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This is John Batchel, speaking with Professor James Rom, his new book, Plato and the

Tyrant, the story of making of the book Republic on the basis of what Plato learned with three visits

to the most powerful state in the west of the Hellenistic world, Syracuse. This is 4th century

BCE, ruled by a family of Dionysians, Dionysia the elder, who becomes the pretender who rises to take control of a very powerful city, Syracuse on the coast of Sicily.

Big fleet, big army, conquering in all directions, including chewing its way up the boot of Italy, threatening everyone, including Athens, and Carthet.

But Dionysius I succeeded after perhaps drinking himself to death by his son Dionysius

the second.

And therein lies the drama that Plato gets involved in.

Right now, James is just speaking to the facts of Syracuse and the power of it, the island,

off the peninsula that can be walled off from the main city and became the fortress that Dionysius I first

and then the second held against all comers.

...