Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/195

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NEW SETTLERS AT SYRACUSE. 109 numerous applicants, and a large force of colonists was preset tly assembled at Corinth ; an aggregate of ten thousand persons, in- cluding the Syracusan exiles. 1 When conveyed to Syracuse, by the fleet and under the formal sanction of the Corinthian government, these colonists round a still larger number there assembled, partly Syracusan exiles, yet prin- cipally emigrants from the different cities of Sicily and Italy. Hie Italian Greeks, at this time hard pressed by the constantly augmenting force of the Lucanians and Bruttians, were becoming so unable to defend themselves without foreign aid, that several were probably disposed to seek other homes. The invitation of Timoleon counted even more than that of the Corinthians as an allurement to new comers from the unbounded admiration and confidence which he now inspired ; more especially as he was ac- tually present at Syracuse. Accordingly, the total of immigrants from all quarters (restored exiles as well as others) to Syracuse in its renovated freedom was not less than sixty thousand. 2 Nothing can be more mortifying than to find ourselves without information as to the manner in which Timoleon and Kephalus dealt with this large influx. Such a state of things, as it produ- ces many new embarrassments and conflicting interests, so it calls fur a degree of resource and original judgment which furnishes good measure of the capacity of all persons concerned, rendering the juncture particularly interesting and instructive. Unfortu- nately we are not permitted to know the details. The land of Sy- racuse is said to have been distributed, and the houses to have been sold for one thousand talents the large sum of 230,000^ A right of preemption was allowed to the Syracusan exiles for 1 Plutarch, Timoleon, c. 23. Diodorus states only five thousand (xvi.

  • -:2) as coming from Coripzh.

a Plutarch, Timoleon, c. 23. To justify his statement of this large total, I'lutarch here mentions (I wish he did so oftener) the author from whom he copied it Athanis, or Athanas. That author was a native Syracusan, r-ho wrote a history of Syracusan affairs from the termination of the his- f ory of Philistus in 363 or 362 u. c., down to the death of Timoleon in 337 B. c. ; thus including all the proceedings of Dion and Timoleon. It is deeply to be lamented that nothing remains of his work (Diodor. xv. 94; Fragment. Historic. Graec. ed. Didot, vol. ii. p. 81). His name seems to be mentioned in Thcopompus (Fr. 212, ed. Didot) as joint commander of tbe t'vracusan troops, along with Ilcrakleidea VOL. XI. 15