HIERON II., eon of Hierocles, a wealthy citizen of Syracuse, and a descendant of Gelon, distinguished himself in early youth by his brilliant qualities ; and he served with distinction under Pyrrhus in his Sicilian campaigns. After Pyrrhus had suddenly abandoned Sicily, the Syracusans found themselves threatened on one side by the Carthaginians, and on the other by the Mamertines, a band of Campa nian mercenaries, who had treacherously taken possession of Messana. The Syracusan troops, being in want of a trusty leader, chose Hieron by acclamation, and the senate and citizens, after some demur, ratified the choice, B.C. 275. By marrying the daughter of Leptinea, a man of influence among the aristocratic party, he secured their support. Having led the army against the Mamertines, he divided it into two bodies, in tho foremost of which he placed the mercenaries in the pay of Syracuse, who had of late shown a mutinous disposition, and ordered them to begin the attack. They did so, but were overpowered by superior numbers; and Hieron, instead of supporting them with his Syracusan soldiers, withdrew, and left them to be slaughtered by the Mamertinea. He then recruited his army among his own country men, and having deceived the Mamertines, who were waiting for him at the pass of Tauromenium, he marched ronud the western base of "Etna, attacked and took Tyndaria, Abeam u m, Mylm, and other towns, before the main body of tho enemy could come to their relief, and lastly defeated the main body itself in a pitched battle on the banks of the river Longanus. He was on the point of attacking Messana, when the Carthaginian commander in Sicily, who was then in the island of Lipara, came to offer his mediation, but in fact for the purpose of introducing a Carthaginian garrison into Meessua. In this object he succeeded, having deceived both parties ; and Hieron, unwilling to bring on himself the whole might of Carthage, returned to Syracuse, where, through the influence of Leptincs, he was pro claimed king, ac. 270. Shortly after, the Mamertines at Messana
quarrelled with the Carthaginians and drove them out of the citadel, upon which the Carthaginians invited Hieron to join his forces to theirs, in order to drive the Mamertines out of Sicily. Hieron having assented, encamped himself nuder the walls of Diessana on one side, and the Carthaginians fixed their camp on the other, whilst their squadron guarded the strait. The Mamertines meantime had applied to the Romans for assistance, claiming a common origin with them as being descended from Mars, called DIamertus in the Oscan language; and Rome eagerly seized this opportunity of obtaining a footing in Sicily. The consul Appius Claudius marched to Rhegium, and having contrived to pass the strait in the night, unobserved by the Cartha ginian cruisers, he surprised Ilieron'e camp, routed the soldiers; and obliged Hieron to seek for safety in flight. The consul next attacked the Carthaginian camp with the same success, and this was the begin ning of the first Punic war, about B.C. 261 or 265. In the following year the Romans took Tanromenium and Catana, and advanced to the walls of Syracuse, when Hieron sued for peace, which he obtained on condition of paying 100 talents of silver and supplying the Roman army with provisions. He punctually fulfilled hls engagement, remaining faithful to Rome during the whole of the war, and by his supplies was of great service to the Roman armies, especially during the long sieges of Agrigentum and Libycenm. Hieron was included in tho peace between Rome and Carthage, by which his territories were secured to him, and he remained in friendship with both states. He even assisted Carthage at a very critical moment by sending her supplies of provisions during the war which she had to sustain against the disbanded mercenaries. The period of peace which elapsed