ned with the Carthaginians.

(M103) After the death of the elder Dionysius, Syracuse was involved in
great troubles.(633) Dionysius the younger, who had been expelled,
restored himself by force of arms, and exercised great cruelties there.
One part of the citizens implored the aid of Icetes, tyrant of the
Leontines, and by descent a Syracusan. This seemed a very favourable
opportunity for the Carthaginians to seize upon all Sicily, and
accordingly they sent a mighty fleet thither. In this extremity, such of
the Syracusans as loved their country best, had recourse to the
Corinthians, who had often assisted them in their dangers; and were,
besides, of all the Grecian nations, the most professed enemies of
tyranny, and the most avowed and most generous assertors of liberty.
Accordingly, the Corinthians sent over Timoleon, a man of great merit, who
had signalized his zeal for the public welfare, by freeing his country
from tyranny, at the expense of his own family. He set sail with only ten
ships, and arriving at Rhegium, he eluded, by a happy stratagem, the
vigilance of the Carthaginians; who having been informed, by Icetes, of
his voyage and design, wanted to intercept him in his passage to Sicily.

Timoleon had scarce above a thousand soldiers under his command; and yet,
with this handful of men, he marched boldly to the relief of Syracuse. His
small army increased in proportion as he advanced. The Syracusans were now
in a desperate condition, and quite hopeless. They saw the Carthaginians
masters of the port; Icetes of the city; and Dionysius of the citadel.
Happily, on Timoleon's arrival, Dionysius having no refuge left, put the
citadel into his hands, with all the forces, arms, and ammunition in it,
and escaped, by his assistance, to Corinth.(634) Timoleon had, by his
emissaries, artfully represented to the foreign soldiers, who (by that
error in the constitution of Carthage, which we have before taken notice
of) formed the principal strength of Mago's army, and the greatest part of
whom were Greeks; that it was astonishing to see Greeks using their
endeavours to make barbarians masters of Sicily, from whence they, in a
very little time, would pass over into Greece. For could they imagine,
that the Carthaginians were come so far, with no other view than to
establish Icetes tyrant of Syracuse? Such discourses being spread among
Mago's soldiers, gave this general very great uneasiness; and, as he
wanted only a pretence