Assassination
Callippus built a conspiracy, gathering the already many sectors which were resenting Dion, to oust him. The Athenian began gaining the trust of Dion, informing him of the many rumors which circulated inside the army against his regime (although many weren't truthful). Thus, an actual plot was built although Dion kept believing in his honesty (discrediting those, who denounced the actual plan of Callippus, to him).
Then, Dion's son committed suicide and Callippus spread the rumor that Dion would recall Apollocrates (who was his closest relative) so he would be his successor. At this point, the conspiracy was widely known and Dion said: "If (beside my usual foes) I may fear my own friends; opening my chest to the treacherous dagger, I would prefer being slain in a thousand occasions, before enduring such menace longer." Then, Callippus convoked both Aristomache and Arete (who were investigating) at the temple of Persephone, forswearing against the rumors by the great oath of the goddess. However, (ironically) he scheduled the assassination of Dion, precisely for this goddess' celebratory day.
On that date, Dion was celebrating at home with his friends. The assassins were Zacynthians, who wore light garments and who were unarmed. They walked into the house while (behind) many other accomplices began shutting all doors and windows (restraining these). The Peloponnesians jumped onto Dion, choking his throat and mashing his body, however they were unable still, to assassinate him. While the many witnesses didn't dare intervening (fearing for their own lives), to the outside, the killers screamed, beseeching for some weapon. Minutes later, a short Spartan sword (which was richly ornamented) was dropped into, by the Syracusan Lyco. Dion was trembling fearfully when (with it) his own foreign mercenaries stabbed him, to death.
Mary Renault's historical novel The Mask of Apollo tells the story of Dion and his relationship to Plato and his Syracusan predecessors through the eyes of an itinerant tragic actor.
Read more about this topic: Dion Of Syracuse