The city of Syracuse is located on the east coast of Sicily and was originally a Greek colony founded by Corinth in 734 BCE. The city enjoyed a period of expansion and prosperity under the tyrant Gelon in the 5th century BCE, survived a two-year siege by Athenian forces from 415 to 413 BCE, and again prospered under the tyrant Dionysius in the 4th century BCE when the city controlled much of Sicily and large portions of southern Italy.
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Definition
Timeline
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733 BCECorinth founds the colony of Syracuse in Sicily.
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491 BCE - 478 BCEGelon is tyrant of Syracuse.
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480 BCETyrant of Syracuse Gelon defeats the Carthaginians at the battle of Himera.
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478 BCE - 467 BCEHiero I is tyrant of Syracuse.
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474 BCEAn Etruscan fleet is defeated by the navy of Syracuse at the Battle of Cumae.
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415 BCE - 413 BCEAthenian expedition to attack Syracuse.
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405 BCEDionysius becomes tyrant in Syracuse, Sicily.
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c. 398 BCE - c. 380 BCEPlato travels in Egypt, Cyrene, Italy, Syracuse and Sicily.
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397 BCEDionysius I of Syracuse employs wheeled seige towers and bolt throwers for the first time in Greek warfare at the seige of Motya.
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384 BCESyracuse attacks the ports of the Etruscan city of Cerveteri.
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367 BCEDionysius II becomes tyrant of Syracuse, Sicily.
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361 BCE - 360 BCEPlato's second trip to Syracuse.
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360 BCEFinal attempt by Plato to make Syracusan king a philosopher-king.
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356 BCEDion becomes tyrant of Syracuse.
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346 BCEDionysius II is once again tyrant of Syracuse.
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344 BCECorcyra contributes two ships to Timoleon's fleet which attacked Syracuse.
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344 BCETimoleon defeats Dionysius II of Syracuse and establishes an oligarchy government.
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c. 330 BCEAgathocles is exiled from Syracuse.
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319 BCEAgathocles of Syracuse declares himself strategos auotkrator.
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317 BCEAgathocles takes power in Syracuse.
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311 BCEA Carthaginian army defeats Agathocles of Syracuse near Gela, Sicily.
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310 BCEAgathocles of Syracuse lands an army of 14,000 in North Africa.
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309 BCESyracuse defeats a Carthaginian army in Sicily and kills their general Hamilcar.
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309 BCE - 308 BCEAgathocles of Syracuse successfuly campaigns in North Africa defeating Carthaginian armies and taking Utica and Hippacra.
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307 BCESyracusan tyrant Agathocles sacks the city of Segesta.
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307 BCECarthage defeats the army of Agathocles of Syracuse led by Archagathus while Agathocles is in Sicily.
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306 BCEAgathocles declares himself king of Syracuse.
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306 BCECarthage and Agathocles of Syracuse sign a peace treaty and divide Sicily between them.
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300 BCEAgathocles of Syracuse campaigns in Italy and captures Bruttium.
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295 BCEAgathocles of Syracuse captures Croton in southern Italy.
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289 BCEAgathocles of Syracuse dies from poison or illness.
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288 BCEHicetus becomes tyrant of Syracuse.
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270 BCE - 215 BCEHiero II is tyrant of Syracuse.
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214 BCESyracuse joins the side of Carthage in the Second Punic War.
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213 BCE - 212 BCERoman commander Marcus Claudius Marcellus lays seige to and ultimately sacks Syracuse.
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211 BCEMarcus Claudius Marcellus is given a triumph for his capture of Syracuse and victories in Sicily.
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201 BCESyracuse joins the Roman Republic, province of Sicily is formed.
