U. C. 540. disset Syracusanis, quam causam aut animos mutasset, M. A. C. 214. Marcello alteri consulum eam provinciam decernunt. Se

cundum Hieronymi cædem primo tumultuatum in Leontinis apud milites fuerat, vociferatumque ferociter, parentandum regi sanguine conjuratorum esse. Deinde libertatis restitutæ dulce auditu nomen crebro usurpatum, spes facta ex pecunia regia largitionis, militiæque fungendæ potioribus ducibus, et relata tyranni foeda scelera fœdioresque libidines, adeo mutavere animos, ut insepultum jacere corpus paullo ante desiderati regis paterentur. Quum ceteri ex conjuratis ad exercitum obtinendum' remansissent, Theodotus et Sosis regiis equis, quanto maximo cursu poterant, ut ignaros omnium regios opprimerent, Syracusas contendunt. Ceterum prævenerat non fama solum, (qua nihil in talibus rebus est celerius) sed nuntius etiam ex regiis servis.

8 Secundum Hieronymi cædem.] "In the first instance, a commotion had taken place among the troops in Leontini, after the assassination of Hieronymus, and angry exclamations were heard, that the king's death must be expiated," &c.

9 Deinde libertatis restitutæ &c.] "Afterwards, the frequent mention of reviving liberty, so welcome to the ear, the awakened hope of gain, and of serving under more competent leaders," &c. Gronovius and Drakenborch suggest potioris as an improvement; i. e. spes facta ducibus militiæ potioris; but the former reading agrees more closely with the context.

1 Ad exercitum obtinendum &c.] "Remained with the army, to keep it in their power."

2 Syracusas.] In order to understand the following chapters, it will be necessary to acquire a correct idea of the topography of Syracuse. The best description perhaps in existence is that by Cicero, in one of the speeches against Verres. (See in Verr iv. 52.) Of the four divisions mentioned in that description, Tyche and Neapolis had been added subsequently to the Athenian invasion; so that the dimensions of the original city were but little more extensive than those of its restcration on a comparatively small scale by Augustus. The two harbours, which are very disproportionate in size, would form one, but

for the projection of the island,
Nasos, or Ortygia (now Siracusa).
The smaller (Porto Piccolo) lying
to the east of that partition, is said
to have been originally paved (arti-
ficially) with marble; and the larger
lying to the west of the island, is
bounded on the other side by the pro-
montory Plemmyrium, (Massa Oli-
veri,) from which a chain extended
across its mouth. It was of course
round those harbours and on the island
that the city originallygrew, spreading
itselfinland afterwards, as wealth and
population increased, until it filled a
circumference of 22 miles. Acradina,
the original citadel, was the quarter
of the town nearest to the island,
connected with it by a bridge, and
lying round the promontory on the
east of the small harbour. Imme-
diately behind Acradina stood Nea-
polis and Epipolæ, and inside these
and Tyche, the fortress of Euryalus,
or Euryēlus, (as all these Greek
names are Doric,) now called the
Belvedere. Inland from the cen-
tre of the great harbour, and con-
siderably to the S. W. of the upper
part of the city, stood the temple
of Jupiter Olympius. Of this there
are now standing but the broken
shafts of two fluted Doric columns
6 feet in diameter, which are a
conspicuous object as
seen from
outside the harbour, and are now used
as a sea-mark to guide mariners in
through the narrow mouth between
the Nasos and Plemmyrium.

Itaque Andranodorus et Insulam, et arcem, et alia, quæ U. C. 540. poterat, quæque opportuna erant, præsidiis firmarat. Hex-A. C. 214. apylo Theodotus ac Sosis post solis occasum jam obscura luce invecti3, quum cruentam regiam vestem atque insigne capitis ostentarent, travecti per Tycham, simul ad libertatem, simul ad arma vocantes, in Achradinam convenire jubent. Multitudo pars' procurrit in vias, pars in vestibulis stat, pars ex tectis fenestrisque prospectant, et, quid rei sit, rogitant. Omnia luminibus collucent, strepituque vario complentur. Armati locis patentibus congregantur: inermes ex Olympii Jovis templo spolia Gallorum Illyriorumque, dono data Hieroni a populo Romano, fixaque ab eo, detrahunt, precantes Jovem, ut volens propitius præbeat sacra arma, pro patria, pro deum delubris, pro libertate sese armantibus. Hæc quoque multitudo, stationibus per principes regionum urbis dispositis, adjungitur. In Insula inter cetera Andranodorus præsidiis firmat horrea publica. Locus, saxo quadrato sæptus, atque arcis in modum emunitus, capitur ab juventute, quæ præsidio ejus loci attributa erat, mittuntque nuntios in Achradinam, horrea frumentumque in senatus potestate esse.

