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Being now master of Syracuse, Gelo cared less to govern Gela,
which he therefore entrusted to his brother Hiero, while he
strengthened the defences of his new city, which indeed was now all in
all to him. And Syracuse sprang up rapidly to power and became a
flourishing place. For Gelo razed Camarina to the ground, and
brought all the inhabitants to Syracuse, and made them citizens; he
also brought thither more than half the citizens of Gela, and gave
them the same rights as the Camarinaeans. So likewise with the
Megarians of Sicily - after besieging their town and forcing them to
surrender, he took the rich men, who, having made the war, looked
now for nothing less than death at his hands, and carrying them to
Syracuse, established them there as citizens; while the common
people, who, as they had not taken any share in the struggle, felt
secure that no harm would be done to them, he carried likewise to
Syracuse, where he sold them all as slaves to be conveyed abroad. He
did the like also by the Euboeans of Sicily, making the same
difference. His conduct towards both nations arose from his belief
that a "people" was a most unpleasant companion. In this way Gelo
became a great king.
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