Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/103

CHANGE IN DIONYSIUS. 77 cy might fall into the hands of Dion. 1 These hostile ii .trigties were no secret to Plato himself, who, even shortly after his arrival, began to see evidence of their poisonous activity. He tried sincerely to counterwork them ; 3 but unfortunately the lan- guage which he himself addressed to Dionysius was exactly such as to give them the best chance of success. When Dionysius re- counted to Philistus or other courtiers, how Plato and Dion had humiliated him in his own eyes, and told him that he was un worth j to govern until he had undergone a thorough purification ho would be exhorted to resent it as presumption and insult ; and would be assured that it could only arise from a design to dispos- sess him of his authority, in favor of Dion, or perhaps of the children of Aristomache with Dion as regent. It must not be forgotten that there was a real foundation for jealousy on the part of Dionysius towards Dion ; who was not merely superior to him in age, in dignity, and in ability, but also personally haughty in his bearing, and rigid in his habits, while Dionysius relished conviviality and enjoyments. At first, this jealousy was prevented from breaking out partly by the con sciousness of Dionysius that he needed some one to lean upon partly by what seems to have been great self-command on the part of Dion, and great care to carry with him the real mind and good will of Dionysius. Even from the beginning, the enemies of Dion were doubtless not sparing in their calumnies, to alienate Diony- sius from him ; and the wonder only is, how, in spite of such in- trigues and in spite of the natural causes of jealousy, Dion could have implanted his political aspirations, and maintained his friend- ly influence over Dionysius until the arrival of Plato. After that event, the natural causes of antipathy tended to manifest them selves more and more powerfully, while the counteracting circum- stances all disappeared. 1 Plutarch, Dion, c. 14 ; Plato, Epistol. vii. p. 333 C. 'O <5e (Dionysius) -ol f 6ia{3d?3(.ovai (emarevE) K<U TiE-yovaiv uf iniSov^evuv rrj rupavvidt Aiui- -puTTOi irdvra baa sirparTev h i^rore xpovy, ha 6 fisv (Dionysius) raidtig &TI ray voiiv KTjhTidelf upeAol 7% upxije emrpsipaf insivy 6 Je (Dion) o^ere- picairo, Kai Aiovvaiov /c/3u?tOi IK r^g upx^Q <56Ap. 8 Plato, Epistol. vii. p. 329 C. M&uv 6e, ov -y&p del /ITJKIVEIV, evpoi rd irepl biovvaiov fiea-u, ^v/nravTo, KOI Sia(}o?t.uv npbg TIJV Tvpai<vi6a IT/M fyivvoi fisv ovv /ca#' uoov rjSvvufirjv, ofiinpfi J' oZof re 17, etc. 7*