§19.9.1μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα συναγαγὼν ἐκκλησίαν κατηγόρησε μὲν τῶν ἑξακοσίων καὶ τῆς ὑπʼ αὐτῶν προγεγενημένης ὀλιγαρχίας, καθαρὰν δὲ φήσας τὴν πόλιν πεποιηκέναι τῶν δυναστεύειν ἐπιχειρούντων ἀπεφαίνετο τῷ δήμῳ τὴν αὐτονομίαν εἰλικρινῆ παραδιδόναι καὶ βούλεσθαί ποτε τῶν πόνων ἀπολυθεὶς ἰδιωτεύειν ἴσος ὢν πᾶσι.
After this, having gathered an assembly, he accused the Six Hundred and the oligarchy that had previously existed under them, and having said that he had made the city clean of those who attempted to exercise power, he declared to the people that he was delivering pure autonomy to them and that he wished, being released at last from his labors, to live as a private citizen on equal terms with everyone.
§19.9.2καὶ ταῦτα λέγων τὸ μὲν χλαμύδιον αὑτοῦ περιέσπασε, τὸ δʼ ἱμάτιον μεταλαβὼν ἀπῄει, τῶν πολλῶν ἑαυτὸν ἀποδείξας ἕνα.
And while saying this, he stripped off his chlamys and, changing into a himation, began to walk away, showing himself to be one of the multitude.
ταῦτα δʼ ἔπραττε τὸν δημοτικὸν ὑποκρινόμενος καὶ σαφῶς εἰδὼς τοὺς πλείους τῶν ἐκκλησιαζόντων μετεσχηκότας τῶν ἀσεβημάτων καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μηδέποτʼ ἂν βουληθέντας ἄλλῳ τὴν στρατηγίαν ἐγχειρίσαι.
He did this pretending to be a man of the people, and knowing clearly that the majority of those in the assembly had shared in the impious deeds and for this reason would never wish to entrust the generalship to anyone else.
§19.9.3εὐθὺ γοῦν οἱ διαπεφορηκότες τὰ τῶν ἠτυχηκότων ἐβόων μὴ καταλιπεῖν ἑαυτούς, ἀλλὰ προσδέξασθαι τὴν τῶν ὅλων ἐπιμέλειαν.
At once, indeed, those who had plundered the property of the unfortunate citizens cried out not to abandon them, but to accept the care of the whole state.
ὁ δὲ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἡσυχίαν εἶχεν, εἶτα τοῦ πλήθους βιαιότερον ἐγκειμένου προσδέξασθαι μὲν ἔφησε τὴν στρατηγίαν, μὴ μέντοι γε μετʼ ἄλλων ἄρξειν· §19.9.4οὐ γὰρ ὑπομενεῖν, ὧν ἂν ἕτεροι παρανομήσωσι, τούτων αὐτὸν συνάρχοντα λόγον ἀποδιδόναι κατὰ τοὺς νόμους.
He at first kept quiet, but then, as the multitude pressed upon him more violently, he said that he would accept the generalship, but that he would not, however, rule with others; for he would not endure, for whatever illegal things others might commit, to render an account for these according to the laws as their fellow ruler.
συγχωρήσαντος δὲ τοῦ πλήθους μοναρχεῖν οὗτος μὲν ἐχειροτονήθη στρατηγὸς αὐτοκράτωρ καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν φανερῶς ἐδυνάστευε καὶ τῆς πόλεως ἐπιμέλειαν ἐποιεῖτο,
When the multitude agreed that he should rule alone, he was elected general with absolute power, and thereafter he openly exercised power and took charge of the city.
§19.9.5τῶν δʼ ἀκεραίων Συρακοσίων οἱ μὲν διὰ τὸν φόβον ἠναγκάζοντο καρτερεῖν, οἱ δʼ ὑπὸ τοῦ πλήθους κατισχυόμενοι τὴν ἔχθραν εἰς κενὸν οὐκ ἐτόλμων ἐνδείκνυσθαι.
Of the undefiled Syracusans, some were compelled through fear to endure it, while others, overborne by the multitude, did not dare to display their hostility in vain.
πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ τῶν ἀπόρων καὶ κατάχρεων ἄσμενοι τὴν μεταβολὴν προσεδέξαντο· ἐπηγγέλλετο γὰρ Ἀγαθοκλῆς κατὰ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν καὶ χρεῶν ἀποκοπὰς ποιήσεσθαι καὶ τοῖς πένησι χώραν δωρήσεσθαι.
But many of those who were needy and in debt gladly welcomed the change; for Agathocles had promised in the assembly both to make a cancellation of debts and to distribute land to the poor.
§19.9.6ἀπὸ δὲ τούτων γενόμενος τοῦ μὲν ἔτι φονεύειν ἢ κολάζειν τινὰς ἀπέστη, μεταβαλόμενος δʼ εἰς τοὐναντίον εὐγνωμόνως τοῖς πλήθεσι προσεφέρετο καὶ πολλοὺς μὲν εὐεργετῶν, οὐκ ὀλίγους δʼ ἐπαγγελίαις μετεωρίζων, πάντας δὲ λόγοις φιλανθρώποις δημαγωγῶν οὐ μετρίας ἀποδοχῆς ἐτύγχανεν.
Moving on from these measures, he desisted from killing or punishing anyone further, and changing to the opposite, he behaved kindly toward the multitudes; by doing good to many, elevating not a few with promises, and leading all with humane words, he met with no moderate approval.
§19.9.7ἔχων δὲ τηλικαύτην δυναστείαν οὔτε διάδημα ἀνέλαβεν οὔτε δορυφόρους εἶχεν οὔτε δυσεντευξίαν ἐζήλωσεν, ἅπερ εἰώθασι ποιεῖν σχεδὸν ἅπαντες οἱ τύραννοι.
Although he possessed such great power, he neither assumed a diadem nor had bodyguards nor sought to be difficult of access—things which almost all tyrants are accustomed to do.
ἐπεμελήθη δὲ καὶ τῶν προσόδων καὶ τῆς τῶν ὅπλων καὶ βελῶν παρασκευῆς, ἔτι δὲ πρὸς ταῖς ὑπαρχούσαις μακραῖς ναυσὶν ἑτέρας ἐναυπηγήσατο.
He also took care of the revenues and the preparation of arms and missiles, and in addition to the existing warships he built others.
προσελάβετο δὲ καὶ τῶν ἐν τῇ μεσογείῳ χωρίων καὶ πόλεων τὰς πλείστας.
He also annexed most of the territories and cities in the interior.
καὶ τὰ μὲν κατὰ Σικελίαν ἐν τούτοις ἦν.
And the affairs of Sicily were in this state.