The Sicilian Greeks made their way toward Syracuse, but as they reflected that they
would certainly be invested and forced to endure a laborious siege, they urged Dionysius to
seek an immediate encounter with Himilcon because of his past victory; for, they said, perhaps
their unexpected appearance would strike terror into the barbarians and they could repair their
late reverse.
[
2]
Dionysius was at first won over by these
advisers and ready to lead his army against Himilcon, but when some of his friends told him
that he ran the risk of losing the city if Magon should set out with his entire fleet against
Syracuse, he quickly changed his mind; and in fact he knew that Messene had fallen to the hands
of the barbarians in a similar manner.
1 And so, believing that it was not safe to strip the city of defenders, he set out
for Syracuse.
[
3]
The majority of the Sicilian Greeks, being
angered at his unwillingness to encounter the enemy, deserted Dionysius, some of them departing
to their own countries and others to fortresses in the neighbourhood.
[
4]
Himilcon, who had reached in two days the coast of the
Catanaeans, hauled all the ships up on land, since a strong wind had arisen, and, while resting
his forces for some days, sent ambassadors to the Campanians who held Aetne, urging them to
revolt from Dionysius.
[
5]
He promised both to give them a large
amount of territory and to let them share in the spoils of the war; he also informed them that
the Campanians dwelling in Entella found no fault with the Carthaginians and took their side
against the Sicilian Greeks, and he pointed out that as a general thing the Greeks as a race
are the enemies of all other peoples.
[
6]
But since the Campanians
had given hostages to Dionysius and had sent their choicest troops to Syracuse, they were
compelled to maintain the alliance with Dionysius, although they would gladly have joined the
Carthaginians.