἐχρῶντο μήκει λόγων, ἕτερος ἑτέρῳ παραδιδοὺς τὴν αὐτὴν ὑπόθεσιν πρὸς οὐδὲν τέλος, ἀλλὰ διάγοντες ἄλλως τὸν χρόνον, ἕως ἀναχθῶσιν αἱ τῶν Κορινθίων τριήρεις, καὶ Καρχηδονίους ἐπὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας κατέχοντες ἀνυπόπτως, ἅτε καὶ τοῦ Τιμολέοντος παρόντος καὶ παρέχοντος δόκησιν ὅσον οὔπω πρὸς τὸν λόγον ἀνίστασθαι καὶ δημηγορεῖν.
Therefore they convened an assembly and closed the gates, in order that the citizens might not engage in any other business; then they came forward and addressed the multitude in lengthy speeches, one handing over to another the same topic and coming to no conclusion, but protracting the time to no apparent purpose, until the Corinthian triremes should have put to sea, and keeping the Carthaginians in the assembly free from all suspicion, since Timoleon also was there and led them to think that he was on the point of rising to address the people.
ὡς δʼ ἀπήγγειλέ τις αὐτῷ κρύφα τὰς μὲν ἄλλας τριήρεις ἀνῆχθαι, μίαν δὲ τὴν ἐκείνου περιμένειν ὑπολελειμμένην, διεκδὺς τὸν ὄχλον, ἅμα τῶν περὶ τὸ βῆμα Ῥηγίνων συνεπικρυπτόντων, καὶ καταβὰς ἐπὶ τὴν θάλατταν ἐξέπλευσε διὰ ταχέων.
But when some one secretly brought him word that the other triremes had put to sea, and that one only, his own, had been left behind and was waiting for him, he slipped through the crowd unnoticed, with the connivance of the Rhegians about the bema, went down to the sea, and sailed off with all speed.
καὶ κατήχθησαν εἰς Ταυρομένιον τῆς Σικελίας, ὑποδεχομένου καὶ καλοῦντος αὐτοὺς ἔτι πάλαι προθύμως Ἀνδρομάχου τοῦ τὴν πόλιν ἔχοντος καὶ δυναστεύοντος.
And they put in at Tauromenium in Sicily, whither they had been earnestly invited some time ago, and where they were now kindly received by Andromachus, the master and ruler of the city.
οὗτος ἦν πατὴρ Τιμαίου τοῦ ἱστορικοῦ, καὶ πολὺ κράτιστος τῶν τότε δυναστευόντων ἐν Σικελίᾳ, γενόμενος τῶν τε ἑαυτοῦ πολιτῶν ἡγεῖτο νομίμως καὶ δικαίως, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς τυράννους φανερὸς ἦν ἀεὶ διακείμενος ἀπεχθῶς καὶ ἀλλοτρίως.
Andromachus was father of Timaeus the historian, and after making himself by far the most powerful of the rulers in Sicily at that time not only led his own citizens in the ways of law and justice, but was also known to be always averse and hostile to tyrants.
διὸ καὶ Τιμολέοντι τότε τὴν πόλιν ὁρμητήριον παρέσχε, καὶ τοὺς πολίτας ἔπεισε συναγωνίζεσθαι τοῖς Κορινθίοις καὶ συνελευθεροῦν τὴν Σικελίαν.
Therefore at this time also he allowed Timoleon to make the city a base of operations, and persuaded his citizens to join the Corinthians in their struggle to set Sicily free.
οἱ δʼ ἐν τῷ Ῥηγίῳ Καρχηδόνιοι τοῦ Τιμολέοντος ἀνηγμένου καὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας διαλυθείσης χαλεπῶς φέροντες, ἐν τῷ κατεστρατηγῆσθαι διατριβὴν τοῖς Ῥηγίνοις παρεῖχον, εἰ Φοίνικες ὄντες οὐκ ἀρέσκοιντο τοῖς διʼ ἀπάτης πραττομένοις.
But the Carthaginians in Rhegium, after Timoleon had put to sea and the assembly had been dissolved, were indignant, and in their discomfiture afforded amusement to the Rhegians, seeing that, though Phoenicians, they were not pleased with what was effected by deceit.
