inthians against the
forces of Argos and Cleonae, that Timoleon served among the infantry,
when Timophanes, commanding their cavalry, was brought into extreme
danger; for his horse being wounded fell forward, and threw him headlong
amidst the enemies, while part of his companions dispersed at once in
a panic, and the small number that remained, bearing up against a great
multitude, had much ado to maintain any resistance. As soon, therefore,
as Timoleon was aware of the accident, he ran hastily to his brother's
rescue, and covering the fallen Timophanes with his buckler, after
having received an abundance of darts and several strokes by the sword
upon his body and his armor, he at length with much difficulty obliged
the enemies to retire, and brought off his brother alive and safe. But
when the Corinthians, for fear of losing their city a second time,
as they had once before, by admitting their allies, made a decree to
maintain four hundred mercenaries for its security, and gave Timophanes
the command over them, he, abandoning all regard for honor and equity,
at once proceeded to put into execution his plans for making himself
absolute, and bringing the place under his own power; and having cut off
many principal citizens, uncondemned and without trial, who were most
likely to hinder his design, he declared himself tyrant of Corinth; a
procedure that infinitely afflicted Timoleon, to whom the wickedness
of such a brother appeared to be his own reproach and calamity. He
undertook to persuade him by reasoning to desist from that wild and
unhappy ambition, and bethink himself how he could make the Corinthians
some amends, and find out an expedient to remedy the evils he had done
them. When his single admonition was rejected and contemned by him, he
made a second attempt, taking with him Aeschylus his kinsman, brother to
the wife of Timophanes, and a certain diviner, that was his friend,
whom Theopompus in his history calls Satyrus. This company coming to his
brother, all three of them surrounded and earnestly importuned him upon
the same subject, that now at length he would listen to reason and be
of another mind. But when Timophanes began first to laugh at the men's
simplicity, and presently broke out into rage and indignation against
them, Timoleon stepped aside from him and stood weeping with his face
covered, while the other two, drawing out their swords, despatched him
in a moment.

When the rumor of this act was spre