§16.16.1κατὰ δὲ τὴν Σικελίαν Φίλιστος μὲν ὁ Διονυσίου στρατηγὸς πλεύσας εἰς Ῥήγιον διεκόμισε τοὺς ἱππεῖς εἰς Συρακούσσας, ὄντας πλείους τῶν πεντακοσίων.
In Sicily, Philistus, the general of Dionysius, having sailed to Rhegium, conveyed the cavalry, who were more than five hundred, to Syracuse.
προσθεὶς δὲ τούτοις ἱππεῖς τε ἄλλους πλείονας καὶ πεζοὺς δισχιλίους ἐστράτευσεν ἐπὶ Λεοντίνους ἀφεστηκότας ἀπὸ Διονυσίου, νυκτὸς δὲ παρεισπεσὼν ἐντὸς τοῦ τείχους κατελάβετο μέρος τῆς πόλεως.
Having added to these more other cavalry and two thousand infantry, he marched against the Leontines who had revolted from Dionysius, and having slipped inside the wall by night, he seized a part of the city.
γενομένης δὲ μάχης ἰσχυρᾶς καὶ τῶν Συρακοσίων βοηθησάντων ἡττηθεὶς ἐξέπεσεν ἐκ τῶν Λεοντίνων.
But when a fierce battle took place and the Syracusans came to help, he was defeated and driven out of Leontini.
§16.16.2Ἡρακλείδης δʼ ὁ καταλελειμμένος ὑπὸ Δίωνος ναύαρχος τῶν μακρῶν νεῶν ἐν Πελοποννήσῳ διά τινας χειμῶνας ἐμποδισθεὶς ὑστέρησε τῆς καθόδου τῶν περὶ τὸν Δίωνα καὶ τῆς τῶν Συρακοσίων ἐλευθερώσεως· ἧκε δʼ ἄγων ναῦς μὲν μακρὰς εἴκοσι, χιλίους δὲ στρατιώτας καὶ πεντακοσίους.
Heracleides, who had been left behind by Dion in the Peloponnese as admiral of the warships, was delayed in the return of Dion's party and the liberation of the Syracusans, being hindered by certain storms; but he arrived bringing twenty warships, and fifteen hundred soldiers.
ὢν δʼ ἀνὴρ ἐπισημότατος καὶ δόξας ἄξιος ὑπάρχειν ᾑρέθη ναύαρχος ὑπὸ τῶν Συρακοσίων, καὶ μετὰ Δίωνος τεταγμένος ἐπὶ τῆς ἡγεμονίας διεπολέμει πρὸς Διονύσιον.
Being a highly distinguished man and deemed worthy of the post, he was elected admiral by the Syracusans, and being associated with Dion in the command, he continued the war against Dionysius.
§16.16.3μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα Φίλιστος ἀποδειχθεὶς στρατηγὸς καὶ καταρτίσας τριήρεις ἑξήκοντα πρὸς Συρακοσίους ἐναυμάχησεν ἔχοντας ναῦς παραπλησίους τὸν ἀριθμόν.
After this, Philistus, having been appointed general and having equipped sixty triremes, fought a naval battle against the Syracusans, who had a similar number of ships.
γενομένου δʼ ἀγῶνος καρτεροῦ καὶ τοῦ Φιλίστου τὸ μὲν πρῶτον διὰ τῆς ἰδίας ἀνδραγαθίας προτεροῦντος, ὕστερον δʼ ἀποληφθέντος ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων οἱ μὲν Συρακόσιοι πανταχόθεν κυκλώσαντες τὰς ναῦς ἐφιλοτιμοῦντο ζωγρίᾳ λαβεῖν τὸν στρατηγόν, ὁ δὲ Φίλιστος εὐλαβηθεὶς τὴν ἐκ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας αἰκίαν ἑαυτὸν ἀπέσφαξε, πλείστας μὲν καὶ μεγίστας χρείας παρεσχημένος τοῖς τυράννοις, πιστότατος δὲ τῶν φίλων τοῖς δυνάσταις γεγονώς.
A stubborn contest ensued, and though Philistus at first had the upper hand through his own personal bravery, later, when he was cut off by the enemy, the Syracusans, surrounding his ships from all sides, were eager to capture the general alive. But Philistus, fearing the abuse of captivity, killed himself, after having rendered many great services to the tyrants and having been the most faithful of friends to the rulers.
§16.16.4οἱ δὲ Συρακόσιοι νικήσαντες τῇ ναυμαχίᾳ τὸ μὲν σῶμα τοῦ Φιλίστου διαμερίσαντες καὶ διʼ ὅλης τῆς πόλεως ἑλκύσαντες ἄταφον ἐξέρριψαν, Διονύσιος δὲ τὸν μὲν πρακτικώτατον τῶν φίλων ἀποβαλὼν καὶ στρατηγὸν μὲν ἕτερον ἀξιόχρεων οὐκ ἔχων, αὐτὸς δʼ οὐ δυνάμενος φέρειν τὸ τοῦ πολέμου βάρος ἐξέπεμψε πρεσβευτὰς πρὸς τὸν Δίωνα, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον τὴν ἡμίσειαν τῆς ἀρχῆς παραδιδούς, ὕστερον δὲ βουλόμενος ὅλην ἐγχειρίζειν.
The Syracusans, having won the naval battle, cut the body of Philistus to pieces, dragged it through the whole city, and cast it out unburied. Dionysius, having lost the most active of his friends and having no other worthy general, and being himself unable to bear the burden of the war, sent envoys to Dion, at first offering to surrender half of his dominion, and later wishing to hand over the whole of it.