XIV. Now when Dionysius reached Corinth, there was no one in Greece who
did not wish to see him and speak to him. Some, who rejoiced in his
misfortunes, came to see him out of hatred, in order to trample on him
now that he was down, while others sympathised with him in his change of
fortune, reflecting on the inscrutable ways of the gods, and the
uncertainty of human affairs. For that age produced nothing in nature or
art so remarkable as that change of fortune which showed the man, who
not long before had been supreme ruler of Sicily, now dining at Corinth
at the cook's shop, lounging at the perfumer's, drinking at the taverns,
instructing female singers, and carefully arguing with them about their
songs in the theatre, and about the laws of music. Some thought that
Dionysius acted thus from folly, and indolent love of pleasure, but
others considered that it was in order that he might be looked down
upon, and not be an object of terror or suspicion to the Corinthians, as
he would have been if they thought that he ill brooked his reverse of
fortune, and still nourished ambitious designs, and that his foolish and
licentious mode of life was thus to be accounted for.
XV. But for all that, certain of his sayings are remembered, which
sufficiently prove that he showed real greatness of mind in adapting
himself to his altered circumstances. When he arrived at Leukas, which,
like Syracuse, was a Corinthian colony, he said that he was like a young
man who has got into disgrace.
Pages:
596
597
598
599
600
601
602
603
604
605
606
607
608
609
610
611
612
613
614
615
616
617
618
619
620