<w lemma="%2Adio%2Fper">Διόπερ</w> <w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="xrh%5C">χρὴ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="toiou%2Ftois">τοιούτοις</w> <w lemma="prosa%2Fptein">προσάπτειν</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="e%29pimetrou%3Dnta">ἐπιμετροῦντα</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgon">λόγον</w>, <w lemma="kaqa%2Fper">καθάπερ</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dpa">εἶπα</w>, <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="%2A%29agaqoklei%3D">Ἀγαθοκλεῖ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Adionusi%2Fw%7C">Διονυσίῳ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="%2Asikeliw%2Ftais">Σικελιώταις</w> <w lemma="kai%2F">καί</w> <w lemma="tisin">τισιν</w> <w lemma="e%28te%2Frois">ἑτέροις</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fgmasin">πράγμασιν</w> <w lemma="e%29p%27">ἐπ᾽</w> <w lemma="o%29no%2Fmatos">ὀνόματος</w> <w lemma="gegono%2Ftwn">γεγονότων</w>.
<w lemma="e%29kei%2Fnwn">ἐκείνων</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="e%28%2Fteros">ἕτερος</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="dhmotikh%3Ds">δημοτικῆς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tapeinh%3Ds">ταπεινῆς</w> <w lemma="u%28poqe%2Fsews">ὑποθέσεως</w> <w lemma="o%28rmhqei%2Fs">ὁρμηθείς</w>, <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="%2A%29agaqoklh%3Ds">Ἀγαθοκλῆς</w>, <w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="%2Ati%2Fmaios">Τίμαιος</w> <w lemma="e%29piskw%2Fptwn">ἐπισκώπτων</w> <w lemma="fhsi%2F">φησί</w>, <w lemma="kerameu%5Cs">κεραμεὺς</w> <w lemma="u%28pa%2Frxwn">ὑπάρχων</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="katalipw%5Cn">καταλιπὼν</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="troxo%5Cn">τροχὸν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="phlo%5Cn">πηλὸν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="kapno%2Fn">καπνόν</w>, <w lemma="h%28%3Dke">ἧκε</w> <w lemma="ne%2Fos">νέος</w> <w lemma="w%29%5Cn">ὢν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="%2Asurakou%2Fsas">Συρακούσας</w>.
<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="prw%3Dton">πρῶτον</w> <w lemma="e%29genh%2Fqhsan">ἐγενήθησαν</w> <w lemma="a%29mfo%2Fteroi">ἀμφότεροι</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="i%29di%2Fous">ἰδίους</w> <w lemma="kairou%5Cs">καιροὺς</w> <w lemma="tu%2Frannoi">τύραννοι</w> <w lemma="%2Asurakousw%3Dn">Συρακουσῶν</w>, <w lemma="po%2Flews">πόλεως</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="me%2Fgiston">μέγιστον</w> <w lemma="a%29ci%2Fwma">ἀξίωμα</w> <w lemma="to%2Fte">τότε</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fgiston">μέγιστον</w> <w lemma="plou%3Dton">πλοῦτον</w> <w lemma="peripoihsame%2Fnhs">περιποιησαμένης</w>,
<w lemma="meta%5C">μετὰ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tau%3Dta">ταῦτα</w> <w lemma="basilei%3Ds">βασιλεῖς</w> <w lemma="a%28pa%2Fshs">ἁπάσης</w> <w lemma="%2Asikeli%2Fas">Σικελίας</w> <w lemma="nomisqe%2Fntes">νομισθέντες</w> <w lemma="kai%2F">καί</w> <w lemma="tinwn">τινων</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="%2A%29itali%2Fas">Ἰταλίας</w> <w lemma="merw%3Dn">μερῶν</w> <w lemma="kurieu%2Fsantes">κυριεύσαντες</w>.
<w lemma="%2A%29agaqoklh%3Ds">Ἀγαθοκλῆς</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="mo%2Fnon">μόνον</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="%2Alibu%2Fhs">Λιβύης</w> <w lemma="a%29pepei%2Frasen">ἀπεπείρασεν</w>, <w lemma="a%29lla%5C">ἀλλὰ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="te%2Flos">τέλος</w> <w lemma="e%29nape%2Fqane">ἐναπέθανε</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="u%28peroxai%3Ds">ὑπεροχαῖς</w> <w lemma="tau%2Ftais">ταύταις</w>.
