Dionysius the Elder
At a glance:
- Series: Magill’s Guide to Military History
- Categories: Government and Politics, Royalty, Rulers, Nobility, Military History
- Subcategories: Politicians, Diplomats, Dictatorships, Dictators, Tyrants, Hellenistic Age, Ancient Greece
- Curriculum: Italian History, Ancient History
Article abstract: Military significance: Dionysius, tyrant of Syracuse, introduced catapults into Greek warfare at the Siege of Motya. Relying on mercenaries, he conquered much of Sicily and southern Italy, making Syracuse the strongest Greek city outside Greece itself.
Dionysius the Elder first distinguished himself in 409 b.c.e. during a war between Syracuse and Carthage. In 406 b.c.e., the Syracusans elected him general, but with the help of mercenaries, he seized power and became sole ruler of the city.
Dionysius spent his first years in power subduing...
[The entire page is 308 words long]
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