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Plutarch · Comparison of Dion and Brutus §2.1-2.3

Comparison of the Rule of Dionysius and Caesar

Passage 2 of 5 · Greek

Summary

The author contrasts the rule of Dionysius with that of Caesar, noting that while Caesar's rule was seen as a healing monarchy, Dionysius was an outright tyrant. Consequently, Caesar was mourned by the Romans, whereas Dion's leniency toward the tyrants drew criticism from the Syracusans.

§2.1καὶ μὴν οὐχ ὅμοιον Διονυσίου Συρακουσίοις ἡ Καίσαρος ἀπαλλαγῆναι Ῥωμαίοις.
indeed, the riddance of Caesar for the Romans was not like that of Dionysius for the Syracusans.
ὁ μὲν γὰρ οὐδʼ ἠρνεῖτο τύραννος εἶναι κακῶν τε μυρίων ἐμπεπλήκει Σικελίαν· §2.2ἡ δὲ Καίσαρος ἀρχὴ συνισταμένη μὲν οὐκ ὀλίγα τοῖς ἐναντιουμένοις πράγματα παρέσχε, δεξαμένοις δὲ καὶ κρατηθεῖσιν ὄνομα καὶ δόκησις ἐφάνη μόνον, ἔργον δʼ ἀπʼ αὐτῆς οὐδὲν ὠμὸν οὐδὲ τυραννικὸν ὑπῆρξεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ δεομένοις ἔδοξε τοῖς πράγμασι μοναρχίας πρᾳότατος ὥσπερ ἰατρὸς ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ τοῦ δαίμονος δεδόσθαι. §2.3διὸ Καίσαρα μὲν εὐθὺς ἐπόθησεν ὁ Ῥωμαίων δῆμος, ὥστε χαλεπὸς γενέσθαι καὶ ἀπαραίτητος τοῖς ἀπεκτονόσι, Δίωνα δʼ ἡ Διονυσίου πάρεσις ἐκ Συρακουσῶν καὶ τὸ μὴ κατασκάψαι τοῦ προτέρου τυράννου τὸν τάφον ἐπαίτιον μάλιστα πρὸς τοὺς πολίτας ἐποίησεν.
For the latter did not even deny that he was a tyrant, and had filled Sicily with countless evils; the rule of Caesar, while it was being established, caused no small trouble to his opponents, yet to those who had accepted it and been subdued, it appeared to be only a name and an appearance, and no cruel or tyrannical deed proceeded from it; rather, to the state which stood in need of monarchy, he seemed to have been given by the deity itself as a most gentle physician., the Roman people immediately longed for Caesar, so that they became harsh and implacable to his slayers; whereas Dion, by letting Dionysius escape from Syracuse and by not demolishing the tomb of the former tyrant, was made chiefly responsible and blamed by the citizens.

Notes

  1. §2.1οὐχ ὅμοιον Διονυσίου Συρακουσίοις ἡ Καίσαρος ἀπαλλαγῆναι Ῥωμαίοις — An elliptical comparative construction. The noun-forming infinitive `ἡ Καίσαρος ἀπαλλαγῆναι` with the dative `Ῥωμαίοις` ('the riddance of Caesar for the Romans') is contrasted with the implied parallel phrase in the first half: the riddance of Dionysius (`Διονυσίου`, genitive of separation, with the infinitive `ἀπαλλαγῆναι` omitted) for the Syracusans (`Συρακουσίοις`, dative of interest).
  2. §2.2δεομένοις ἔδοξε τοῖς πράγμασι μοναρχίας — The dative noun phrase `τοῖς πράγμασι` ('the affairs/state') is modified by the participle `δεομένοις`, which takes the genitive `μοναρχίας` ('monarchy') because of its meaning of needing or lacking. The main verb of this clause is `ἔδοξε` ('seemed'), whose subject is the previously mentioned `ἡ ἀρχή` ('the rule'), taking the nominative complement `πρᾳότατος ὥσπερ ἰατρὸς` ('as a most gentle physician') and the infinitive `δεδόσθαι` ('to have been given').
  3. §2.3Δίωνα δʼ ἡ Διονυσίου πάρεσις ἐκ Συρακουσῶν καὶ τὸ μὴ κατασκάψαι τοῦ προτέρου τυράννου τὸν τάφον ἐπαίτιον μάλιστα πρὸς τοὺς πολίτας ἐποίησεν — The subject consists of two elements: the noun phrase `ἡ Διονυσίου πάρεσις` ('the letting go of Dionysius') and the articular infinitive phrase `τὸ μὴ κατασκάψαι...` ('the not demolishing...'). These serve as the subject of the transitive verb `ἐποίησεν` ('made'), with `Δίωνα` as the direct object and the adjective `ἐπαίτιον` ('culpable, blamed') as the object complement. `τοῦ προτέρου τυράννου` refers to Dionysius I (the elder tyrant).

Cite this passage

Plutarch, Comparison of Dion and Brutus §2.1-2.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0007.tlg062.humanitext-grc2:2.1-2.3

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