Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/125

ARRIVAL OF PHILISTUS. 99 Great was the joy excited at Syracuse by the victory. The Syracusan people testified their gratitude to the Dioman soldiers by voting a golden wreath to the value of one hundred minas ; while these soldiers, charmed with the prowess of their general, voted a golden wreath to him. Dion immediately began the re- establishment of the damaged cross-wall, which he repaired, com- pleted, and put under effective guard for the future. 1 Dionysius 110 longer tried to impede it by armed attack. But as he was still superior at sea, he transported parties across the harbor to ravage the country for provisions, and despatched vessels to bring in stores also by sea. His superiority at sea was presently lessened by the arrival of Herakleides from Peloponnesus, 2 with twenty triremes, three smaller vessels, and fifteen hundred soldiers. The Syracu sans, now beginning to show themselves actively on ship-board got together a tolerable naval force. All the docks and wharfs lay concentrated in and around Ortygia, within the grasp of Diony- sius, who was master of the naval force belonging to the city. But it would seem that the crews of some of the ships (who were most- ly native Syracusans, 3 with an intermixture of Athenians, doubt- less of democratical sentiments) must have deserted from the des- spot to the people, carrying over their ships, since we presently find the Syracusans with a fleet of sixty triremes, 4 which they could hardly have acquired otherwise. Dionysius was shortly afterwards reinforced by Philistus, who brought to Ortygia, not only his fleet from the Tarentine Gulf, but also a considerable regiment of cavahy. With these latter, and some other troops besides, Philistus undertook an expedition against the revolted Leontini. But though he made his way into 1 Diodor. xvi. 13. 2 Diodor. xvi. 16. Plutarch states that Herakleides brought only seven irircmes. But the force stated by Diodorus (given in my text) appears more probable. It is difficult otherwise to explain the number of ships which the Syracusans presently appear as possessing. Moreover the great importance, which Herakleides steps into, as opposed to Dion, is more easily accounted for. 3 Plutarch, Dion, c. 35. About the Athenian seamen *n Ortygia, see a remarkable passage of Plato, Epistol. vii. p. 350 A. When Plato was at Syracuse, in danger from the mercenaries, the Athenian seamen, there era jloyed, gave warning to him as their countryman. 4 Diodor. xvi. 16.