§15.35.1διόπερ οὐ χρὴ τοῖς τοιούτοις προσάπτειν τὸν ἐπιμετροῦντα λόγον, καθάπερ εἶπα, τῷ δʼ Ἀγαθοκλεῖ καὶ Διονυσίῳ τοῖς Σικελιώταις καί τισιν ἑτέροις τῶν ἐν πράγμασιν ἐπʼ ὀνόματος γεγονότων.
Therefore, as I said, one ought not to attach a supplementary discourse to such men, but rather to Agathocles and Dionysius the Sicilians, and to some others of those who have become famous in practical affairs.
§15.35.2ἐκείνων γὰρ ὁ μὲν ἕτερος ἐκ δημοτικῆς καὶ ταπεινῆς ὑποθέσεως ὁρμηθείς, ὁ δʼ Ἀγαθοκλῆς, ὡς ὁ Τίμαιος ἐπισκώπτων φησί, κεραμεὺς ὑπάρχων καὶ καταλιπὼν τὸν τροχὸν καὶ τὸν πηλὸν καὶ τὸν καπνόν, ἧκε νέος ὢν εἰς τὰς Συρακούσας.
For of those, the one started from a common and humble background, while Agathocles, as Timaeus says in mockery, being a potter and leaving behind the wheel, the clay, and the smoke, came as a young man to Syracuse.
§15.35.3καὶ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἐγενήθησαν ἀμφότεροι κατὰ τοὺς ἰδίους καιροὺς τύραννοι Συρακουσῶν, πόλεως τῆς μέγιστον ἀξίωμα τότε καὶ μέγιστον πλοῦτον περιποιησαμένης, §15.35.4μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα βασιλεῖς ἁπάσης Σικελίας νομισθέντες καί τινων καὶ τῆς Ἰταλίας μερῶν κυριεύσαντες.
And at first, both became in their own times tyrants of Syracuse, a city which had at that time acquired the greatest prestige and the greatest wealth, and after this, being regarded as kings of all Sicily, they also became masters of some parts of Italy.
§15.35.5Ἀγαθοκλῆς δʼ οὐ μόνον καὶ τῶν τῆς Λιβύης ἀπεπείρασεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τέλος ἐναπέθανε ταῖς ὑπεροχαῖς ταύταις.
And Agathocles not only made attempts on the affairs of Libya, but also in the end died in possession of these supreme powers.
§15.35.6διὸ καὶ Πόπλιον Σκιπίωνά φασι τὸν πρῶτον καταπολεμήσαντα Καρχηδονίους ἐρωτηθέντα τίνας ὑπολαμβάνει πραγματικωτάτους ἄνδρας γεγονέναι καὶ σὺν νῷ τολμηροτάτους, εἰπεῖν τοὺς περὶ Ἀγαθοκλέα καὶ Διονύσιον τοὺς Σικελιώτας. §15.35.7καὶ περὶ μὲν τῶν τοιούτων ἀνδρῶν εἰς ἐπίστασιν ἄγειν τοὺς ἀναγινώσκοντας, καί που καὶ τῆς τύχης ποιήσασθαι μνήμην, ἔτι δὲ τῶν ἀνθρωπείων πραγμάτων, καὶ καθόλου προστιθέναι τὸν ἐπεκδιδάσκοντα λόγον, ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν προειρημένων ἀνδρῶν οὐδαμῶς ἁρμόζει.
Therefore, they say that Publius Scipio, the first to defeat the Carthaginians, when asked whom he considered to have been the most practical men and the most courageous with intellect, replied, "Those around Agathocles and Dionysius the Sicilians." And while in the case of such men it is fitting to lead the readers to reflection, and perhaps also to make mention of fortune, and further of human affairs, and in general to add an instructive discourse, in the case of the aforementioned men it is by no means appropriate.