§2.2.20Διονύσιος Συρακούσιος βουλόμενος χρήματα συναγαγεῖν, ἐκκλησίαν ποιήσας ἔφησεν ἑωρακέναι τὴν Δήμητραν, καὶ κελεύειν τὸν τῶν γυναικῶν κόσμον εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν ἀποκομίζειν.
\nDionysius of Syracuse, wishing to collect money, called an assembly and claimed to have seen Demeter, who, he said, ordered that the women's ornaments should be brought to her temple.
αὐτὸς μὲν οὖν τῶν παρʼ αὑτῷ γυναικῶν τὸν κόσμον τοῦτο πεποιηκέναι· ἠξίου δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους, μή τι μήνιμα παρὰ τῆς θεοῦ γένηται· τὸν δὲ μὴ τοῦτο ποιήσαντα ἔνοχον ἔφησεν ἱεροσυλίας ἔσεσθαι.
He asserted that he himself had already done this with the ornaments of the women in his own household, and he demanded that the others do the same, lest some anger from the goddess should occur; and he declared that anyone who did not do this would be guilty of sacrilege.
ἀνενεγκάντων δὲ πάντων ἃ εἶχον διά τε τὴν θεὸν καὶ διʼ ἐκεῖνον, θύσας τῇ θεῷ τὸν κόσμον ἀπηνέγκατο ὡς παρὰ τῆς θεοῦ δεδανεισμένος.
When all had brought what they had, both for the sake of the goddess and because of him, he offered a sacrifice to the goddess and carried away the ornaments as though he had borrowed them from the goddess.
προελθόντος δὲ χρόνου καὶ τῶν γυναικῶν πάλιν φορουσῶν, ἐκέλευσε τὴν βουλομένην χρυσοφορεῖν τάγμα τι ἀνατιθέναι ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ. τριηρεῖς τε ναυπηγεῖσθαι μέλλων ᾔδει ὅτι δεήσοιτο χρημάτων.
When time had passed and the women began to wear ornaments again, he ordered that any woman who wished to wear gold should dedicate a certain offering in the temple.\nAnd being about to build triremes, he knew that he would need money.
ἐκκλησίαν οὖν συναγαγὼν ἔφη πόλιν αὑτῷ τινα προδίδοσθαι, εἰς ἣν δεῖσθαι χρημάτων, ἠξίου τε αὑτῷ τοὺς πολίτας εἰσενέγκαι δύο στατῆρας ἕκαστον· οἳ δʼ εἰσήνεγκαν.
Having gathered an assembly, therefore, he said that a certain city was being betrayed to him, for which purpose he needed money, and he demanded that the citizens contribute two staters each; and they contributed.
διαλιπὼν δὲ δύο ἢ τρεῖς ἡμέρας, ὡς διημαρτηκὼς τῆς πράξεως, ἐπαινέσας αὐτοὺς ἀπέδωκεν ἑκάστῳ ὃ εἰσήνεγκαν.
After letting two or three days pass, as though he had failed in the undertaking, he praised them and returned to each what they had contributed.
ποιήσας δὲ τοῦτο ἀνεκτήσατο τοὺς πολίτας.
By doing this, he won back the confidence of the citizens.
εἶτα πάλιν οἰόμενοι ἀπολήψεσθαι εἰσήνεγκαν· ὃ δὲ λαβὼν εἶχεν εἰς τὴν ναυπηγίαν. οὐκ εὐπορῶν δὲ ἀργυρίου νόμισμα ἔκοψε καττιτέρου, καὶ συναγαγὼν ἐκκλησίαν πολλὰ τοῦ κεκομμένου νομίσματος ὑπερεῖπεν· οἳ δὲ ἐψηφίσαντο καὶ μὴ βουλόμενοι ἕκαστος ὃ ἂν εἵλετο ἔχειν ὡς ἀργυροῦν ἀλλὰ μὴ καττιτέρινον. πάλιν τε δεηθεὶς χρημάτων ἠξίου τοὺς πολίτας εἰσενεγκεῖν αὑτῷ· οἳ δʼ οὐκ ἔφασαν ἔχειν.
