§14.64.1μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα Διονύσιος μὲν καὶ Λεπτίνης μετὰ μακρῶν νεῶν ἐξέπλεον ἀγορὰν βουλόμενοι παρακομίσαι, οἱ δὲ Συρακόσιοι καθʼ αὑτούς τε γενόμενοι καὶ κατὰ τύχην ἰδόντες σιτηγὸν πλοῖον προσφερόμενον, πέντε ναυσὶν ἐπέπλευσαν αὐτῷ, καὶ κατακυριεύσαντες κατῆγον εἰς τὴν πόλιν. §14.64.2τῶν δὲ Καρχηδονίων ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς ἀναχθέντων τετταράκοντα ναυσίν, οἱ Συρακόσιοι πάσας ἐπλήρωσαν τὰς ναῦς, καὶ ναυμαχήσαντες τῆς τε στρατηγίδος νεὼς ἐκυρίευσαν καὶ τῶν ἄλλων εἴκοσι καὶ τέτταρας διέφθειραν· καταδιώξαντες δὲ τὰς φευγούσας μέχρι τοῦ ναυστάθμου τῶν πολεμίων, προεκαλοῦντο τοὺς Καρχηδονίους εἰς ναυμαχίαν. §14.64.3ἐκεῖνοι μὲν οὖν διὰ τὸ παράδοξον τεταραγμένοι ἡσυχίαν ἔσχον, οἱ δὲ Συρακόσιοι τὰς αἰχμαλώτους ναῦς ἀναψάμενοι κατήγαγον εἰς τὴν πόλιν.
After these events, Dionysius and Leptines set sail with warships, wishing to import provisions, while the Syracusans, being left to themselves and by chance seeing a grain-carrying ship approaching, sailed against it with five ships, and having mastered it, brought it into the city.\n When the Carthaginians put out to sea against them with forty ships, the Syracusans manned all their ships, and having fought a sea battle they captured the flagship and destroyed twenty-four of the others; and having pursued those fleeing as far as the naval station of the enemy, they challenged the Carthaginians to a sea battle.\n They, therefore, being thrown into confusion by the unexpectedness of the event, remained quiet, while the Syracusans, having towed the captured ships, brought them into the city.
μετεωρισθέντες δὲ τῷ προτερήματι, καὶ διαλογιζόμενοι τὸν μὲν Διονύσιον πλεονάκις ἡττημένον, αὑτοὺς δὲ χωρὶς ἐκείνου νενικηκότας Καρχηδονίους, φρονήματος ἐπληροῦντο. §14.64.4ἀθροιζόμενοι δὲ διελάλουν, ὅτι περιορῶσιν αὑτοὺς δουλεύοντας Διονυσίῳ, καὶ ταῦτα καιρὸν ἔχοντες τῆς καταλύσεως αὐτοῦ· τὸν μὲν γὰρ ἔμπροσθεν χρόνον ἦσαν ἀφωπλισμένοι, τότε δὲ διὰ τὸν πόλεμον τῶν ὅπλων ἦσαν κύριοι. §14.64.5οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ τοιούτων λόγων γινομένων Διονύσιος κατέπλευσε, καὶ συναγαγὼν ἐκκλησίαν ἐπῄνει τοὺς Συρακοσίους καὶ παρεκάλει θαρρεῖν, ἐπαγγελλόμενος ταχέως καταλύσειν τὸν πόλεμον.
Elated by their success, and reflecting that whereas Dionysius had been defeated many times, they themselves without him had conquered the Carthaginians, they were filled with pride.\n Gathering together, they began to discuss among themselves that they were tolerating their enslavement to Dionysius, and that too when they had an opportunity to overthrow him; for in the time before they had been disarmed, but at that time because of the war they were masters of their weapons.\n Nevertheless, while such words were being spoken, Dionysius sailed into port, and having called an assembly, he praised the Syracusans and exhorted them to be of good courage, promising that he would quickly bring the war to an end.
ἤδη δʼ αὐτοῦ μέλλοντος διαλύειν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἀναστὰς Θεόδωρος ὁ Συρακόσιος, ἐν τοῖς ἱππεῦσιν εὐδοκιμῶν καὶ δοκῶν εἶναι πρακτικός, ἀπετόλμησε περὶ τῆς ἐλευθερίας τοιούτοις χρήσασθαι λόγοις.
But when he was already about to dismiss the assembly, Theodorus the Syracusan, who was highly esteemed among the cavalry and was considered to be a man of action, stood up and dared to speak in such terms concerning freedom.