<w lemma="dio%5C">διὸ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Apo%2Fplion">Πόπλιον</w> <w lemma="%2Askipi%2Fwna%2F">Σκιπίωνά</w> <w lemma="fasi">φασι</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="prw%3Dton">πρῶτον</w> <w lemma="katapolemh%2Fsanta">καταπολεμήσαντα</w> <w lemma="%2Akarxhdoni%2Fous">Καρχηδονίους</w> <w lemma="e%29rwthqe%2Fnta">ἐρωτηθέντα</w> <w lemma="ti%2Fnas">τίνας</w> <w lemma="u%28polamba%2Fnei">ὑπολαμβάνει</w> <w lemma="pragmatikwta%2Ftous">πραγματικωτάτους</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fndras">ἄνδρας</w> <w lemma="gegone%2Fnai">γεγονέναι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="su%5Cn">σὺν</w> <w lemma="nw%3D%7C">νῷ</w> <w lemma="tolmhrota%2Ftous">τολμηροτάτους</w>, <w lemma="ei%29pei%3Dn">εἰπεῖν</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="%2A%29agaqokle%2Fa">Ἀγαθοκλέα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Adionu%2Fsion">Διονύσιον</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="%2Asikeliw%2Ftas">Σικελιώτας</w>.
<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="toiou%2Ftwn">τοιούτων</w> <w lemma="a%29ndrw%3Dn">ἀνδρῶν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%2Fstasin">ἐπίστασιν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fgein">ἄγειν</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="a%29naginw%2Fskontas">ἀναγινώσκοντας</w>, <w lemma="kai%2F">καί</w> <w lemma="pou">που</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="tu%2Fxhs">τύχης</w> <w lemma="poih%2Fsasqai">ποιήσασθαι</w> <w lemma="mnh%2Fmhn">μνήμην</w>, <w lemma="e%29%2Fti">ἔτι</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="a%29nqrwpei%2Fwn">ἀνθρωπείων</w> <w lemma="pragma%2Ftwn">πραγμάτων</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="kaqo%2Flou">καθόλου</w> <w lemma="prostiqe%2Fnai">προστιθέναι</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="e%29pekdida%2Fskonta">ἐπεκδιδάσκοντα</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgon">λόγον</w>, <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="proeirhme%2Fnwn">προειρημένων</w> <w lemma="a%29ndrw%3Dn">ἀνδρῶν</w> <w lemma="ou%29damw%3Ds">οὐδαμῶς</w> <w lemma="a%28rmo%2Fzei">ἁρμόζει</w>.
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<head>Agathocles Not a Good Example of Mutability of Fortune</head>To such a story then no such dissertation is required, as was in place, for instance, in the case of the Sicilian monarchs,<pb n="170" />Agathocles and Dionysius, and certain others who have administered governments with reputation.<note anchored="yes" place="marg" id="note56">See<ref target="b12c15" targOrder="U">12. 15</ref>.</note>For the former of these, starting from a plebeian and humble position—having been, as Timaeus sneeringly remarks, a potter—came from the wheel, clay, and smoke, quite a young man to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Syracuse&groupId=994&placeId=1753">Syracuse</a>. And, to begin with, both these men in their respective generations became tyrants of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Syracuse&groupId=994&placeId=1753">Syracuse</a>, a city that had obtained at that time the greatest reputation and the greatest wealth of any in the world; and afterwards were regarded as suzerains of all <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Sicily&groupId=973&placeId=1724">Sicily</a>, and lords of certain districts in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Italy&groupId=656&placeId=1199">Italy</a>. While, for his part, Agathocles not only made an attempt upon <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Africa&groupId=300&placeId=294">Africa</a>, but eventually died in possession of the greatness he had acquired. It is on this account that the story is told of Publius Scipio, the first conqueror of the Carthaginians, that being asked whom he considered to have been the most skilful administrators and most distinguished for boldness combined with prudence, he replied, "the Sicilians Agathocles and Dionysius." Now, in the case of such men as these, it is certainly right to try to arrest the attention of our readers, and, I suppose, to speak of Fortune and the mutability of human affairs, and in fact to point a moral: but in the case of such men as we have been speaking of, it is quite out of place to do so.
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Walbank Commentary