§14.14.1Διονύσιος δʼ ὁ τῶν Συρακοσίων τύραννος ἐπειδὴ τὴν πρὸς Καρχηδονίους εἰρήνην ἐποιήσατο, τῶν δὲ κατὰ τὴν πόλιν στάσεων ἀπήλλακτο, τὰς ὁμόρους τῶν Χαλκιδέων πόλεις ἔσπευδε προσαγαγέσθαι·
When Dionysius, the tyrant of the Syracusans, had made peace with the Carthaginians and was rid of the factions in the city, he was eager to bring over the neighboring cities of the Chalcidians.
§14.14.2αὗται δʼ ἦσαν Νάξος, Κατάνη, Λεοντῖνοι.
These were Naxos, Catana, and Leontini.
τούτων δʼ ἐπεθύμει κυριεῦσαι διὰ τὸ συνορίζειν αὐτὰς τῇ Συρακούσῃ καὶ πολλὰς ἀφορμὰς ἔχειν πρὸς τὴν αὔξησιν τῆς δυναστείας.
And he desired to master them because they bordered on the territory of Syracuse and offered many advantages for the increase of his power.
πρῶτον μὲν οὖν τῇ Αἴτνῃ προσστρατοπεδεύσας παρέλαβε τὸ φρούριον, τῶν φυγάδων οὐκ ὄντων ἀξιομάχων πρὸς τηλικαύτην δύναμιν·
First, then, pitching his camp near Aetna, he took the fortress, since the exiles were not strong enough to fight against so great a force.
§14.14.3μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ἐπὶ Λεοντίνους ἀναζεύξας ἐγγὺς τῆς πόλεως κατεστρατοπέδευσε παρὰ τὸν Τηρίαν ποταμόν.
After this, marching against Leontini, he encamped near the city by the Terias River.
καὶ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἐκτάξας τὴν δύναμιν ἐξαπέστειλε κήρυκα πρὸς τοὺς Λεοντίνους, κελεύων παραδοῦναι τὴν πόλιν καὶ νομίζων τῷ φόβῳ καταπλῆξαι τοὺς ἔνδον·
And at first, drawing up his force, he dispatched a herald to the Leontinians, ordering them to surrender the city, thinking that he would terrify those inside with fear.
§14.14.4οὐ προσεχόντων δὲ τῶν Λεοντίνων, ἀλλὰ πάντα παρεσκευασμένων τὰ πρὸς τὴν πολιορκίαν, Διονύσιος οὐκ ἔχων μηχανήματα τὴν μὲν πολιορκίαν κατὰ τὸ παρὸν ἀπέγνω, τὴν δὲ χώραν ἅπασαν ἐλεηλάτησεν.
But when the Leontinians paid no attention, but had prepared everything for the siege, Dionysius, having no siege engines, gave up the siege for the present, but plundered all their territory.
§14.14.5ἐκεῖθεν δʼ ἀνέζευξεν ἐπὶ τοὺς Σικελούς, προσποιούμενος τὸν πρὸς τούτους πόλεμον ἐπαναιρεῖσθαι πρὸς τὸ τοὺς Καταναίους καὶ Ναξίους ῥᾳθυμοτέρους γενέσθαι περὶ τὴν τῆς πόλεως φυλακήν.
From there he marched against the Sicels, pretending to undertake a war against them, in order that the Catanaians and Naxians might become more careless about the defense of their cities.
§14.14.6διατρίβων δὲ περὶ τὴν Ἔνναν Ἀείμηνστον τὸν Ἐνναῖον ἔπεισεν ἐπιθέσθαι τυραννίδι, συνεπιλήψεσθαι τῆς προθέσεως ἐπαγγελλόμενος.
While lingering around Enna, he persuaded Aeimnestus the Ennaean to attempt to seize the tyranny, promising that he would help him in his plan.
§14.14.7κρατήσαντος δʼ ἐκείνου τῆς ἐπιβολῆς, καὶ τὸν Διονύσιον οὐκ εἰσαγαγόντος εἰς τὴν πόλιν, διοργισθεὶς μετεβάλετο καὶ τοὺς Ἐνναίους παρεκάλει καταλύειν τὸν τύραννον.
But when that man succeeded in his attempt and did not admit Dionysius into the city, the latter became enraged, changed his mind, and urged the Ennaeans to overthrow the tyrant.
ὧν συνδραμόντων εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν μετὰ τῶν ὅπλων καὶ τῆς ἐλευθερίας ἀντιποιουμένων, πλήρης ἦν ἡ πόλις ταραχῆς.
When they ran together into the agora with their weapons and laid claim to their freedom, the city was full of confusion.
§14.14.8Διονύσιος δὲ πυθόμενος τὴν στάσιν, ἀνέλαβε τοὺς ψιλοὺς καὶ ταχέως διά τινος ἐρήμου τόπου παρεισέπεσεν εἰς τὴν πόλιν, καὶ τὸν μὲν Ἀείμνηστον συλλαβὼν παρέδωκε τοῖς Ἐνναίοις πρὸς τὴν τιμωρίαν, αὐτοὺς δʼ οὐδὲν ἀδικήσας ἀπῆλθεν ἐκ τῆς πόλεως.
And Dionysius, learning of the factional strife, took his light-armed troops and quickly slipped into the city through a certain deserted spot; and having seized Aeimnestus, he handed him over to the Ennaeans for punishment, but departed from the city without doing any harm to them.
τοῦτο δʼ ἔπραξεν οὐχ οὕτως τοῦ δικαίου φροντίζων, ὡς βουλόμενος προτρέψασθαι τὰς ἄλλας πόλεις αὐτῷ πιστεύειν.
He did this not so much out of regard for justice, but because he wished to encourage the other cities to trust him.