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intercourse　and　from　services　connected　with　his　return　that　these　two


helpers　in　his　restoration　became　his　companions。　Having　come　to


Sicily；　when　they　perceived　that　Dion　had　been　misrepresented　to　the


Sicilian　Greeks；　whom　he　had　liberated；　as　one　that　plotted　to


become　monarch；　they　not　only　betrayed　their　companion　and　friend；　but


shared　personally　in　the　guilt　of　his　murder；　standing　by　his


murderers　as　supporters　with　weapons　in　their　hands。　The　guilt　and


impiety　of　their　conduct　I　neither　excuse　nor　do　I　dwell　upon　it。


For　many　others　make　it　their　business　to　harp　upon　it；　and　will


make　it　their　business　in　the　future。　But　I　do　take　exception　to　the


statement　that；　because　they　were　Athenians；　they　have　brought　shame


upon　this　city。　For　I　say　that　he　too　is　an　Athenian　who　refused　to


betray　this　same　Dion；　when　he　had　the　offer　of　riches　and　many


other　honours。　For　his　was　no　common　or　vulgar　friendship；　but


rested　on　community　in　liberal　education；　and　this　is　the　one　thing　in


which　a　wise　man　will　put　his　trust；　far　more　than　in　ties　of　personal


and　bodily　kinship。　So　the　two　murderers　of　Dion　were　not　of


sufficient　importance　to　be　causes　of　disgrace　to　this　city；　as　though


they　had　been　men　of　any　note。


　　All　this　has　been　said　with　a　view　to　counselling　the　friends　and


family　of　Dion。　And　in　addition　to　this　I　give　for　the　third　time　to


you　the　same　advice　and　counsel　which　I　have　given　twice　before　to


others…not　to　enslave　Sicily　or　any　other　State　to　despots…this　my


counsel　but…to　put　it　under　the　rule　of　laws…for　the　other　course　is


better　neither　for　the　enslavers　nor　for　the　enslaved；　for　themselves；


their　children's　children　and　descendants；　the　attempt　is　in　every　way


fraught　with　disaster。　It　is　only　small　and　mean　natures　that　are　bent


upon　seizing　such　gains　for　themselves；　natures　that　know　nothing　of


goodness　and　justice；　divine　as　well　as　human；　in　this　life　and　in　the


next。


　　These　are　the　lessons　which　I　tried　to　teach；　first　to　Dion；


secondly　to　Dionysios；　and　now　for　the　third　time　to　you。　Do　you


obey　me　thinking　of　Zeus　the　Preserver；　the　patron　of　third


ventures；　and　looking　at　the　lot　of　Dionysios　and　Dion；　of　whom　the


one　who　disobeyed　me　is　living　in　dishonour；　while　he　who　obeyed　me


has　died　honourably。　For　the　one　thing　which　is　wholly　right　and　noble


is　to　strive　for　that　which　is　most　honourable　for　a　man's　self　and


for　his　country；　and　to　face　the　consequences　whatever　they　may　be。


For　none　of　us　can　escape　death；　nor；　if　a　man　could　do　so；　would


it；　as　the　vulgar　suppose；　make　him　happy。　For　nothing　evil　or　good；


which　is　worth　mentioning　at　all；　belongs　to　things　soulless；　but　good


or　evil　will　be　the　portion　of　every　soul；　either　while　attached　to


the　body　or　when　separated　from　it。


　　And　we　should　in　very　truth　always　believe　those　ancient　and


sacred　teachings；　which　declare　that　the　soul　is　immortal；　that　it　has


judges；　and　suffers　the　greatest　penalties　when　it　has　been


separated　from　the　body。　Therefore　also　we　should　consider　it　a　lesser


evil　to　suffer　great　wrongs　and　outrages　than　to　do　them。　The　covetous


man；　impoverished　as　he　is　in　the　soul；　turns　a　deaf　ear　to　this


teaching；　or　if　he　hears　it；　he　laughs　it　to　scorn　with　fancied


superiority；　and　shamelessly　snatches　for　himself　from　every　source


whatever　his　bestial　fancy　supposes　will　provide　for　him　the　means


of　eating　or　drinking　or　glutting　himself　with　that　slavish　and


gross　pleasure　which　is　falsely　called　after　the　goddess　of　love。　He


is　blind　and　cannot　see　in　those　acts　of　plunder　which　are　accompanied


by　impiety　what　heinous　guilt　is　attached　to　each　wrongful　deed；　and


that　the　offender　must　drag　with　him　the　burden　of　this　impiety


while　he　moves　about　on　earth；　and　when　he　has　travelled　beneath　the


earth　on　a　journey　which　has　every　circumstance　of　shame　and　misery。


　　It　was　by　urging　these　and　other　like　truths　that　I　convinced


Dion；　and　it　is　I　who　have　the　best　right　to　be　angered　with　his


murderers　in　much　the　same　way　as　I　have　with　Dionysios。　For　both　they


and　he　have　done　the　greatest　injury　to　me；　and　I　might　almost　say


to　all　mankind；　they　by　slaying　the　man　that　was　willing　to　act


righteously；　and　he　by　refusing　to　act　righteously　during　the　whole　of


his　rule；　when　he　held　supreme　power；　in　which　rule　if　philosophy


and　power　had　really　met　together；　it　would　have　sent　forth　a　light　to


all　men；　Greeks　and　barbarians；　establishing　fully　for　all　the　true


