joy this sudden flight of the Carthaginian ships. With shouts of
encouragement they attacked the city on all sides. To their
astonishment, scarcely any defence was made. In fact, the army of
Hicetas, many of them Greeks, were largely in favor of Timoleon, while
the talk of the eel catching soldiers in the marshes had won many more
over. As a result, Timoleon took the great city of Syracuse, on which
the Athenians had vainly sacrificed hundreds of ships and thousands of
men, without the loss of a single man, killed or wounded.

Such a succession of astonishing favors of fortune has rarely been seen
in the world's history. The news flew through Sicily, Italy, and Greece,
and awakened wonder and admiration everywhere. Only a few months had
passed since Timoleon left Corinth, and already, with very little loss,
he was master of Syracuse and of much of Sicily, and had sent the
dreaded Sicilian tyrant to dwell as a common citizen in Corinth. His
ability seemed remarkable, his fortune superhuman, and men believed that
the gods themselves had taken him under their especial care.

And now came the temptation of power, to which so many great men have
fallen victims. Timoleon had but to say the word and he would be despot
of Syracuse. Everybody looked for this as the next move. In Ortygia rose
the massive citadel within which Dionysius had defied revolt or
disaffection. Timoleon had but to establish himself there, and his word
would be the law throughout Syracuse, if not throughout Sicily. What
would he do?

What he proposed to do was quickly shown. He proclaimed that this
stronghold of tyranny should be destroyed, and invited every Syracusan
that loved liberty to come with crowbar and hammer and join in the work
of levelling to the ground the home and citadel of Dionysius. The
astounded citizens could scarcely believe their ears. What! destroy the
tyrant's stronghold! Set Syracuse free! What manner of man was this?
With joyous acclaim they gathered, and heaved and tugged until the
massive walls were torn stone from stone, and the vast edifice levelled
with the ground, while the time passed like a holiday, and songs of joy
and triumph made their work light.

The Bastile of Syracuse down, Timoleon ordered that the materials should
be used to build courts of justice,--for justice was henceforth to
replace despotism in that tyrant-ridden city. But he had more to do. So
long had oppression and suffering lasted that the city was ha