AGATH'OCLES (;k, 'A; aff,t(iie) lase.), Siriiian despot, ruler of Syracuse. lie I/0111 at Therime, in Si•ily., rose from humble circumstances through the patronage of llamas. a noble citizen of Syracuse, and received a com mand in the expedition against .\grigetiturn. Afterward he married the widow of and became one of the most wealthy 1111•11 111 Syra cuse. Under the rule of Sosistratus he was obliged to flee into lower Italy, where lie col lected a band of partisans. Returning to Syra cuse after the death of Sosistratus, he secured the supreme power in 317 strengthened his position by a massacre of several thousand respectable citizen 5, and took possession of the greater part of Sicily. '5, establish his pow er and keep his army employed, he now attempt ed to expel the Ca•tling,inians from Sicily: but in this undertaking he was defeated. His next Wits to Over to Afriea with a part of his artily and there to attack the Carthaginians. This war he carried on with success for more than three years, or until 307 B.C., when disturb an•es in Sicily compelled him to leave the army for a time. On his return to Africa he found
his troops in a state of mutiny against Ids son, whom he had left in command, but pacified them by promises of large booty. Soon after ward he suffered a serious defeat, and with deliberate treachery left his own son expose(' to the vengeance of the disappointed soldiers. The soil W:Iti purl to death, and the troops surrendered themselves to the enemy, while A•allitteles escaped safely into Sicily. where. by frand anti cruelty, lie soon recovered his former power. and wa: afterward engaged in predatory inroads into ltaly. It was his intention to leave the throno to his youneyst son, .Agathocles: Ina his Ar•llagatlins, made all insur re•tion, slew the royal heir, and persuaded Alamos, one of the favorites of the aged tyrant. to destroy him by means of a poisoned tooth pick. ')'Lis took piney in 280 uses. when was sevelity-tw-o yars old and had reigned t went y-eigh t years.