belief　that　there　can　be　no　happiness　either　for　the　community　or


for　the　individual　man；　unless　he　passes　his　life　under　the　rule　of


righteousness　with　the　guidance　of　wisdom；　either　possessing　these


virtues　in　himself；　or　living　under　the　rule　of　godly　men　and　having


received　a　right　training　and　education　in　morals。　These　were　the　aims


which　Dionysios　injured；　and　for　me　everything　else　is　a　trifling


injury　compared　with　this。


　　The　murderer　of　Dion　has；　without　knowing　it；　done　the　same　as


Dionysios。　For　as　regards　Dion；　I　know　right　well；　so　far　as　it　is


possible　for　a　man　to　say　anything　positively　about　other　men；　that；


if　he　had　got　the　supreme　power；　he　would　never　have　turned　his　mind


to　any　other　form　of　rule；　but　that；　dealing　first　with　Syracuse；


his　own　native　land；　when　he　had　made　an　end　of　her　slavery；　clothed


her　in　bright　apparel；　and　given　her　the　garb　of　freedom；　he　would


then　by　every　means　in　his　power　have　ordered　aright　the　lives　of


his　fellow…citizens　by　suitable　and　excellent　laws；　and　the　thing　next


in　order；　which　he　would　have　set　his　heart　to　accomplish；　was　to


found　again　all　the　States　of　Sicily　and　make　them　free　from　the


barbarians；　driving　out　some　and　subduing　others；　an　easier　task　for


him　than　it　was　for　Hiero。　If　these　things　had　been　accomplished　by


a　man　who　was　just　and　brave　and　temperate　and　a　philosopher；　the　same


belief　with　regard　to　virtue　would　have　been　established　among　the


majority　which；　if　Dionysios　had　been　won　over；　would　have　been


established；　I　might　almost　say；　among　all　mankind　and　would　have


given　them　salvation。　But　now　some　higher　power　or　avenging　fiend


has　fallen　upon　them；　inspiring　them　with　lawlessness；　godlessness　and


acts　of　recklessness　issuing　from　ignorance；　the　seed　from　which　all


evils　for　all　mankind　take　root　and　grow　and　will　in　future　bear　the


bitterest　harvest　for　those　who　brought　them　into　being。　This


ignorance　it　was　which　in　that　second　venture　wrecked　and　ruined


everything。


　　And　now；　for　good　luck's　sake；　let　us　on　this　third　venture


abstain　from　words　of　ill　omen。　But；　nevertheless；　I　advise　you；　his


friends；　to　imitate　in　Dion　his　love　for　his　country　and　his　temperate


habits　of　daily　life；　and　to　try　with　better　auspices　to　carry　out　his


wishes…what　these　were；　you　have　heard　from　me　in　plain　words。　And


whoever　among　you　cannot　live　the　simple　Dorian　life　according　to


the　customs　of　your　forefathers；　but　follows　the　manner　of　life　of


Dion's　murderers　and　of　the　Sicilians；　do　not　invite　this　man　to


join　you；　or　expect　him　to　do　any　loyal　or　salutary　act；　but　invite


all　others　to　the　work　of　resettling　all　the　States　of　Sicily　and


establishing　equality　under　the　laws；　summoning　them　from　Sicily


itself　and　from　the　whole　Peloponnese…and　have　no　fear　even　of　Athens；


for　there；　also；　are　men　who　excel　all　mankind　in　their　devotion　to


virtue　and　in　hatred　of　the　reckless　acts　of　those　who　shed　the


blood　of　friends。


　　But　if；　after　all；　this　is　work　for　a　future　time；　whereas　immediate


action　is　called　for　by　the　disorders　of　all　sorts　and　kinds　which


arise　every　day　from　your　state　of　civil　strife；　every　man　to　whom


Providence　has　given　even　a　moderate　share　of　right　intelligence　ought


to　know　that　in　times　of　civil　strife　there　is　no　respite　from　trouble


till　the　victors　make　an　end　of　feeding　their　grudge　by　combats　and


banishments　and　executions；　and　of　wreaking　their　vengeance　on　their


enemies。　They　should　master　themselves　and；　enacting　impartial　laws；


framed　not　to　gratify　themselves　more　than　the　conquered　party；　should


compel　men　to　obey　these　by　two　restraining　forces；　respect　and


fear；　fear；　because　they　are　the　masters　and　can　display　superior


force；　respect；　because　they　rise　superior　to　pleasures　and　are


willing　and　able　to　be　servants　to　the　laws。　There　is　no　other　way


save　this　for　terminating　the　troubles　of　a　city　that　is　in　a　state　of


civil　strife；　but　a　constant　continuance　of　internal　disorders；


struggles；　hatred　and　mutual　distrust　is　the　common　lot　of　cities


which　are　in　that　plight。


　　Therefore；　those　who　have　for　the　time　being　gained　the　upper


hand；　when　they　desire　to　secure　their　position；　must　by　their　own　act


and　choice　select　from　all　Hellas　men　whom　they　have　ascertained　to　be


the　best　for　the　purpose。　These　must　in　the　first　place　be　men　of


mature　years；　who　have　children　and　wives　at　home；　and；　as　far　as


possible；　a　long　line　of　ancestors　of　good　reput