afterwards expelled Dion from Sicily. Plato
with difficulty obtained permission to return to Greece (B.C. 366).
Dionysius now gave way to his vices without restraint, and became an
object of contempt to the Syracusans. Dion saw that the time had come
for avenging his own wrongs as well as those of his country.
Collecting a small force, he sailed to Sicily, and suddenly appeared
before the gates of Syracuse during the absence of Dionysius on an
expedition to the coasts of Italy. The inhabitants, filled with joy,
welcomed Dion as their deliverer: and Dionysius on his return from
Italy found himself compelled to quit Syracuse (B.C. 356), leaving Dion
undisputed master of the city. The latter was now in a condition to
carry out all those exalted notions of political life which he had
sought to instil into the mind of Dionysius. He seems to have
contemplated some political changes; but his immediate and practical
acts were tyrannical, and were rendered still more unpopular by his
overbearing manners. His unpopularity continued to increase, till at
length one of his bosom friends--the Athenian Callippus--seized the
opportunity to mount to power by his murder, and caused him to be
assassinated in his own house. This event took place in 353, about
three years after the expulsion of the Dionysian dynasty. Callippus
contrived to retain the sovereign power only a twelvemonth. A period
of anarchy followed, during which Dionysius made himself master of the
city by treachery, about B.C. 346. Dionysius, however, was not able to
re-establish himself firmly in his former power. Most of the other
cities of Sicily had shaken off the yoke of Syracuse, and were governed
by petty despots. Meantime the Carthaginians prepared to take
advantage of the distracted condition of Sicily. In the extremity of
their sufferings, several of the Syracusan exiles appealed for aid to
Corinth, their mother-city. The application was granted, and Timoleon
was appointed to command an expedition destined for the relief of
Syracuse.

Timoleon was distinguished for gentleness as well as for courage, but
towards traitors and despots his hatred was intense. He had once saved
the life of his elder brother Timophanes in battle at the imminent
peril of his own; but when Timophanes, availing himself of his
situation as commander of the garrison in the Acrocorinthus,
endeavoured to enslave his country, Timoleon did not hesitate to
consent to his death. Twi