Luce prima populus omnis armatus inermisque in Achradinam ad curiam convenit. Ibi pro Concordiæ ara, quæ in eo sita loco erat, ex principibus unus nomine Polyænus concionem et liberam et moderatam habuit: Servitudinis 'indignitatisque homines expertos, adversus notum malum

3 Hexapylo-invecti.] This was a strong work on the northern angle of the city, commanding the regular entrance from the land side. It was, apparently, so called from the number of barriers that must be passed before the lines could be fully entered.

4 Multitudo pars &c.] "Of the multitude, some rushed out into the streets, some stood in the doorways; others looked down from the housetops and windows, and anxiously inquired what was the matter."

5 Principes regionum.] sc. præcipuas regiones.

6 In Insula &c.] The island, as it commanded the entrance to the harbour and was so accessible from the sea, had been always very strongly fortified; and even during the reign of Hiero, its strength had been considerably improved. It was there that the celebrated temple of Minerva stood, and still stands, hav

ing been converted, in the 12th
century, into a Christian Church,
and being now the Cathedral of
Syracuse. Athenæus mentions that
a tower was erected over the portico
of that temple, on which was always
suspended a burnished shield; and
that mariners leaving the harbour
used to cast their offerings into the
sea, as soon as the horizon hid that
glittering object from their view.

7 Servitudinis indignitatisque &c.]
"That a people who had felt sla-
very and its degradations, had risen
in anger against a notorious abuse."
It has been suggested that this
is apparently contradicted in the
next sentence, which represents
them

as being personally unacquainted with those indignities; and that the text would be improved by reading expertes (" strangers to"); but there is really no contradiction between the two statements, as they may be said to feel now

22.

U. C. 540.

A. C. 214.

6

irritatos esse. Discordia civilis quas importet clades, audisse magis a patribus Syracusanos, quam ipsos vidisse. 'Arma quod impigre ceperint, laudare: magis laudaturum, 'si non utantur, nisi ultima necessitate coacti. In præsentia 'legatos ad Andranodorum mitti placere, qui denuntient, ut in potestate senatus ac populi sit: portas Insulæ patefaciat, reddat præsidium. Si tutelam alieni regni9 suum ' regnum velit facere, eundem se censere1, multo acrius ab 'Andranodoro, quam ab Hieronymo, repeti libertatem.' Ab hac concione legati missi sunt. Senatus inde haberi cœptus est: quod sicut, regnante2 Hierone, manserat publicum consilium, ita post mortem ejus, ante eam diem, nulla de re neque convocati, neque consulti fuerant. Ut ventum ad Andranodorum est, ipsum quidem movebat et civium consensus, et quum aliæ occupatæ urbis partes, tum3 pars Insulæ munitissima velut prodita atque alienata. Sed evocatum eum ab legatis Damarata uxor, filia Hieronis, inflata adhuc regiis animis ac muliebri spiritu, admonet sæpe usurpatæ Dionysii tyranni vocis: qua, pedibus tra'ctum, non insidentem equo, relinquere tyrannidem,' dixerit, 'debere. Facile esse momento, quo quis velit, cedere pos'sessione magnæ fortunæ: facere et parare eam difficile 'atque arduum esse. Paullum sumeret spatii ad consul'tandum ab legatis. Eo uteretur ad arcessendos ex Leontinis milites: quibus si pecuniam regiam pollicitus esset, 'omnia in potestate ejus futura.' Hæc muliebria consilia Andranodorus neque tota aspernatus est, neque extemplo accepit: tutiorem ad opes affectandas ratus esse viam, si in

præsentia tempori cessisset. Itaque legatos renuntiare U. C. 540. jussit, futurum se in senatus ac populi potestate. Postero A. C. 214. die luce prima, patefactis Insulæ portis, in forum Achradinæ venit. Ibi in aram Concordiæ, ex qua pridie Polyænus concionatus erat, escendit: orationemque eam est, qua primum cunctationis suæ veniam petivit. 'Se ' enim clausas habuisse portas, non separantem suas res a publicis, sed strictis semel gladiis, timentem qui finis cæ'dibus esset futurus: utrum, quod satis libertati foret, con'tenti nece tyranni essent, an, quicunque aut propinquitate, aut affinitate, aut aliquibus ministeriis regiam contigissent", 'alienæ culpæ rei trucidarentur. Postquam animadvertit, ' eos, qui liberassent patriam, servare etiam liberatam velle, atque undique consuli in medium, non dubitasse, quin et corpus suum, et cetera omnia, quæ suæ fidei tutelæque' essent, quoniam eum, qui mandasset, suus furor absump'sisset, patriæ restitueret.' Conversus deinde ad interfectores tyranni, ac nomine appellans Theodotum ac Sosim: Facinus,' inquit, 'memorabile fecistis. Sed, mihi credite, 'inchoata vestra gloria, nondum perfecta, est; periculumque ingens manet, nisi paci et concordiæ consulitis, ne 'libera efferatur' respublica.'

