espot, succeeding to his
father of the same name. Dionysius II., then very young, had
manifested some disposition toward philosophy and prodigious
admiration for Plato, who was encouraged by Dion to hope that he would
have influence enough to bring about an amendment or thorough reform
of the government at Syracuse. This ill-starred visit, with its
momentous sequel, has been described in my "History of Greece." It not
only failed completely, but made matters worse rather than better;
Dionysius became violently alienated from Dion and sent him into
exile. Though turning a deaf ear to Plato's recommendations, he
nevertheless liked his conversation, treated him with great respect,
detained him for some time at Syracuse, and was prevailed upon, only
by the philosopher's earnest entreaties, to send him home. Yet in
spite of such uncomfortable experience, Plato was induced, after a
certain interval, again to leave Athens and pay a second visit to
Dionysius, mainly in hopes of procuring the restoration of Dion. In
this hope, too, he was disappointed, and was glad to return, after a
longer stay than he wished, to Athens.

[Illustration: The School of Athens.]

The visits of Plato to Dionysius were much censured and his motives
misrepresented by unfriendly critics, and these reproaches were still
further embittered by the entire failure of his hopes. The closing
years of his long life were saddened by the disastrous turn of events
at Syracuse, aggravated by the discreditable abuse of power and
violent death of his intimate friend, Dion, which brought dishonor
both upon himself and upon the Academy. Nevertheless, he lived to the
age of eighty, and died in 348-347 B.C., leaving a competent property,
which he bequeathed by a will still extant. But his foundation, the
Academy, did not die with him. It passed to his nephew Speusippus, who
succeeded him as teacher, conductor of the school, or scholarch, and
was himself succeeded after eight years by Xenocrates of Chalcedon;
while another pupil of the Academy, Aristotle, after an absence of
some years from Athens, returned thither and established a school of
his own at the Lyceum, at another extremity of the city.

The latter half of Plato's life in his native city must have been one
of dignity and consideration, though not of any political activity. He
is said to have addressed the Dicastery as an advocate for the accused
general Chabrias; and we are told that he discharged the exp