2. A Syracusan, son of Archonides or Archomenides (Suid. v. Φίλιστος; Paus. 5.23.6), one of the most celebrated historians of antiquity, though, unfortunately, none of his works have come down to us. The period of his birth is not mentioned, but it can hardly be placed later than B. C. 435, as Plutarch expressly speaks of him as having been an eye-witness of the operations of Gylippus, during the siege of Syracuse by the Athenians, in B. C. 415, and also tells us that he was an old mant at the time of his death in B. C. 356. (Plut. Nic. 19, Dion, 35.) It seems also probable that he was considerably older than Dionysius. The first occasion on which we hear of his appearance in public life was after the capture of Agrigentum by the Carthaginians in B. C. 406, when Dionysius, then a young man, came forward in the assembly of the people to inflame the popular indignation against their unsuccessful generals, and the magistrates having imposed on him a fine for turbulent and seditious language, Philistus not only discharged the fine, but expressed his willingness to do so as often as the magistrates should think fit to inflict it. (Diod. 13.91.) Having by this means paved the way for the young demagogue to the attainment of the supreme power, he naturally enjoyed a high place in his favour during the period of his rule; so great indeed was the confidence reposed in him by Dionysius, that the latter entrusted him with the charge of the citadel of Syracuse, upon the safe custody of which his power in great measure depended. According to one account, also, it was Philistus who, by his energetic and spirited counsels, prevented Dionysius from abandoning
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Syracuse in despair, when besieged by the Carthaginians, B. C. 396 (Diod. 14.8; Plut. Dio 35), and this account may be substantially correct, even though the saying attributed to him, that a despot should not abandon his power unless dragged from it by main force, seems to be more correctly ascribed to Megacles or Polyxenus. But at a later period he excited the jealousy of the tyrant by marrying, without his consent, one of the daughters of his brother Leptines, and was in consequence banished from Sicily. He at first retired to Thurii, but afterwards established himself at Adria, where he previously possessed friendly relations : and it was here that he devoted the leisure afforded him by his exile to the composition of the historical work which has given celebrity to his name. (Diod. 15.7; Plut. Dio 11; the latter author, however, in another passage, de Exil. p. 605d. speaks of him as spending the period of his exile in Epeirus.) But he always bore his exile with impatience, and is accused both of indulging in abject lamentations over his hard fate and fallen fortunes, and of base and unworthy flattery towards Dionysius, in hopes of conciliating the tyrant, and thus obtaining his recal. (Plut. Tim. 15; Paus. 1.13.9.) These arts, however, failed in producing any effect during the lifetime of the elder Dionysius, but after his death, and the accession of his son, those who were opposed to the influence which Dion and Plato were acquiring over the young despot, persuaded the latter to recal Philistus from his banishment, in hopes that from his age and experience, as well as his military talents, he might prove a counterpoise to the increasing power of the two philosophers. Nor were they disappointed Philistus seems quickly to have established his influence over the mind of the young Dionysius, and was consulted by him in the most confidential manner, while he exerted all his efforts to alienate him from his former friends, and not only caused Plato to be sent back to Athens, but ultimately succeeded in effecting the banishment of Dion also. (Plut. Dio 11_14; Corn. Nep. Dion, 3; Pseud. Plat. Ep. 3. p. 671.) From this time the influence of Philistus became paramount at the court of Dionysius, but he was unfortunately absent from Sicily, in the command of a fleet in the Adriatic, when Dion first landed in the island, and made himself master of Syracuse, B. C. 356. He thereupon hastened to return to Sicily, but was unsuccessful in an attempt to recover Leontini, which had revolted against Dionysius, and afterwards joined the latter in the citadel of Syracuse. Here he directed all his efforts to the formation of a powerful fleet, and having equipped a force of 60 triremes, proceeded to give battle to the Syracusan fleet, which had been lately reinforced by Heracleides with a squadron of 20 ships from the Peloponnese. The contest was long and obstinate, but at length the ship of Philistus was surrounded by the enemy, and finding himself cut off from all hopes of escape, he put an end to his own life to avoid falling into the hands of his enraged countrymen. His body was treated with the utmost indignity, and dragged through the streets by the populace in an ignominious manner (Diod. 16.11, 16; Plut. Dio 35; Tzetz. Chil 10.358 ; Suid. s. v. Φίλιστος erroneously represents his death as having occurred in a sea-fight against the Carthaginians).
It is perhaps too much to represent Philistus, as has been done by some writers of antiquity, as a man naturally disposed in favour of absolute power ("hominem amicum non magis tyranno quam tyrannidi," says Cornelius Nepos, Dion, 3); but it is clear that he was desirous to uphold by every means a despotism under the favour of which he enjoyed wealth and power, and had the opportunity of indulging his natural taste for luxury and magnificence. There seems no doubt that he possessed very considerable talents of a practical as well as literary kind, but he wholly wanted the lofty and generous spirit which should animate the citizen of a free republic : and this character was reflected in his writings, which presented a marked contrast to those of Thucydides in their spirit and sentiments, notwithstanding a close imitation in style. (Plut. Dio 36; Dionys. de Vett. Script. p. 427, Ep. ad Pomp. p. 780, ed. Reiske.)
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