Hiero I of Syracuse

Hiero I of Syracuse

Hieron I (Ἱέρων in Greek) was the son of Deinomenes, the brother of Gelon and tyrant of Syracuse in Sicily from 478 to 467 BC. In succeeding Gelon, he conspired against a third brother Polyzelos. During his reign, he greatly increased the power of Syracuse. He removed the inhabitants of Naxos and Catana to Leontini, peopled Catana (which he renamed Aetna) with Dorians, concluded an alliance with Acragas (Agrigentum) and espoused the cause of the Locrians against Anaxilas, tyrant of Rhegium.

His most important military achievement was the defeat of the Etruscans and Carthaginians at the Battle of Cumae (474 BC), by which he saved the Greeks of Campania from Etruscan domination. A bronze helmet (now in the British Museum), with an inscription commemorating the event, was dedicated at Olympia.

Hieron's reign was marked by the creation of the first secret police in Greek history, but he was a liberal patron of literature and culture. The poets Simonides, Pindar, Bacchylides, Aeschylus, and Epicharmus were active at his court, as well the philosopher Xenophanes. He was an active participant in panhellenic athletic contests, winning several victories in the single horse race and also in the chariot race. He won the chariot race at Delphi in 470 (a victory celebrated in Pindar's first Pythian ode) and at Olympia in 468 (this, his greatest victory, was commemorated in Bacchylides' third victory ode). Other odes dedicated to him include Pindar's first Olympian Ode, his second and third Pythian odes, and Bacchylides' fourth and fifth victory odes.

He died at Catana/Aetna in 467 and was buried there, but his grave was later destroyed when the former inhabitants of Catana returned to the city. The tyranny at Syracuse lasted only a year or so after his death.

Notes

References

*Diod. Sic. xi. 38-67; Xenophon, "Hiero", 6. 2; E. Lübbert, "Syrakus zur Zeit des Gelon und Hieron" (1875). N. Luraghi, Tirannidi archaiche in Sicilia e Magna Grecia (Florence, 1994)


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Hiero II of Syracuse — Hieron II, king of Syracuse from 270 to 215 BC, was the illegitimate son of a Syracusan noble, Hierocles, who claimed descent from Gelon. He was a former general of Pyrrhus of Epirus and an important figure of the First Punic War.On the departure …   Wikipedia

  • Hiero (Xenophon) — Hiero (Ἱέρων) is a minor work by Xenophon, set as a dialog between Hiero, tyrant of Syracuse, and the lyric poet Simonides about 474 B.C.E. In it Xenophon argues that a tyrant does not have any more access to happiness than a private… …   Wikipedia

  • Syracuse — • Archdiocese of Syracuse (Syracusana) in Sicily • The Diocese of Syracuse, in the State of New York Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Syracuse     Syracuse …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Hiero — may refer to:* Hiero : a book by Xenophon. * Hiero I, tyrant of Syracuse (478 467 BC). * Hiero II, tyrant of Syracuse (270 215 BC). * Hiero Desteen, protagonist of two post apocalypse novels by Sterling E. Lanier ( Hiero s Journey and The… …   Wikipedia

  • Syracuse, Sicily — Infobox Settlement official name = Syracuse established title = Founded established date = 734 BC nickname = motto = website = http://www.comune.siracusa.it image seal size = 100px map caption = Location of the city of Syracuse (red dot) within… …   Wikipedia

  • List of Tyrants of Syracuse — Syracuse was an ancient Greek City State, located on the East coast of Sicily. The city was founded by settlers from Corinth in 734 or 733 BC, and was conquered by the Romans in 212 BC, after which it became the seat of Roman rule in Sicily.… …   Wikipedia

  • Hiero I — or Hieron biographical name died 467(or 466) B.C. tyrant of Syracuse (478 467 or 466) …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • HIERO I —    tyrant of Syracuse; broke the naval power of Etruria by victory over the Etruscan fleet near Cannæ, 474 B.C.; was an enlightened patron of men of letters, many of whom he entertained at his court, Æschylus, Pindar, and Simonides among the… …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

  • HIERO II —    king of Syracuse, for near half a century the steadfast friend and ally of the Romans; unlike his namesake he was averse to display, and was accustomed to appear in public in the garb of a common citizen; he ruled his country well; d. 216 B.C …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

  • SYRACUSE —    1. one of the great cities of antiquity (19), occupied a wide triangular tableland on the SE. coast of Sicily, 80 m. SW. of Messina, and also the small island Ortygia, lying close to the shore; founded by Corinthian settlers about 733 B.C.;… …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”