dion-第1部分

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　DION
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　408？…353　B。C。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Plutarch

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　translated　by　John　Dryden




　　IF　it　be　true；　Sosius　Senecio；　that；　as　Simonides　tells　us…

　　　　　　　　　〃Of　the　Corinthians　Troy　does　not　complain〃

for　having　taken　part　with　the　Achaeans　in　the　siege；　because　the　Trojans　also　had　Corinthians　（Glaucus；　who　sprang　from　Corinth）　fighting　bravely　on　their　side；　so　also　it　may　be　fairly　said　that　neither　Romans　nor　Greeks　can　quarrel　with　the　Academy；　each　nation　being　equally　represented　in　the　following　pair　of　lives；　which　will　give　an　account　of　Brutus　and　of　Dion；…　Dion；　who　was　Plato's　own　hearer；　and　Brutus；　who　was　brought　up　in　his　philosophy。　They　came　from　one　and　the　self…same　school；　where　they　had　been　trained　alike　to　run　the　race　of　honour；　nor　need　we　wonder　that　in　the　performance　of　actions　often　most　nearly　allied　and　akin；　they　both　bore　evidence　to　the　truth　of　what　their　guide　and　teacher　said；　that；　without　the　concurrence　of　power　and　success；　with　justice　and　prudence；　public　actions　do　not　attain　their　proper；　great；　and　noble　character。　For　as　Hippomachus　the　wrestling…master　affirmed；　he　could　distinguish　his　scholars　at　a　distance；　though　they　were　but　carrying　meat　from　the　shambles；　so　it　is　very　probable　that　the　principles　of　those　who　have　had　the　same　good　education　should　appear　with　a　resemblance　in　all　their　actions；　creating　in　them　a　certain　harmony　and　proportion；　at　once　agreeable　and　becoming。　　　We　may　also　draw　a　close　parallel　of　the　lives　of　the　two　men　from　their　fortunes；　wherein　chance；　even　more　than　their　own　designs；　made　them　nearly　alike。　For　they　were　both　cut　off　by　an　untimely　death；　not　being　able　to　accomplish　those　ends　which　through　many　risks　and　difficulties　they　aimed　at。　But；　above　all；　this　is　most　wonderful；　that　by　preternatural　interposition　both　of　them　had　notice　given　of　their　approaching　death　by　an　unpropitious　form；　which　visibly　appeared　to　them。　Although　there　are　people　who　utterly　deny　any　such　thing；　and　say　that　no　man　in　his　right　senses　ever　yet　saw　any　supernatural　phantom　or　apparition；　but　that　children　only；　and　silly　women；　or　men　disordered　by　sickness；　in　some　aberration　of　the　mind　or　distemperature　of　the　body；　have　had　empty　and　extravagant　imaginations；　whilst　the　real　evil　genius；　superstition；　was　in　themselves。　Yet　if　Dion　and　Brutus'　men　of　solid　understanding；　and　philosophers；　not　to　be　easily　deluded　by　fancy　or　discomposed　by　any　sudden　apprehension；　were　thus　affected　by　visions　that　they　forthwith　declared　to　their　friends　what　they　had　seen；　I　know　not　how　we　can　avoid　admitting　again　the　utterly　exploded　opinion　of　the　oldest　times；　that　evil　and　beguiling　spirits；　out　of　envy　to　good　men；　and　a　desire　of　impeding　their　good　deeds；　make　efforts　to　excite　in　them　feelings　of　terror　and　distraction；　to　make　them　shake　and　totter　in　their　virtue；　lest　by　a　steady　and　unbiased　perseverance　they　should　obtain　a　happier　condition　than　these　beings　after　death。　But　I　shall　leave　these　things　for　another　opportunity；　and　in　this　twelfth　book　of　the　lives　of　great　men　compared　one　with　another；　begin　with　his　who　was　the　elder。　　　Dionysius　the　First；　having　possessed　himself　of　the　government；　at　once　took　to　wife　the　daughter　of　Hermocrates；　the　Syracusan。　