§7.348μέχρι μὲν δὴ τούτων ταύτῃ μοι βεβοηθημένον ἐγεγόνει φιλοσοφίᾳ καὶ φίλοις·
Thus far, then, in this way help had been rendered by me to philosophy and my friends.
τὸ δὲ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐζῶμεν ἐγὼ καὶ Διονύσιος, ἐγὼ μὲν βλέπων ἔξω, καθάπερ ὄρνις ποθῶν ποθεν ἀναπτέσθαι, ὁ δὲ διαμηχανώμενος τίνα τρόπον ἀνασοβήσοι με μηδὲν ἀποδοὺς τῶν Δίωνος· ὅμως δὲ ἔφαμεν ἑταῖροί γε εἶναι πρὸς πᾶσαν Σικελίαν.
But after this, I and Dionysius lived on, I looking outward, like a bird longing to fly away from somewhere, and he scheming in what way he might scare me away without paying back any of Dion's property; nevertheless we declared to all Sicily that we were at least companions.
τῶν δὴ μισθοφόρων τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους Διονύσιος ἐπεχείρησεν ὀλιγομισθοτέρους ποιεῖν παρὰ τὰ τοῦ πατρὸς ἔθη, θυμωθέντες δὲ οἱ στρατιῶται συνελέγησαν ἁθρόοι καὶ οὐκ ἔφασαν ἐπιτρέψειν.
Now Dionysius attempted to reduce the pay of the older mercenary soldiers, contrary to his father's customs, and the soldiers, being angered, gathered together in a body and said they would not permit it.
ὁ δʼ ἐπεχείρει βιάζεσθαι κλείσας τὰς τῆς ἀκροπόλεως πύλας, οἱ δʼ ἐφέροντο εὐθὺς πρὸς τὰ τείχη, παιῶνά τινα ἀναβοήσαντες βάρβαρον καὶ πολεμικόν· οὗ δὴ περιδεὴς Διονύσιος γενόμενος ἅπαντα συνεχώρησεν καὶ ἔτι πλείω τοῖς τότε συλλεχθεῖσι τῶν πελταστῶν.
He attempted to use force by closing the gates of the acropolis, but they rushed straight to the walls, shouting out a certain barbarian and warlike paean; at which Dionysius, becoming terrified, conceded everything and even more to the peltasts who were then assembled.
λόγος δή τις ταχὺ διῆλθεν ὡς Ἡρακλείδης αἴτιος εἴη γεγονὼς πάντων τούτων· ὃν ἀκούσας ὁ μὲν Ἡρακλείδης ἐκποδὼν αὑτὸν ἔσχεν ἀφανῆ, Διονύσιος δὲ ἐζήτει λαβεῖν, ἀπορῶν δέ, Θεοδότην μεταπεμψάμενος εἰς τὸν κῆπον—ἔτυχον δʼ ἐν τῷ κήπῳ καὶ ἐγὼ τότε περιπατῶν—τὰ μὲν οὖν ἄλλα οὔτʼ οἶδα οὔτʼ ἤκουον διαλεγομένων, ἃ δὲ ἐναντίον εἶπεν Θεοδότης ἐμοῦ πρὸς Διονύσιον, οἶδά τε καὶ μέμνημαι.
Then a certain rumor quickly spread that Heracleides had been the cause of all these things; on hearing which, Heracleides withdrew himself out of the way and remained unseen, while Dionysius sought to capture him, and being at a loss, sent for Theodotes to come into the garden—and I happened to be walking in the garden myself at that time—the rest of what they discussed I neither know nor heard, but what Theodotes said to Dionysius in my presence, I both know and remember.
Πλάτων γάρ,
ἔφη,
Διονύσιον ἐγὼ πείθω τουτονί, ἐὰν ἐγὼ γένωμαι δεῦρο Ἡρακλείδην κομίσαι δυνατὸς ἡμῖν εἰς λόγους περὶ τῶν ἐγκλημάτων αὐτῷ τῶν νῦν γεγονότων, ἂν ἄρα μὴ δόξῃ δεῖν αὐτὸν οἰκεῖν ἐν Σικελίᾳ, τόν τε ὑὸν λαβόντα καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα ἀξιῶ εἰς Πελοπόννησον ἀποπλεῖν, οἰκεῖν τε βλάπτοντα μηδὲν Διονύσιον ἐκεῖ, καρπούμενον δὲ τὰ ἑαυτοῦ.
"For, Plato," he said, "I am persuading Dionysius here that, if I should be able to bring Heracleides here to us for a conference concerning the charges made against him that have now arisen, and if indeed it should be decided that he must not live in Sicily, I demand that he sail away to Peloponnesus, taking both his son and his wife, and live there doing no harm to Dionysius, while enjoying his own property.
