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In Sicily, Timoleon the Corinthian died; he had put in order all the affairs of the Syracusans and the other Siceliot Greeks, and had been their general for eight years.1 The Syracusans revered him greatly because of his ability and the extent of his services to them and gave him a magnificent funeral. As the body was borne out in the presence of all the people the following decree was proclaimed by that Demetrius who had the most powerful voice of all the criers of his time2: "The people of Syracuse have voted to bury this Timoleon son of Timaenetus, of Corinth, at a cost of two hundred minas, and to honour him to the end of time with musical, equestrian, and gymnastic games, because he destroyed the tyrants, defeated the barbarians, and resettled the mightiest of Greek cities, and so became the author of freedom for the Greeks of Sicily." [2]

In this year, also, Ariobarzanes died after ruling for twenty-six years and Mithridates, succeeding him, ruled for thirty-five.3 The Romans were victorious in a battle against the Latins and Campanians in the vicinity of Suessa and annexed part of the territory of the vanquished. Manlius, the consul who had won the victory, celebrated a triumph.4

1 Continued from chap. 83.

2 Nepos Timoleon 5.4. Plut. Timoleon 39.1-3, gives the same text of the decree except at the end, where instead of mentioning freedom, he has: "he restored their laws to the Syracusans." These threefold agones were the highest form of "heroic" honours; cp. C. Habicht, Gottmenschentum und griechische Städte (1956), p. 150.

3 This is the dynasty of Cius in Mysia which later provided the kings of Pontus. Cp. Books 15.90.3 and note; 20.111.4.

4 Livy 8.11.11 states that the battle took place "inter Sinuessam Minturnasque." For the events see Broughton, 1.135.

Diodorus Siculus. Diodorus of Sicily in Twelve Volumes with an English Translation by C. H. Oldfather. Vol. 4-8. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1989.

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    • Cornelius Nepos, Timoleon, 5.4
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 8, 11
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