had the fortitude to keep the secret inviolable. The death of Thrafo, who was the fole fupport of the alliance with the Romans, left the field open to the partifans of Carthage. Hieronymus difpatched ambaffadors to Hannibal, who fent back a young Carthaginian officer of illuftrious birth, named alfo Hannibal, with Hippocrates and Epicydes, natives of Carthage, but defcended from the Syracufans by their father. After the treaty with Hieronymus was concluded, the young officer returned to his general: the two others continued near the king, with Hannibal's permiffion. The conditions of the treaty were, That after having driven the Romans out of Sicily, of which they fully affured themfelves, the river Himera, which almoft divides the island, should be the boundary of their refpective dominions. Hieronymus, blown up by the breath of his flatterers, demanded even fome time after, that all Sicily fhould be given up to him, leaving the Carthaginians Italy for their part. The propofal appeared idle and rafh; but Hannibal gave very little attention to it, having no other view at that time, than of drawing off the young king from the party of the Romans. Upon the first rumour of this treaty, Appius, prætor of Sicily, fent ambaffadors to Hieronymus, to renew the alliance made by his grandfather with the Romans. That proud prince received them with great contempt; demanding of them, with an air of raillery and infult, what had paffed at the battle of Cannæ : that Hannibal's ambaffadors had related incredible things of it: that it was easy to know the truth from their mouths, and thence to determine upon the choice of his allies. The Ro mans mans made anfwer, that they would return to him, when he had learnt to treat ambaffadors seriously and with reafon; and, after having given him caution, rather than defired him, not to change fides too rafhly, they withdrew. At length his cruelty, and other vices, to which he blindly abandoned himself, drew upon him an unfortunate end. Thofe, who had formed the confpiracy mentioned before, purfued their scheme; and having found a favou rable opportunity for the execution of their enterprize, killed him in the city of the Leontines, on a journey he made from Syracuse into the country. pre Here is a fenfible inftance of the difference between a king and a tyrant; and that it is not in guards or arms the fecurity of a prince confifts, but the affection of his fubjects. Hiero, from being convinced, that thofe who have the laws in their hands for the government of the people, ought always to govern themselves by the laws, behaved in fuch a manner, that it might be faid, the law and not Hiero reigned. He believed himself rich and powerful for no other end, than to do good, and to render others happy. He had no occafion to take cautions for the fecurity of his life: he had always the fureft guard about him, the love of his people; and Syracufe was afraid of nothing so much as of lofing him. Hence he was lamented at his death as the common father of his country. Not only their mouths but hearts were long after filled with his name, and inceffantly blefied his memory. Hieronymus, on the contrary, who had no other rule of conduct but violence, regarded all other men as born. folely for himself, and piqued himself upon governing them not as fubjects but flaves, led VOL. X. D the A. M. 3790. Ant. J. C. the wretchedeft life in the world, if to live Appius, who forefaw the confequences of his death, gave the fenate advice of all that had paffed, and took the neceffary precautions to Liv. 1. 24. preferve that part of Sicily, which belonged to n. 21--35. the Romans. They, on their fide, perceiving 214. 7 the war in Sicily was likely to become important, fent thither Marcellus, who had been appointed conful with Fabius, in the beginning of the fifth year of the fecond punick war, and had gloriously distinguished himself by his fucceffes against Hannibal. When Hieronymus was killed, the foldiers, lefs out of affection for him, than a certain natural refpect for their kings, had thoughts at firft of avenging his death upon the confpirators. But the grateful name of the liberty, with which they were flattered, and the hope that was given them of the divifion of the tyrant's treasures amongst them, and of additional pay, with the recital of his horrid crimes and fhameful exceffes, all together appeafed their first heat, and changed their difpofition in fuch a manner, that they left the prince's body without interment, for whom they had juft before expreffed fo warm a regret. As foon as the death of Hieronymus was known at Syracufe, Andranadorus feized the ifle, which was part of the city, with the citadel, tadel, and fuch other places, as were most proper for his defence in it; putting good garrifons into them. Theodorus and Sofis, heads of the confpiracy, having left their accomplices with the army, to keep the foldiers quiet, arrived foon after at the city. They made themfelves mafters of the quarter Achradina, where, by fhewing the tyrant's bloody robe, with his diadem to the people, and exhorting them to take arms for the defence of their liberty, they foon faw themselves at the head of a numerous body. 66 The whole city was in confufion. The next day, at fun-rife, all the people, armed and unarmed, ran to the Achradina, where the fenate was affembled, which had neither fate, nor been confulted upon any affair, from Hiero's death. Polyænus, one of the fenators, fpoke to the people with great freedom and moderation, He represented, that having experienced the indignities and miferies of flavery, they were "moft fenfibly affected with them: But that "as to the evils occafioned by civil difcord, they had rather heard them fpoken of by "their fathers, than been acquainted with them "themselves: That he commended their rea"dinefs in taking arms, and fhould praise "them still more, if they only used them in "the last extremity: That at prefent it was 66 his advice to fend deputies to Andranorus, "and to let him know he muft fubmit to the "fenate, open the gates of the ifle, and with"draw his garrifons: That if he perfifted in "his ufurpation, it would be neceflary to "treat him with more rigour than Hierony"mus had experienced." VOL. X. D 2 This This deputation at first made fome impreffion upon him; whether he ftill retained fome refpect for the fenate, and was mo red with the unanimous concurrence of the citizens; or because the best fortified part of the isle having been taken from him by treachery, and furrendered to the Syracufans, that lofs gave him juft apprehenfions. But his wife Demarata, Hiero's daughter, an haughty ambitious princefs, having taking him afide, put him in mind of the famous faying of Dionyfius the tyrant, "That it was never proper to quit the "faddle, (i. e. the tyranny) till fulled off the borfe by the heels: That a great fortune might "be renounced in a moment; but that it "would coft abundance of time to attain it : "That it was therefore neceffary to endeavour "to gain time; and whilft he amufed the fenate by ambiguous answers, to treat privately "with the foldiers at Leontium, whom it was "eafy to bring over to his interest, by the at"traction of the king's treafures in his pof"feffion." Andranadorus did not entirely reject this counfel, nor think proper to give into it without referve. He chofe a mean between both. He promised to submit to the fenate, in expectation of a more favourable opportunity; and the next day having thrown open the gates of the ifle, repaired to the quarter Achradina; and there, after having excufed his delay and resistance, from the fear he had been in of being involved in the tyrant's punishment as his Sed evocatum eum ab legatis Demarata uxor, filia Hieronis, inflata adhuc regiis animis ac muliebri fpiritu, admonet fæpe uiurpatæ Dio nyfii tyranni vocis: qua, pedibus tractum, non infidentem equo, relinquere tyrannidem dixerit debere. uncle, |