Then, thinking they would receive it back again, they contributed once more; but he, having taken it, kept it for the shipbuilding.\nAnd being in short supply of silver, he struck a coinage of tin, and having gathered an assembly, he spoke highly of the newly minted coin; and they, even though unwillingly, voted that each should hold what they received as silver and not as tin.\n Again, being in need of money, he demanded that the citizens contribute to him; but they said they had none.
ἐξενέγκας οὖν τὰ σκεύη τὰ παρʼ αὑτοῦ ἐπώλει, ὡς δὴ διʼ ἀπορίαν τοῦτο ποιῶν· ἀγοραζόντων δὲ Συρακουσίων ἀπεγράφετο τί ἕκαστος ἀγοράσειεν· ἐπεὶ δὲ τὴν τιμὴν κατέβαλον, ἐκέλευσε τὸ σκεῦος ἀναφέρειν ἕκαστον ὃ ἠγόρασεν. τῶν τε πολιτῶν διὰ τὰς εἰσφορὰς οὐ τρεφόντων βοσκήματα, εἶπεν ὅτι ἱκανὰ ἦν αὑτῷ πρὸς τοσοῦτον· τοὺς οὖν νῦν τι κτησαμένους ἀτελεῖς ἔσεσθαι.
He therefore brought out his own vessels and sold them, as though he were doing this out of poverty; and as the Syracusans bought them, he recorded what each one bought; when they had paid the price, he ordered each to bring back the vessel he had bought.\nAnd since the citizens, because of the direct taxes, were not keeping livestock, he said that what he had was sufficient for him up to that point, and that those who acquired any now should be exempt from tax.
πολλῶν δὲ ταχὺ κτησαμένων πολλὰ βοσκήματα, ὡς ἀτελῆ ἑξόντων, ἐπεὶ καιρὸν ᾤετο εἶναι, τιμήσασθαι κελεύσας ἐπέβαλε τέλος.
When many quickly acquired many livestock, thinking they would have them tax-free, when he thought the time was right, he ordered them to make an estimate and imposed a tax.
οἱ οὖν πολῖται ἀγανακτήσαντες ἐπὶ τῷ ἐξηπατῆσθαι, σφάζοντες ἐπώλουν.
The citizens, therefore, being angry at having been deceived, slaughtered and sold them.
ὡς δὲ πρὸς τοῦτο ἔταξε σφάζεσθαι ὅσα δεῖ τῆς ἡμέρας, οἱ δὲ πάλιν ἱερόθυτα ἐποίουν· ὁ δὲ ἀπεῖπε θῆλυ μὴ θύειν. πάλιν τε δεηθεὶς χρημάτων ἐκέλευσεν ἀπογράψασθαι πρὸς αὑτὸν ὅσοι οἶκοί εἰσιν ὀρφανικοί.
When, in response to this, he ordered that only as many as were needed for the day should be slaughtered, they in turn made them sacrificial offerings; but he forbade them to sacrifice any female animal.\nAnd being in need of money again, he ordered all those households that were orphaned to be registered with him.
ἀπογραψαμένων δὲ ἄλλων τὰ τούτων χρήματα ἀπεχρᾶτο, ἕως ἕκαστος εἰς ἡλικίαν ἔλθοι. Ῥήγιόν τε καταλαβών, ἐκκλησίαν συναγαγὼν εἶπε διότι δικαίως μὲν ἂν ἐξανδραποδισθεῖεν ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ, νῦν μέντοι τὰ εἰς τὸν πόλεμον ἀνηλωμένα χρήματα κομισάμενος καὶ ὑπὲρ ἑκάστου σώματος τρεῖς μνᾶς ἀφήσειν αὐτούς.