She；　in　an　outbreak　which　the　citizens　made　before　the　new　power　was　well　settled；　was　abused　in　such　a　barbarous　and　outrageous　manner　that　for　shame　she　put　an　end　to　her　own　life。　But　Dionysius；　when　he　was　re…established　and　confirmed　in　his　supremacy；　married　two　wives　together；　one　named　Doris；　of　Locri；　the　other　Aristomache；　a　native　of　Sicily；　and　daughter　of　Hipparinus；　a　man　of　the　first　quality　in　Syracuse；　and　colleague　with　Dionysius　when　he　was　first　chosen　general　with　unlimited　powers　for　the　war。　It　is　said　he　married　them　both　in　one　day；　and　no　one　ever　knew　which　of　the　two　he　first　made　his　wife；　and　ever　after　he　divided　his　kindness　equally　between　them；　both　accompanying　him　together　at　his　table；　and　in　his　bed　by　turns。　Indeed；　the　Syracusans　were　urgent　that　their　own　countrywoman　might　be　preferred　before　the　stranger；　but　Doris；　to　compensate　her　for　her　foreign　extraction；　had　the　good　fortune　to　be　the　mother　of　the　son　and　heir　of　the　family；　whilst　Aristomache　continued　a　long　time　without　issue；　though　Dionysius　was　very　desirous　to　have　children　by　her；　and；　indeed；　caused　Doris's　mother　to　be　put　to　death；　laying　to　her　charge　that　she　had　given　drugs　to　Aristomache　to　prevent　her　being　with　child。　　　Dion；　Aristomache's　brother；　at　first　found　an　honourable　reception　for　his　sister's　sake；　but　his　own　worth　and　parts　soon　procured　him　a　nearer　place　in　his　brother…in…law's　affection；　who；　among　other　favours；　gave　special　command　to　his　treasurers　to　furnish　Dion　with　whatever　money　he　demanded；　only　telling　him　on　the　same　day　what　they　had　delivered　out。　Now；　though　Dion　was　before　reputed　a　person　of　lofty　character；　of　a　noble　mind；　and　daring　courage；　yet　these　excellent　qualifications　all　received　a　great　development　from　the　happy　chance　which　conducted　Plato　into　Sicily；　not　assuredly　by　any　human　device　or　calculation；　but　some　supernatural　power；　designing　that　this　remote　cause　should　hereafter　occasion　the　recovery　of　the　Sicilians'　lost　liberty　and　the　subversion　of　the　tyrannical　government；　brought　the　philosopher　out　of　Italy　to　Syracuse；　and　made　acquaintance　between　him　and　Dion。　Dion　was；　indeed；　at　this　time　extremely　young　in　years；　but　of　all　the　scholars　that　attended　Plato　he　was　the　quickest　and　aptest　to　learn；　and　the　most　prompt　and　eager　to　practise；　the　lessons　of　virtue；　as　Plato　himself　reports　of　him　and　his　own　actions　sufficiently　testify。　For　though　he　had　been　bred　up　under　a　tyrant　in　habits　of　submission；　accustomed　to　a　life　on　the　one　hand　of　servility　and　intimidation；　and　yet　on　the　other　of　vulgar　display　and　luxury；　the　mistaken　happiness　of　people　that　knew　no　better　thing　than　pleasure　and　self…indulgence；　yet；　at　the　first　taste　of　reason　and　a　philosophy　that　demands　obedience　to　virtue；　his　soul　was　set　in　a　flame；　and　in　the　simple　innocence　of　youth；　concluding；　from　his　own　disposition；　that　the　same　reason　would　work　the　same　effects　upon　Dionysius；　he　made　it　his　business；　and　at　length　obtained　the　favour　of　him；　at　a　leisure　hour；　to　hear　Plato。　　　At　this　their　meeting；　the　subject…matter　of　their　discourse　in　general　was　human　virtue；　but；　more　particularly；　they　disputed　concerning　fortitude；　which　Plato　proved　tyrants；　of　all　men；　had　the　least　pretence　to；　and　thence　proceeding　to　treat　of　justice；　asserted　the　happy　estate　of　the　just　and　the　miserable　condition　of　the　unjust；　arguments　which　Dionysius　would　not　hear　out；　but；　feeling　himself；　as　it　were；　convicted　by　his　words；　and　much　displeased　to　see　the　rest　of　the　auditors　full　of　admiration　for　the　speaker　and　captivated　with　his　doctrine；　at　last；　exceedingly　exasperated；　he　asked　the　philosopher　in　a　rage；　what　business　he　had　in　Sicily。　