List of tyrants of Syracuse

Syracuse(Greek:Συρακοῦσαι) was anancient Greekcity-state,located on the east coast ofSicily,Magna Graecia.The city was founded by settlers fromCorinthin 734 or 733BCE,and wasconqueredby theRomansin 212 BCE, after which it became the seat of Roman rule in Sicily. Throughout much of its history as an independent city, it was governed by a succession oftyrants,with only short periods ofdemocracyandoligarchy.WhilePindaraddressed the Deinomenids as kings (basileus) in his odes, it is not clear that this (or any other title) was officially used by any of the tyrants untilAgathoclesadopted the title in 304.

Tyrants of Syracuse

Deinomenids (485–465)

• Gelon I(485 BCE–478 BCE)
• Hiero I(478 BCE–466 BCE)
• Thrasybulus(466 BCE–465 BCE)

Thrasybulus was deposed in 465 and Syracuse had a republican government for the next sixty years. This period is usually known as theSecond Democracy(465-405). The extent to which Syracuse was ademocracyin the same sense as Athens during this period is debated.

Dionysii (405–344)

• Dionysius the Elder(405 BCE–367 BCE)
• Dionysius the Younger(367 BCE–356 BCE)
• Dion(357 BCE–355 BCE)
• Calippus(355 BCE–353 BCE)
• Hipparinus(353 BCE–c.350 BCE)
• Nysaeus(c.350 BCE–346 BCE)
• Dionysius the Younger(restored, 346 BCE–344 BCE)

Timoleon (345–337)

• Timoleon(345 BCE–337 BCE)

Timoleon revived a republican form of government in Syracuse, which continued after his death. This period is usually known as theThird Democracy(337-317). The name is misleading; for at least some of the period Syracuse was run as anoligarchy.

Agathocles (317–289)

• Agathocles(317 BCE–289 BCE)

Numismatic evidence suggests that republican government may have existed for a few years between the death of Agathokles and Hicetas' assumption of power; this is sometimes referred to as theFourth Democracy(289-287?). Nothing is known about it.

Interregnum (289–276)

• Hicetas(289 BCE–280 BCE)
• Thinion&Sosistratus(279 BC–277 BCE)
• Pyrrhus of Epirus(278–276 BCE)

Hieronids (275–214)

• Hiero II(275 BCE–215 BCE)
  • Gelo II(until 216 BCE)
• Hieronymus(215 BCE–214 BCE)

In the aftermath of the devastating Roman defeat at theBattle of Cannae,Hieronymus entered into an alliance withHannibal,which would ultimately decide the city's fate politically. As a result of Syracuse's support for Carthage, the Romans underMarcus Claudius Marcellusbegan besieging the city in 214 BC. Hieronymus was assassinated shortly thereafter and a republican government restored (theFifth Democracy) but the city fell to the Romans in 212 BCE.