Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/95

INVITATION TO PLATO. Qj This was precisely the first step which Dion had been laboring tu ^ring about. He well knew, and had personally felt, the won- dfe*ful magic of Plato's conversation when addressed to young men. To bring Plato to Syracuse, and to pour his eloquent lan- guage into the predisposed ears of Dionysius, appeared like realiz- ing the conjunction of philosophy and power. Accordingly he sent to Athens, along with the invitation from Dionysius, the most pressing and emphatic entreaties from himself. He represented the immense prize to be won nothing less than the means of directing the action of an organized power, extending over all the Greeks of Italy and Sicily provided only the mind of Diony- sius could be thoroughly gained over. This (he said) was already half done ; not only Dionysius himself, but also his youthful half brothers of the other line, had been impressed with earnest men- tal aspirations, and longed to drink at the pure fountain of true philosophy. Everything presaged complete success, such as would render them hearty and active proselytes, if Plato would only come forthwith before hostile influences could have time to cor- rupt them and devote to the task his unrivalled art of pene- trating the youthful mind. These hostile influences were indeed at work, and with great activity ; if victorious, they would not only defeat the project of Dion, but might even provoke his ex- pulsion, or threaten his life. Could Plato, by declining the invi- tation, leave his devoted champion and apostle to fight so great a battle, alone and unassisted ? What could Plato say for himself afterwards, if by declining to come, he not only let slip the great- est prospective victory which had ever been opened to philosophy, but also permitted the corruption of Dionysius and the ruin of Dion ? i Such appeals, in themselves emphatic and touching, reached Athens reinforced by solicitations, hardly less strenuous, from Archytas of Tarenlum and the other Pythagorean philosophers in the south of Italy ; to whose personal well-being, over and above the interests of philosophy, the character of the future t^yracusan government was of capital importance. Plato waa deeply agitated and embarrassed. He was now sixty-one years of age. He enjoyed preeminent estimation, in the grove of Aka 1 riuto, Epist. vii. p. 328.