πέμπουσι δʼ οὖν εἰς τὸ Ταυρομένιον πρεσβευτὴν ἐπὶ τριήρους, ὃς πολλὰ διαλεχθεὶς πρὸς τὸν Ἀνδρόμαχον, ἐπαχθῶς καὶ βαρβαρικῶς ἀνατεινάμενος εἰ μὴ τὴν ταχίστην ἐκβάλλει τοὺς Κορινθίους, τέλος ὑπτίαν τὴν χεῖρα δείξας, εἶτʼ αὖθις καταστρέψας ἠπείλησε τοιαύτην οὖσαν αὐτῷ τὴν πόλιν τοιαύτην ποιήσειν.
Nevertheless, they sent an envoy aboard a trireme to Tauromenium, who, after a long conversation with Andromachus, in which he menaced him in insolent barbaric fashion if he did not expel the Corinthians as soon as possible, finally showed him his hand with the palm up, and then turning it down, threatened that he would turn his city as completely upside down.
γελάσας δʼ ὁ Ἀνδρόμαχος ἄλλο μὲν οὐδὲν ἀπεκρίνατο, τὴν δὲ χεῖρα νῦν μὲν ὑπτίαν, ὡς ἐκεῖνος, νῦν δὲ πρηνῆ προτείνας ἐκέλευσεν ἀποπλεῖν αὐτόν, εἰ μὴ βούλοιτο τὴν ναῦν ἀντὶ τοιαύτης γενέσθαι τοιαύτην.
Andromachus, however, with a laugh, made no further reply than to stretch out his hand, as the Barbarian had done, now palm up, and now palm down, and then order him to sail off, if he did not wish his ship to be turned upside down in the same fashion.
ὁ δʼ Ἱκέτης πυθόμενος τὴν τοῦ Τιμολέοντος διάβασιν καὶ φοβηθείς μετεπέμψατο πολλὰς τῶν Καρχηδονίων τριήρεις.
But Hicetas was afraid when he learned that Timoleon had crossed the strait, and sent for great numbers of the Carthaginian triremes.
ὅτε καὶ παντάπασι συνέβη τοὺς Συρακουσίους ἀπογνῶναι τὴν σωτηρίαν, ὁρῶντας τοῦ μὲν λιμένος αὐτῶν Καρχηδονίους κρατοῦντας, τὴν δὲ πόλιν Ἱκέτην ἔχοντα, τῆς δʼ ἄκρας κυριεύοντα Διονύσιον, Τιμολέοντα δὲ ὥσπερ ἐκ κρασπέδου τινὸς λεπτοῦ τῆς Ταυρομενιτῶν πολίχνης τῇ Σικελίᾳ προσηρτημένον ἐπʼ ἐλπίδος ἀσθενοῦς καὶ βραχείας δυνάμεως· χιλίων γὰρ αὐτῷ στρατιωτῶν καὶ τροφῆς τούτοις ἀναγκαίας πλέον οὐδὲν ὑπῆρχεν.
And now it was that the Syracusans altogether despaired of their deliverance, seeing their harbour in the power of the Carthaginians, their city in the hands of Hicetas and their citadel in the possession of Dionysius; while Timoleon had but a hold as it were on the fringe of Sicily in the little city of Tauromenium, with a feeble hope and a small force to support him; for apart from a thousand soldiers and provisions barely sufficient for them, he had nothing.
οὐδʼ ἐπίστευον αἱ πόλεις διάπλεαι κακῶν οὖσαι καὶ πρὸς ἅπαντας ἀπηγριωμέναι τοὺς ἡγουμένους στρατοπέδων, μάλιστα διὰ τὴν Καλλίππου καὶ Φάρακος ἀπιστίαν, ὧν ὁ μὲν Ἀθηναῖος ὤν, ὁ δὲ Λακεδαιμόνιος, ἀμφότεροι δὲ φάσκοντες ὑπὲρ τῆς ἐλευθερίας ἥκειν καὶ καταλύειν τοὺς μονάρχους, χρυσὸν ἀπέδειξαν τῇ Σικελίᾳ τὰς ἐν τῇ τυραννίδι συμφοράς καὶ μακαριωτέρους δοκεῖν ἐποίησαν τοὺς καταστρέψαντας ἐν τῇ δουλείᾳ τῶν ἐπιδόντων τὴν αὐτονομίαν.
Nor did the cities feel confidence in him, over full of ills as they were and embittered against all leaders of armies, particularly by reason of the perfidy of Callippus and Pharax, one of whom was an Athenian, and the other a Lacedaemonian; but both of them, while declaring that they came to secure the freedom of Sicily and wished to overthrow its tyrants, made the calamities of Sicily under her tyrants seem as gold in comparison, and brought her people to think those more to be envied who had perished in slavery than those who had lived to see her independence.
Cite This Text