gna
Graecia. He raised Syracuse to be one of the chief Grecian states,
second in influence, if indeed second, to Sparta alone. Under his sway
Syracuse was strengthened and embellished with new fortifications,
docks, arsenals, and other public buildings, and became superior even
to Athens in extent and population.

Dionysius was a warm patron of literature, and was anxious to gain
distinction by his literary compositions. In the midst of his
political and military cares he devoted himself assiduously to poetry,
and not only caused his poems to be publicly recited at the Olympic
games, but repeatedly contended for the prize of tragedy at Athens. In
accordance with the same spirit we find him seeking the society of men
distinguished in literature and philosophy. Plato, who visited Sicily
about the year 389 from a curiosity to see Mount AEtna, was introduced
to Dionysius by Dion. The high moral tone of Plato's conversation did
not however prove so attractive to Dionysius as it had done to Dion;
and the philosopher was not only dismissed with aversion and dislike,
but even, it seems through the machinations of Dionysius, seized,
bound, and sold for a slave in the island of AEgina. He was, however,
repurchased by Anniceris of Cyrene, and sent back to Athens.

Dionysius died in B.C. 367, and was succeeded by his eldest son,
commonly called the younger Dionysius, who was about 25 years of age at
the time of his father's death. At first he listened to the counsels
of Dion, who had always enjoyed the respect and confidence of his
father. At the advice of Dion he invited Plato to Syracuse, where the
philosopher was received with the greatest honour. His illustrious
pupil immediately began to take lessons in geometry; superfluous dishes
disappeared from the royal table; and Dionysius even betrayed some
symptoms of a wish to mitigate the former rigours of the despotism.
But now the old courtiers took the alarm. It was whispered to
Dionysius that the whole was a deep-laid scheme on the part of Dion for
the purpose of effecting a revolution and placing his own nephews on
the throne. [The elder Dionysius had married two wives at the same
time: one of these was a Locrian woman named Doris; the other,
Aristomache, was a Syracusan, and the sister of Dion. The younger
Dionysius was his elder son by Doris; but he also had children by
Aristomache.] These accusations had the desired effect on the mind of
Dionysius, who shortly