Regum et imperatorum apophthegmata

Hearing that one of the citizens had some gold buried at his house he ordered the man to bring it to him. But when the man succeeded in keeping back a part of it, and later removed to another city and bought a farm, Dionysius sent for him, and bade him take the whole amount belonging to him, since he had now begun to use his wealth, and was no longer making a useful thing useless.

The Younger Dionysius used to say that he gave bed and board to many learned men, not because he felt any admiration for them, but because he wished through them to gain admiration for himself.

When Polyxenus, [*](Cf. Plato’s Letters, ii. p. 314 C.) who was skilled in argumentation, asserted that he had confuted the king, the latter said, Yes, very likely by your words, but by your deeds I confute you; for you forsake your own affairs, and pay court to me and mine.