6

·

Post hanc orationem claves portarum pecuniæque regiæ ante pedes eorum posuit. Atque illo quidem die dimissi ex concione læti, circa omnia fana deum supplicaverunt cum conjugibus ac liberis: postero die comitia prætoribus creandis habita. Creatus in primis Andranodorus; ceteri magna ex parte interfectores tyranni: duos etiam absentes, Sopatrum ac Dinomenem, fecerunt. Qui, auditis quæ Syracusis acta erant, pecuniam regiam, quæ in Leontinis erat, Syracusas devectam, quæstoribus ad id ipsum creatis tradiderunt: et ea, quæ in Insula erat et Achradina, tradita est; murique ea pars, quæ ab cetera urbe nimis firmo munimento intersæpiebat Insulam, consensu omnium dejecta est. Secutæ et ceteræ res2 hanc inclinationem animorum ad libertatem.

Hippocrates atque Epicydes, audita morte tyranni, quam Hippocrates, etiam nuntio interfecto, celare voluerat, de

23.

U. C. 540. serti a militibus, quia id tutissimum ex præsentibus videA. C. 214. batur, Syracusas rediere. Ubi ne suspecti obversarentur,

24.

6

tanquam novandi res aliquam occasionem quærentes, prætores primum, dein per eos senatum adeunt. Ab Hanni'bale se missos' prædicant ad Hieronymum, tanquam 'amicum ac socium. Paruisse imperio ejus, cujus impe'rator" suus voluerit. Velle ad Hannibalem redire. Ceterum, quum iter tutum non sit, vagantibus passim per totam Siciliam Romanis armis, petere, ut præsidii dent 'aliquid, quo Locros in Italiam perducantur. Gratiam magnam eos parva opera apud Hannibalem inituros.' Facile res impetrata: abire enim duces regios, quum peritos militiæ, tum egentes eosdem atque audaces, cupiebant: sed, quod volebant, non, quam maturato' opus erat, naviter expediebant. Interim juvenes militares et assueti militibus, nunc apud eos ipsos, nunc apud transfugas, quorum maxima pars ex navalibus sociis Romanorum erat, nunc etiam apud infimæ plebis homines, crimina serebant in senatum optimatesque id moliri clam eos atque struere, ut Syracusæ 'per speciem reconciliatæ societatis in ditione Romanorum sint; dein factio et pauci auctores fœderis renovati domi'nentur.'

6

His audiendis1 credendisque opportuna multitudo, major in dies, Syracusas confluebat: nec Epicydi solum spem novandarum rerum, sed Andranodoro etiam, præbebat. Qui, fessus tandem uxoris vocibus, monentis, Nunc illud esse tempus occupandi res, dum turbata omnia nova atque incondita libertate essent, dum regiis stipendiis 'pastus obversaretur miles, dum ab Hannibale missi duces

3 Tutissimum ex præsentibus.] "The safest of all practicable courses, (the safest course under the circumstances.)"

4 Ubi ne suspecti.] "And, lest their appearance there (or presence) might be suspected.'

5 Paruisse imperio ejus, cujus (imperio ut parerent) imperator &c.] "They had obeyed his orders whom their master wished them to obey."

6 Gratiam magnam-parvá operá &c.] "By a slight service they would confer a great obligation," &c.

7 Non, quam maturato &c.] “They were not active in executing what they desired with the necessary expedition."

8 Apud transfugas.] These were

most likely to listen favourably to their representations; because, if they fell into the hands of the Romans, their lives would be forfeited. 9 Crimina serebant.] "Insinuated charges."

His audiendis &c.] "A multitude, favourably disposed to hear and believe all this, was increasing every day, and flocking into Syra

cuse.

2 Nunc illud esse tempus &c.] "Now was the fortunate (critical) moment for seizing on the government, while all was in the confusion of new and unorganized liberty, while troops maintained by the king's money were on the spot; and while the commanders sent by Hannibal," &c. &c.