To　which　Plato　answered；　〃I　came　to　seek　a　virtuous　man。〃　〃It　seems；　then；〃　replied　Dionysius；　〃you　have　lost　your　labour。〃　Dion；　supposing　that　this　was　all；　and　that　nothing　further　could　come　of　his　anger；　at　Plato's　request；　conveyed　him　aboard　a　galley；　which　was　conveying　Pollis；　the　Spartan；　into　Greece。　But　Dionysius　privately　dealt　with　Pollis；　by　all　means　to　kill　Plato　in　the　voyage；　if　not；　to　be　sure　to　sell　him　for　a　slave：　he　would；　of　course；　take　no　harm　of　it；　being　the　same　just　man　as　before；　he　would　enjoy　that　happiness；　though　he　lost　his　liberty。　Pollis；　therefore；　it　is　stated；　carried　Plato　to　Aegina；　and　there　sold　him；　the；　Aeginetans；　then　at　war　with　Athens；　having　made　a　decree　that　whatever　Athenian　was　taken　on　their　coasts　should　forthwith　be　exposed　to　sale。　Notwithstanding；　Dion　was　not　in　less　favour　and　credit　with　Dionysius　than　formerly；　but　was　intrusted　with　the　most　considerable　employments；　and　sent　on　important　embassies　to　Carthage；　in　the　management　of　which　he　gained　very　great　reputation。　Besides；　the　usurper　bore　with　the　liberty　he　took　to　speak　his　mind　freely；　he　being　the　only　man　who；　upon　any　occasion；　durst　boldly　say　what　he　thought；　as；　for　example；　in　the　rebuke　he　gave　him　about　Gelon。　Dionysius　was　ridiculing　Gelon's　government；　and；　alluding　to　his　name；　said　he　had　been　the　laughingstock　of　Sicily。　While　others　seemed　to　admire　and　applaud　the　quibble；　Dion　very　warmly　replied；　〃Nevertheless；　it　is　certain　that　you　are　sole　governor　here；　because　you　were　trusted　for　Gelon's　sake；　but　for　your　sake　no　man　will　ever　hereafter　be　trusted　again。〃　For；　indeed；　Gelon　had　made　a　monarchy　appear　the　best；　whereas　Dionysius　had　convinced　men　that　it　was　the　worst　of　governments。　　　Dionysius　had　three　children　by　Doris；　and　by　Aristomache　four；　two　of　which　were　daughters；　Sophrosyne　and　Arete。　Sophrosyne　was　married　to　his　son　Dionysius；　Arete；　to　his　brother　Thearides；　after　whose　death　Dion　received　his　niece　Arete　to　wife。　Now　when　Dionysius　was　sick　and　like　to　die；　Dion　endeavoured　to　speak　with　him　in　behalf　of　the　children　he　had　by　Aristomache；　but　was　still　prevented　by　the　physicians；　who　wanted　to　ingratiate　themselves　with　the　next　successor；　who　also；　as　Timaeus　reports；　gave　him　a　sleeping　potion　which　he　asked　for；　which　produced　an　insensibility　only　followed　by　his　death。　　　Nevertheless；　at　the　first　council　which　the　young　Dionysius　held　with　his　friends；　Dion　discoursed　so　well　of　the　present　state　of　affairs　that　he　made　all　the　rest　appear　in　their　politics　but　children；　and　in　their　votes　rather　slaves　than　counsellors；　who　timorously　and　disingenuously　advised　what　would　please　the　young　man；　rather　than　what　would　advance　his　interest。　But　that　which　startled　them　most　was　the　proposal　he　made　to　avert　the　imminent　danger　they　feared　of　a　war　with　the　Carthaginians；　undertaking；　if　Dionysius　wanted　peace；　to　sail　immediately　over　into　Africa；　and　conclude　it　there　upon　honourable　terms；　but；　if　he　rather　preferred　war；　then　he　would　fit　out　and　maintain　at　his　own　cost　and　charges　fifty　galleys　ready　for