§13.94.1θέας δʼ οὔσης ἐν ταῖς Συρακούσαις, κατὰ τὴν ὥραν τῆς ἀπαλλαγῆς τῶν ἐκ τοῦ θεάτρου παρῆν εἰς τὴν πόλιν.
While spectacles were being held in Syracuse, he arrived in the city at the hour when the people were leaving the theater.
συνδραμόντων δὲ τῶν ὄχλων ἐπʼ αὐτὸν καὶ πυνθανομένων περὶ τῶν Καρχηδονίων, ἀγνοεῖν αὐτοὺς ἔφη, διότι τῶν ἔξωθεν πολεμιωτέρους ἔχουσι τοὺς ἔνδον τῶν κοινῶν προεστῶτας, οἷς οἱ μὲν πολῖται πιστεύοντες ἑορτάζουσιν, αὐτοὶ δὲ διαφοροῦντες τὰ δημόσια τοὺς στρατιώτας ἀμίσθους πεποιήκασι, καὶ τῶν πολεμίων ἀνυπερβλήτους ποιουμένων τὰς εἰς τὸν πόλεμον παρασκευὰς καὶ μελλόντων ἐπὶ Συρακούσας τὴν δύναμιν ἄγειν, τούτων οὐδʼ ἡντινοῦν ποιοῦνται φροντίδα.
When the crowds rushed to him and asked about the Carthaginians, he said that they were unaware that they had more dangerous enemies within than those without—the men who were presiding over public affairs, whom the citizens trusted while they celebrated festivals, whereas these leaders themselves, by embezzling the public funds, had left the soldiers without pay, and although the enemy were making unsurpassable preparations for the war and were about to lead their force against Syracuse, these men were not taking any care whatsoever of these matters.
§13.94.2διʼ ἣν δʼ αἰτίαν ταῦτα πράττουσιν, εἰδέναι μὲν καὶ πρότερον, νῦν δὲ σαφέστερον ἀνεγνωκέναι· Ἰμίλκωνα γὰρ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀπεσταλκέναι κήρυκα, πρόφασιν μὲν ὑπὲρ τῶν αἰχμαλώτων, παρακαλεῖν δὲ—πλῆθος τῶν συναρχόντων περιποιησάμενον μηδὲν τῶν πραττομένων πολυπραγμονεῖν—μή γʼ ἀντιπράττειν, ἐπειδὴ συνεργεῖν οὐ προαιρεῖται.
For what reason they were doing these things, he had known even before, but now he understood it more clearly; for Himilco had sent a herald to him, on the pretext of negotiating for the prisoners, but actually urging him—since Himilco had won over a majority of his fellow-magistrates—not to busy himself with what was being done, or at least not to oppose him, since he did not choose to cooperate.
§13.94.3μηκέτʼ οὖν βούλεσθαι στρατηγεῖν, ἀλλὰ παρεῖναι τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀποθησόμενος· οὐ γὰρ ἀνεκτὸν εἶναι, τῶν ἄλλων πωλούντων τὴν πατρίδα, μόνον κινδυνεύειν μετὰ τῶν πολιτῶν ἅμα καὶ δόξειν μετεσχηκέναι τῆς προδοσίας.
Therefore, he said, he no longer wished to serve as general, but had come to lay down his office; for it was not to be tolerated that, while the others were selling out their country, he alone should face danger and at the same time be thought to have shared in the treason along with the citizens.
§13.94.4παροξυνθέντων δὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς ῥηθεῖσι καὶ τοῦ λόγου διὰ πάσης τῆς δυνάμεως ῥυέντος, τότε μὲν εἷς ἕκαστος ἀγωνιῶν εἰς οἶκον ἐχωρίσθη· τῇ δʼ ὑστεραίᾳ συναχθείσης ἐκκλησίας, ἐν ᾗ τῶν ἀρχόντων πολλὰ κατηγορήσας οὐ μετρίως εὐδοκίμησε, τὸν δὲ δῆμον κατὰ τῶν στρατηγῶν παρώξυνε.
When the people were provoked by what had been said, and the report spread through the entire force, for the moment each man returned to his home in great anxiety; but on the following day, when an assembly was convened, in which he accused the magistrates at length and gained extraordinary approval, he incited the populace against the generals.
§13.94.5τέλος δὲ τῶν καθημένων τινὲς ἀνεβόησαν στρατηγὸν αὐτὸν αὐτοκράτορα καθιστάναι καὶ μὴ περιμένειν, ἄχρις ἂν οἱ πολέμιοι τοῖς τείχεσιν ἐπεισίωσι· χρείαν γὰρ ἔχειν τὸ μέγεθος τοῦ πολέμου τοιούτου στρατηγοῦ, διʼ οὗ δυνατὸν εἶναι εὐπορεῖν τοῖς πράγμασιν· τὰ δὲ περὶ τῶν προδοτῶν ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ ἑτέρᾳ βουλεύεσθαι· τῶν γὰρ ἐνεστώτων καιρῶν ἀλλότριον εἶναι· καὶ πρότερον δὲ Καρχηδονίων τὰς τριάκοντα μυριάδας περὶ τὴν Ἱμέραν νενικῆσθαι στρατηγοῦντος Γέλωνος αὐτοκράτορος.
Finally, some of those sitting in the assembly cried out that they should appoint him general with full powers, and not wait until the enemy should attack the walls; for the magnitude of the war required such a general, through whom it would be possible to find a way out of their difficulties; and as for the matters concerning the traitors, these should be deliberated upon in another assembly, for it was foreign to the present crisis; and indeed previously, the three hundred thousand Carthaginians had been defeated at Himera when Gelon was serving as general with full powers.