μετεπεμψάμην μὲν οὖν καὶ πρότερον αὐτόν, μεταπέμψομαι δὲ καὶ νῦν, ἄντʼ οὖν ἀπὸ τῆς προτέρας μεταπομπῆς ἄντε καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς νῦν ὑπακούσῃ μοι· Διονύσιον δὲ ἀξιῶ καὶ δέομαι, ἄν τις ἐντυγχάνῃ Ἡρακλείδῃ ἐάντʼ ἐν ἀγρῷ ἐάντʼ ἐνθάδε, μηδὲν ἄλλο αὐτῷ φλαῦρον γίγνεσθαι, μεταστῆναι δʼ ἐκ τῆς χώρας, ἕως ἂν ἄλλο τι Διονυσίῳ δόξῃ.
So I have sent for him before, and I will send for him now also, whether he obeys me from the former summons or from the present one; and I demand and beg of Dionysius that, if anyone meets with Heracleides, whether in the countryside or here, no other harm shall come to him, but that he be allowed to depart from the country until Dionysius decides otherwise.
ταῦτα,
ἔφη,
συγχωρεῖς; λέγων πρὸς τὸν Διονύσιον.
Do you agree to these things?" he said, addressing Dionysius.
συγχωρῶ· μηδʼ ἂν πρὸς τῇ σῇ,
ἔφη,
φανῇ οἰκίᾳ, πείσεσθαι φλαῦρον μηδὲν παρὰ τὰ νῦν εἰρημένα. §7.349τῇ δὴ μετὰ ταύτην τὴν ἡμέραν δείλης Εὐρύβιος καὶ Θεοδότης προσηλθέτην μοι σπουδῇ τεθορυβημένω θαυμαστῶς, καὶ Θεοδότης λέγει,
Πλάτων,
ἔφη,
παρῆσθα χθὲς οἷς περὶ Ἡρακλείδου Διονύσιος ὡμολόγει πρὸς ἐμὲ καὶ σέ; πῶς δὲ οὔκ; ἔφην.
"I agree," he said, "and even if he should appear near your house, he shall suffer no harm contrary to what has now been said." On the day after this, in the evening, Eurybius and Theodotes came to me in haste, wonderfully agitated, and Theodotes said: "Plato," he said, "were you present yesterday when Dionysius was agreeing with me and you concerning Heracleides?" "Of course I was," I replied.
νῦν τοίνυν,
ἦ δʼ ὅς,
περιθέουσιν πελτασταὶ λαβεῖν Ἡρακλείδην ζητοῦντες, ὁ δὲ εἶναί πῃ ταύτῃ κινδυνεύει·
"Well now," he said, "peltasts are running about seeking to capture Heracleides, and he is likely to be somewhere near here.
ἀλλʼ ἡμῖν,
ἔφη,
συνακολούθησον πρὸς Διονύσιον ἁπάσῃ μηχανῇ. ᾠχόμεθα οὖν καὶ εἰσήλθομεν παρʼ αὐτόν, καὶ τὼ μὲν ἑστάτην σιγῇ δακρύοντε, ἐγὼ δὲ εἶπον· οἵδε πεφόβηνται μή τι σὺ παρὰ τὰ χθὲς ὡμολογημένα ποιήσῃς περὶ Ἡρακλείδην νεώτερον· δοκεῖ γάρ μοι ταύτῃ πῃ γεγονέναι φανερὸς ἀποτετραμμένος. ὁ δὲ ἀκούσας ἀνεφλέχθη τε καὶ παντοδαπὰ χρώματα ἧκεν, οἷʼ ἂν θυμούμενος ἀφείη· προσπεσὼν δʼ αὐτῷ ὁ Θεοδότης, λαβόμενος τῆς χειρὸς ἐδάκρυσέν τε καὶ ἱκέτευεν μηδὲν τοιοῦτον ποιεῖν, ὑπολαβὼν δʼ ἐγὼ παραμυθούμενος,
θάρρει, Θεοδότα,
ἔφην· οὐ γὰρ τολμήσει Διονύσιος παρὰ τὰ χθὲς ὡμολογημένα ἄλλα ποτὲ δρᾶν. καὶ ὃς ἐμβλέψας μοι καὶ μάλα τυραννικῶς,
σοί,
ἔφη,
ἐγὼ οὔτε τι σμικρὸν οὔτε μέγα ὡμολόγησα. νὴ τοὺς θεούς,
ἦν δʼ ἐγώ,
σύ γε, ταῦτα ἃ σοῦ νῦν οὗτος δεῖται μὴ ποιεῖν· καὶ εἰπὼν ταῦτα ἀποστρεφόμενος ᾠχόμην ἔξω.
