laimed ▁proph et , ▁had ▁long ▁for et old ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁be ▁king . ▁Rec ogn izing ▁his ▁tal ents , ▁his ▁plant ation ▁master ▁used ▁to ▁employ ▁him ▁as ▁an ▁ent ert ainer ▁at ▁sym pos ia , ▁where ▁he ▁would ▁perform ▁sle ight - of - hand ▁magic ▁tr icks ▁that ▁included ▁breath ing ▁fire . ▁During ▁the ▁performance ▁he ▁kept ▁up ▁a ▁pat ter — th ought ▁hum orous ▁by ▁his ▁listen ers — say ing ▁that ▁Sic ilian ▁society ▁would ▁experience ▁a ▁role - re vers al , ▁in ▁which ▁his ▁arist ocr atic ▁audience ▁would ▁be ▁killed ▁or ▁ens la ved , ▁and ▁he ▁would ▁become ▁king . ▁To ▁those ▁who ▁gave ▁him ▁tips , ▁E un us ▁promised ▁that ▁they ▁would ▁be ▁sp ared ▁once ▁he ▁came ▁into ▁his ▁kingdom . ▁During ▁the ▁revol t , ▁he ▁sp ared ▁the ▁lives ▁of ▁at ▁least ▁some ▁of ▁those ▁individuals . ▁ ▁The ▁spark ▁which ▁would ▁end ▁up ▁starting ▁the ▁revol t ▁came ▁when ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁slaves , ▁who ▁were ▁suffering ▁under ▁the ▁severe ▁cruel ty ▁of ▁their ▁owner ▁Dam oph ilus , ▁sought ▁out ▁E un us ▁for ▁advice ▁on ▁what ▁to ▁do ▁about ▁their ▁situation . ▁Dec l aring ▁that ▁his ▁prop he cy ▁was ▁now ▁to ▁be ▁ful filled , ▁E un us ▁organized ▁about ▁ 4 0 0 ▁slaves ▁into ▁a ▁band ▁and ▁storm ed ▁the ▁prominent ▁city ▁of ▁En na ▁located ▁in ▁the ▁interior ▁of ▁the ▁island ▁and ▁the ▁home ▁of ▁Dam