Agathocles

Agathocles

(born 361 BC, Thermae Himeraeae, Sicily—died 289) Tyrant of Syracuse (317–304?) and self-styled king of Sicily (304?–289). He moved to Syracuse as a youth and served in its army. After two failed attempts, he overthrew the Syracusan oligarchy (317) and took power. He waged wars with other Sicilian Greek cities (316–313?) and with Carthage (311), almost capturing Carthage itself before he was defeated (307). He concluded a favourable treaty (306) that curtailed Carthaginian expansion in Sicily. Harsh domestic measures kept him in power, and he declared himself king of Sicily; his reign was peaceful thereafter. He restored Syracusan liberty in his will, but after his death the Carthaginians were once again a power in Sicily.

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Agathocles

(361–289 B. C.) Syracusan king; “burned his ships behind him” in attacking Carthage. [Gk. Hist.: Walsh Classical, 9]

See : Determination

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Agathocles

Born 361 or 360 B.C.; died 289 B.C. Tyrant of Syracuse from 317 (or 316). A potter as a youth, he subsequently advanced as a talented military leader. With the support of mercenaries and impoverished citizens, he overthrew the oligarchy and came to power. By 313 B.C. he had conquered almost all the Greek cities in Sicily. From 312 to 306, he waged war with varying success against Carthage for control of Sicily and concluded by maintaining the status quo. In approximately 300–289, he fought with the Bruttii in southern Italy. In 299 he conquered the island of Corfu. The reign of Agathocles was the time of greatest military power and cultural development for the Syracuse state, which began to decline after his death.

REFERENCES

Zhebelev, S. A. “Agafokl, polnomochnyi stratig.” Zhurnal Ministerstva narodnogo prosveshcheniia. Feb. 1898.
Tillyard, H. J. W. Agathocles. [Cambridge,] 1908.