Dionysius the Elder

Dionysius the Elder (c. 430-367 bc), tyrant of Syracuse, Sicily (405-367 bc). Of humble birth, he worked as a government clerk before he seized power (the Greek term tyrannos was applied to one who usurped power). Until 398 he maintained peace with the Carthaginians, who ruled a large part of Sicily, but thereafter he aimed at expelling them from the island and at extending his power over the Greek cities of Sicily and of southern Italy. His initial campaigns against the Carthaginians were successful. He used mercenaries both as colonists and fighters, making Syracuse the strongest power in Greek Italy and, capturing the city of Rhegium in 386. His later encounters with Carthage, however, were unsuccessful, and he lost the territory west of the Halycus River, which he had previously won. Dionysius was also a patron of the arts and a playwright, who often competed in the dramatic festivals at Athens.