half later fallen into such contempt,(729) that the people, utterly incapable of protecting the city in the dangers of the time, appointed a general with unlimited power: which measure, though always attended with bad success, they repeatedly had recourse to. Dionysius, a man powerful as well from his talents, as from the means which his situation as demagogue afforded him of keeping the people in continual dread of the nobles,(730) soon became tyrant;(731) but he still allowed an appearance of freedom to remain in public assemblies, which he summoned, conducted, and dismissed.(732) Dion restored the democracy for a short time, and only partially;(733) for it was his real intention to introduce a Doric aristocracy upon the model of those in Sparta and Crete.(734) Timoleon with more decision abolished the democracy, and restored the former constitution,(735) as may be supposed, not without sycophants and demagogues, who were not slow to turn their arms against the founder of the new liberty.(736) A mixture of aristocracy is discernible in the office of amphipolus of the Olympian Zeus, which lasted three centuries from 343 B.C. and probably combined political influence with the highest dignity; the person who filled it gave his name to the year. Three candidates were chosen for this office from three families by vote, and one of the three was selected by lot.(737) It may be observed, that Timoleon caused a revision of the laws to be made by Cephalus, a Corinthian, who, however, was only called an interpreter of the code of Diocles, although, as it appears, he entirely remodelled the civil law.(738) We must pass hastily over the later times, remarking in general, that a feeble democracy continued to exist, frequently contending with clubs of oligarchs,(739) and afterwards falling into the hand of tyrants who had risen from demagogues; such, for instance, as Agathocles, who undertook to bring about a redivision of the lands, and an abolition of all claims of debt.(740) Hiero II. did not suppress the council of the city, which Hieronymus never consulted; but as it again returned into existence immediately after the death of the latter prince, it appears that it could not have been a body chosen annually, but a board appointed for a considerable period.(741) The generals had at all times very large powers, especially in the popular assembly, in which, however, persons of the lowest condition had liberty to speak.(742) Another military office also, that of the hipparchs, exercised a superintendence over the internal affairs of the state, in order to guard against disturbances.(743)