DIONYSIUS (c.
B.c.), tyrant of Syracuse, began life as a clerk in a public office, but took advantage of war with Car thage to seize the tyranny (405) . The next eight years were spent in strengthening his power. He fortified Epipolae (402), defeated his political opponents, and removed the Greek citizens of Naxos, Catana, and Leontini, handing the cities over to foreign mer cenaries and Sikels. His first Punic War (397-396), during which the Greeks besieged Motya, and the Carthaginians Syra cuse, ended with a notable victory, and Carthage's power in Sicily was confined to the north-west. His second war in 392 was ended by a treaty greatly in his favour. In 391 he led an expe dition against Rhegium and its allied cities in Magna Graecia. In one campaign in which he was joined by the Lucanians, he dev astated the territories of Thurii, Croton, and Locri. After a pro tracted siege he took Rhegium (386), thus making himself the chief power in Greek Italy. At the next Olympic festival (384), whither he sent a splendid embassy, the Athenian Lysias attacked him in a speech (Or. 33) and the crowd pillaged the tents of his envoys.
(383-378) proved disastrous; he suffered a crushing defeat and was obliged to pay an indemnity of i,000 talents and cede to Carthage the territory west of the River Halykas. He was engaged in another war against Carthage when he died. He had friendly relations with the Spartans, whom he assisted more than once with mercenaries, and two inscriptions record his alliance with Athens (369-367). The success of his tragedy at the Lenaea (367) is probably to be connected with this friendship ; though he had frequently competed at Athens he had never till now won a first prize. Dionysius reigned 38 years, and was succeeded by his son. Freeman says of him : "He had destroyed the freedom of his native city, but he had made it both the greatest city and the greatest power in Europe." (See SICILY and SYRACUSE.) See Diod. Sic. xiii., xiv., xv. (the earlier part based on Philistos, Dionysius' friend and contemporary) ; Freeman Hist. of Sicily (Vols. iii. and iv.) (Oxford, 1894) ; Camb. Anc. Hist. Vol. vi. ch. v., with bibliography; J. Bass Dionysius 1. von Syrakus (Vienna, 188i), with full refs. to authorities.
DIONYSIUS, known as "the Younger," succeeded in 367 B.C. He was driven from the kingdom by Dion (356) and fled to Locri ; but during the commotions which followed Dion's assassi nation, he managed to make himself master of Syracuse. On the arrival of Timoleon he was compelled to surrender and retire to Corinth (343)• (Diodorus Siculus, xvi.; Plutarch, Timoleon.) See SYRACUSE and TIMOLEON ; and, on both the Dionysii, arts. by B. Niese in Pauly-Wissowa's Realencyklopiidie, v. pt. I. (19o5).
