The Invitation to Educate a Young Tyrant. Guest Author: Professor James Romm. Following the elder tyrant's death, Dion invited Plato back to tutor Dionysius the Younger. Dion hoped to transform the immature ruler into an enlightened monarch. Plato's arriv

The Invitation to Educate a Young Tyrant. Guest Author: Professor James Romm. Following the elder tyrant's death, Dion invited Plato back to tutor Dionysius the Younger. Dion hoped to transform the immature ruler into an enlightened monarch. Plato's arrival was celebrated, yet he faced a court culture of "wilding" and 90-day parties. Syracuse was then an expansionist power with a massive military. Tension rose when Dionysius intercepted Dion's letter to Carthaginian diplomats, interpreting it as betrayal. Dionysius banished Dion but kept Plato as a hostage under house arrest. Eventually, the Pythagorean leader Archytas negotiated Plato's release and return to Greece. 3