Plutarch, Comparison of Dion and Brutus, ed. Bernadotte Perrin, 2

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[1] καὶ μὴν οὐχ ὅμοιον Διονυσίου Συρακουσίοις ἡ Καίσαρος ἀπαλλαγῆναι Ῥωμαίοις. ὁ μὲν γὰρ οὐδʼ¹ ἠρνεῖτο τύραννος εἶναι κακῶν τε μυρίων ἐμπεπλήκει Σικελίαν·

[2] ἡ δὲ Καίσαρος ἀρχὴ συνισταμένη μὲν οὐκ ὀλίγα τοῖς ἐναντιουμένοις πράγματα παρέσχε, δεξαμένοις δὲ καὶ κρατηθεῖσιν ὄνομα καὶ δόκησις ἐφάνη μόνον, ἔργον δʼ ἀπʼ αὐτῆς οὐδὲν ὠμὸν οὐδὲ τυραννικὸν ὑπῆρξεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ δεομένοις ἔδοξε τοῖς πράγμασι μοναρχίας πρᾳότατος ὥσπερ ἰατρὸς ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ τοῦ δαίμονος δεδόσθαι.

[3] διὸ Καίσαρα μὲν εὐθὺς ἐπόθησεν ὁ Ῥωμαίων δῆμος, ὥστε χαλεπὸς γενέσθαι καὶ ἀπαραίτητος τοῖς ἀπεκτονόσι, Δίωνα δʼ ἡ Διονυσίου πάρεσις ἐκ Συρακουσῶν καὶ τὸ μὴ κατασκάψαι τοῦ προτέρου τυράννου τὸν τάφον ἐπαίτιον μάλιστα πρὸς τοὺς πολίτας ἐποίησεν.

Comparison of Dion and Brutus. Plutarch. ed. Bernadotte Perrin. Cambridge, MA. 1918.

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Current edition Perseus

Σύγκρισις Δίωνος καὶ Βρούτου (Greek) (Plutarch. Plutarch's Lives, Vol. VI. Perrin, Bernadotte, editor. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1918.)

Translations (1)

Comparison of Dion and Brutus Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarch's Lives, Vol. VI. Perrin, Bernadotte, translator. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1918.) — 2 focus

[1] And verily it was not a like thing for Syracuse to be rid of Dionysius and Rome of Caesar. For Dionysius was even an avowed tyrant, and filled Sicily with countless ills;

[2] whereas the rule of Caesar, although during its establishment it gave no little trouble to its opponents, still, after they had been overpowered and had accepted it, they saw that it was a tyranny only in name and appearance, and no cruel or tyrannical act was authorized by it; nay, it was plain that the ills of the state required a monarchy, and that Caesar, like a most gentle physician, had been assigned to them by Heaven itself.

[3] Therefore the Roman people felt at once a yearning for Caesar, and in consequence became harsh and implacable towards his murderers; whereas Dion, for letting Dionysius escape from Syracuse, and for not demolishing the tomb of the former tyrant, was held most culpable by his countrymen.

Notes on the current edition

Comparison of Dion and Brutus

1. οὐδ’ Bekker corrects to οὐτ’.

Plutarch Comparison of Dion and Brutus 2

ed. Bernadotte Perrin

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