When they were registered, he made use of their funds until each should come of age.\nAnd having captured Rhegium, he gathered an assembly and said that they might justly be reduced to slavery by him, but now, however, if he recovered the money spent on the war and received three minae for each person, he would release them.
οἱ δὲ Ῥηγῖνοι ὅσα ποτʼ ἦν αὐτοῖς ἀποκεκρυμμένα ἐμφανῆ ἐποίουν καὶ οἱ ἄποροι παρὰ τῶν εὐπορωτέρων καὶ παρὰ τῶν ξένων δανειζόμενοι ἐπόρισαν ἃ ἐκέλευσε χρήματα.
The Rhegines then made visible whatever they had hidden, and the poor, borrowing from the wealthier and from strangers, provided the money he ordered.
λαβὼν δὲ ταῦτα παρʼ αὐτῶν τά τε σώματα πάντα οὐδὲν ἧττον ἀπέδοτο τά τε σκεύη, ἃ τότε ἦν ἀποκεκρυμμένα, ἐμφανῆ ἅπαντα ἔλαβε. δανεισάμενός τε παρὰ τῶν πολιτῶν χρήματα ἐπʼ ἀποδόσει, ὡς ἀπῄτουν αὐτόν, ἐκέλευσεν ἀναφέρειν ὅσον ἔχει τις ἀργύριον πρὸς αὐτόν· εἰ δὲ μή, θάνατον ἔταξε τὸ ἐπιτίμιον.
But having received this from them, he sold all of them into slavery nonetheless, and took all the vessels which had been hidden and were then made visible.\nAnd having borrowed money from the citizens under promise of repayment, when they demanded it back from him, he ordered everyone to bring to him whatever silver they had, and he set death as the penalty if they did not.
ἀνενεχθέντος δὲ τοῦ ἀργυρίου, ἐπικόψας χαρακτῆρα ἐξέδωκε τὴν δραχμὴν δύο δυναμένην δραχμὰς καὶ τό τε ὀφειλόμενον πρότερον ἀνήνεγκαν πρὸς αὐτόν. εἰς Τυρρηνίαν τε πλεύσας ναυσὶν ἑκατόν, ἔλαβεν ἐκ τοῦ τῆς Λευκοθέας ἱεροῦ χρυσίον τε καὶ ἀργύριον πολὺ καὶ τὸν ἄλλον κόσμον οὐκ ὀλίγον.
When the silver was brought, he struck a new stamp upon it and issued the drachma as worth two drachmas, and they brought back to him also the debt previously owed.\nAnd having sailed to Tyrrhenia with a hundred ships, he took from the temple of Leucothea much gold and silver and not a little of other ornaments.
εἰδὼς δὲ ὅτι καὶ οἱ ναῦται πολλὰ ἔχουσι, κήρυγμα ἐποιήσατο τὰ ἡμίσεα ὧν ἔχει ἕκαστος ἀναφέρειν πρὸς αὑτόν, τὰ δʼ ἡμίσεα ἔχειν τὸν λαβόντα· τῷ δὲ μὴ ἀνενέγκαντι θάνατον ἔταξε τὸ ἐπιτίμιον.
Knowing that the sailors also had many things, he made a proclamation that each should bring back to him half of what they had, and that the one who took it should keep the other half; and he set death as the penalty for anyone who did not bring it.
ὑπολαβόντες δὲ οἱ ναῦται ἀνενεγκόντες τὰ ἡμίσεα τὰ κατάλοιπα ἔχειν, ἀδεῶς ἀνήνεγκαν· ὃ δʼ ἐπείπερ ἐκεῖνα ἔλαβεν, ἐκέλευσε πάλιν τὰ ἡμίσεα ἀναφέρειν.
The sailors, supposing that by bringing half they would keep the rest, brought it without fear; but he, as soon as he had received those, ordered them to bring the other half again.