But," he said, "accompany us to Dionysius by all means." So we departed and went in to him, and they two stood in silence weeping, but I said: "These men are afraid lest you should do some violent deed to Heracleides contrary to what was agreed yesterday; for he seems to have been seen to have turned aside somewhere near here." On hearing this, he flared up and changed all sorts of colors, such as an angry man would display; and Theodotes, falling down before him and taking his hand, wept and entreated him to do no such thing; but I, breaking in to encourage him, said, "Take courage, Theodotes; for Dionysius will never dare to act otherwise than contrary to what was agreed yesterday." And he, glaring at me and in a very tyrannical manner, said, "To you I agreed to nothing either small or great." "By the gods," I said, "you certainly did—those very things which this man is now begging you not to do." And having said this, I turned away and went out.
τὸ μετὰ ταῦτα ὁ μὲν ἐκυνήγει τὸν Ἡρακλείδην, Θεοδότης δὲ ἀγγέλους πέμπων Ἡρακλείδῃ φεύγειν διεκελεύετο.
After this, he was hunting Heracleides, while Theodotes, sending messengers, kept urging Heracleides to flee.
ὁ δὲ ἐκπέμψας Τεισίαν καὶ πελταστὰς διώκειν ἐκέλευε· φθάνει δέ, ὡς ἐλέγετο, Ἡρακλείδης εἰς τὴν Καρχηδονίων ἐπικράτειαν ἐκφυγὼν ἡμέρας σμικρῷ τινι μέρει.
And Dionysius, sending out Teisias and peltasts, ordered them to pursue; but Heracleides, as it was said, anticipated them and escaped into the territory of the Carthaginians by a small fraction of a day.
τὸ δὴ μετὰ τοῦτο ἡ πάλαι ἐπιβουλὴ Διονυσίῳ τοῦ μὴ ἀποδοῦναι τὰ Δίωνος χρήματα ἔδοξεν ἔχθρας λόγον ἔχειν ἂν πρός με πιθανόν, καὶ πρῶτον μὲν ἐκ τῆς ἀκροπόλεως ἐκπέμπει με, εὑρὼν πρόφασιν ὡς τὰς γυναῖκας ἐν τῷ κήπῳ, ἐν ᾧ κατῴκουν ἐγώ, δέοι θῦσαι θυσίαν τινὰ δεχήμερον· ἔξω δή με παρʼ Ἀρχεδήμῳ προσέταττεν τὸν χρόνον τοῦτον μεῖναι.
After this, Dionysius's long-standing plot not to restore Dion's property seemed to have a plausible ground of enmity against me, and first he sent me away from the acropolis, finding a pretext that the women must perform a certain ten-day sacrifice in the garden where I was residing; so he ordered me to remain outside with Archedemus during this time.
ὄντος δʼ ἐμοῦ ἐκεῖ, Θεοδότης μεταπεμψάμενός με πολλὰ περὶ τῶν τότε πραχθέντων ἠγανάκτει καὶ ἐμέμφετο Διονυσίῳ·
While I was there, Theodotes sent for me and was highly indignant about what had then been done, and blamed Dionysius.
ὁ δʼ ἀκούσας ὅτι παρὰ Θεοδότην εἴην εἰσεληλυθώς, πρόφασιν αὖ ταύτην ἄλλην τῆς πρὸς ἐμὲ διαφορᾶς ποιούμενος, ἀδελφὴν τῆς πρόσθεν, πέμψας τινὰ ἠρώτα με εἰ συγγιγνοίμην ὄντως μεταπεμψαμένου με Θεοδότου.
And Dionysius, on hearing that I had gone in to Theodotes, made this again another pretext for his dispute with me, akin to the former one, and sending someone, asked me if I was indeed meeting with Theodotes because he had sent for me.
κἀγώ,
παντάπασιν,
ἔφην· ὁ δέ,
ἐκέλευε τοίνυν,
ἔφη,
σοὶ φράζειν ὅτι καλῶς οὐδαμῇ ποιεῖς Δίωνα καὶ τοὺς Δίωνος φίλους ἀεὶ περὶ πλείονος αὐτοῦ ποιούμενος. ταῦτʼ ἐρρήθη, καὶ οὐκέτι μετεπέμψατό με εἰς τὴν οἴκησιν πάλιν, ὡς ἤδη σαφῶς Θεοδότου μὲν ὄντος μου καὶ Ἡρακλείδου φίλου, αὐτοῦ δʼ ἐχθροῦ, καὶ οὐκ εὐνοεῖν ᾤετό με, ὅτι Δίωνι τὰ χρήματα ἔρρει παντελῶς.
And I said, "Certainly." And he replied, "He ordered me, then, to tell you that you are doing by no means well in always valuing Dion and Dion's friends above him." These things were said, and he never again sent for me to return to his dwelling, as I was now clearly a friend of Theodotes and Heracleides, and an enemy of himself; and he thought I had no goodwill toward him because Dion's money was completely gone.