Timoleon   

who made it the business of his command not so much to deliver the
Syracusans from other tyrants, as to enslave them to himself, had
already entered into some secret conferences with those of Carthage,
while in public he commended the design of his Syracusan clients,
and despatched ambassadors from himself, together with theirs, into
Peloponnesus; not that he really desired any relief to come from there,
but in case the Corinthians, as was likely enough, on account of the
troubles of Greece and occupation at home, should refuse their assistance,
hoping then he should be able with less difficulty to dispose and
incline things for the Carthaginian interest, and so make use of these
foreign pretenders, as instruments and auxiliaries for himself, either
against the Syracusans or Dionysius, as occasion served. This was
discovered a while after.
The ambassadors being arrived, and their request known, the Corinthians,
who had always a great concern for all their colonies and plantations,
but especially for Syracuse, since by good fortune there was nothing
to molest them in their own country, where they were enjoying peace
and leisure at that time, readily and with one accord passed a vote
for their assistance. And when they were deliberating about the choice
of a captain for the expedition, and the magistrates were urging the
claims of various aspirants for reputation, one of the crowd stood
up and named Timoleon, son of Timodemus, who had long absented himself
from public business, and had neither any thoughts of nor the least
pretensions to, an employment of that nature. Some god or other, it
might rather seem, had put it in the man's heart to mention him; such
favour and good-will on the part of Fortune seemed at once to be shown
in his election, and to accompany all his following actions, as though
it were on purpose to commend his worth, and add grace and ornament
to his personal virtues. As regards his parentage, both Timodemus
his father, and his mother Demariste, were of high rank in the city;
and as for himself, he was noted for his love of his country, and
his gentleness of temper, except in his extreme hatred to tyrants
and wicked men. His natural abilities for war were so happily tempered,
that while a rare prudence might be seen in all the enterprises of
his younger years, an equal courage showed itself in the last exploits
of his declining age. He had an elder brother, whose name was Timophanes,
who was every way unlike him, being indiscreet and rash, and infected
by the suggestions of some friends and foreign soldiers, whom he kept
always about him, with a passion for absolute power. He seemed to
have a certain force and vehemence in all military service, and even
to delight in dangers, and thus he took much with the people, and
was advanced to the highest charges, as a vigorous and effective warrior;
in the obtaining of which offices and promotions, Timoleon much assisted
him, helping to conceal or at least to extenuate his errors, embellishing
by his praise whatever was commendable in him, and setting off his
good qualities to the best advantage.
It happened once in the battle fought by the Corinthians against the
forces of Argos and Cleonae, that Timoleon served among the infantry,
when Timophanes, commanding their cavalry, was brought into extreme
danger; as his horse being wounded fell forward and threw him headlong
amidst the enemies, while part of his companions dispersed at once
in a panic, and the small number that remained, bearing up against
a great multitude, had much ado to maintain any resistance. As soon,
therefore, as Timoleon was aware of the accident, he ran hastily in
to his brother's rescue, and covering the fallen Timophanes with his
buckler, after having received abundance of darts, and several strokes
by the sword upon his body and his armour, he at length with much
difficulty obliged the enemies to retire, and brought off his brother
alive and safe. But when the Corinthians, for fear of losing their
city a second time, as they had once before, by admitting their allies,
made a decree to maintain four hundred mercenaries for its security,
and gave Timophanes the command over them, he, abandoning all regard
to honour and equity, at once proceeded to put into execution his
plans for making himself absolute, and bringing the place under his